Helping Startups Succeed—and Stay—in the Midwest

At the University of Minnesota, launching a new company is one of several ways that breakthrough research can move beyond the lab to benefit the public. But finding the right leader, with the right experience, to bring these new technologies to market can be difficult.

“Leadership is just as important as intellectual property to a startup’s success,” said Mary MacCarthy, Venture Center program manager with the U’s Venture Center in the Office for Technology Commercialization. “The biggest challenge the U of M has with launching our startups is finding skilled, available CEOs with experience in particular industries.”

A new network comprising 11 Midwest universities’ technology transfer offices aims to address this leadership gap. Midwest Executives-on-Roster (XOR), a software platform launched today, will broaden universities’ access to experienced entrepreneurial talent and help match that talent to university startups in need of executive management.

Development of the network was led by the University of Kentucky’s Office of Technology Commercialization and modeled after the Southeast XOR program, which networks universities in the Southeastern Conference (including University of Kentucky).

Continue to full article