MIF Lunch & Learn 12: From researcher to entrepreneur
The road from researcher to entrepreneur can be filled with roadblocks and pitfalls, but it can also be filled with rewarding successes. But how to know when the timing is right to take the plunge? And what to expect when you do? Join us to hear from the experiences of researchers who have founded their own companies which are still running today.
Josh Pottel is the CEO at Molecular Forecaster Inc. (MFI), a research-as-a-service (RaaS) company delivering customized, collaborative computer-aided drug design (CADD) services and solutions to increase certainty in drug discovery. He completed his PhD at McGill University in the lab of Prof. Nicolas Moitessier followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at USCF. He is now combining his trainings as a chemist and as an entrepreneur to grow a sustainable service and software provider in drug discovery. More broadly, he hopes to be a critical contributor to scientific research and to fostering entrepreneurship within a growing Canadian biotech sector.
Jeff Bergthorson is a Professor in Mechanical Engineering. His research is focused on finding solutions to enable a prosperous future based on renewable energy sources and carbon-free fuels. He leads the Alternative Fuels Laboratory and is also a co-founder of Altiro Energy, which aims to provide carbon-free heat and power solutions based on the use of iron as a recyclable and sustainable fuel. His research has been involved in the launch of other spinoffs, and has been licensed by other companies.