Tim Hoerr, CEO of Serra Ventures, LLC was a featured speaker at the Angel Excelerator Conference on August 30, 2011. The conference was held at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Tim’s selected presentation topic was “Tools of the Trade—Valuation and Thinking About the Exit,” which is a practical presentation on a model for assessing the proper pre-money valuation of an early stage enterprise. In addition, the presentation addressed how entrepreneurs and investors should be thinking about the potential exit strategies for their companies. Tim explains, “The Angel Excelerator Conference in Chicago is a terrific opportunity for angel investors, entrepreneurs and service providers to interact on a variety of current topics. Over 100 attendees will enjoy a variety of expert panelists sharing their perspective on best practices in angel investing.”
Monthly Archives: August, 2010
University Engagement With Small to Mid-Sized Businesses
August 20, 2010
Tim Hoerr, CEO of Cbana Labs, Inc.; CEO Serra Ventures, LLC; CEO ImmuVen, Inc, was a featured speaker and panelist at the recent NACRO 2010 Annual Conference at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. NACRO (Network of Academic Corporate Relations Officers) is a network of corporate relations professionals from research based universities dedicated to providing its members professional development opportunities and the sharing of best practices which further enable them to develop and advance relationships with specific industries. The need for NACRO stems from the rapidly increasing importance that higher education plays in economic development, and the need for colleges and universities to create and maintain dynamic relationships with business and industry.
Every year NACRO holds a conference in order for corporate relations professionals to come together to learn best practices from one another and from corporate partners. Nearly 100 professionals representing over 50 major research universities came together at this year’s annual event. Some of the industry-focused sessions included best practices for attraction and maintenance of industry partners, partnerships in federal funding, management of internal workings within a company, and energy partnerships.
Tim Hoerr was a featured panelist bringing insight into university engagement with small to mid-sized businesses. Discussions included how these companies can engage and develop partnerships with universities, strategies that have both succeeded and failed, frustrations and challenges, as well as types of funding that a university might expect in a partnership with a small to mid-sized company.
Tim Hoerr emphasized several strong benefits of a university partnership during his talk at the NACRO conference. As a small business, interests with a university would be similar to those of a major corporate partner. For example, a partnership may engage students as possible interns and employees. Faculty and research professionals would have opportunities to share their knowledge directly with companies as it relates to commercialization efforts. Partnership benefits to the companies also include leveraging university resources, seeing new technologies first hand, and keeping educationally current. Universities would gain tremendous value by partnering with small to mid-sized companies as well. Jobs and internships could be offered to their students. A feedback loop can be created for faculty and research professionals on market trends. In addition, benefits may include access to specialized equipment, joint work on government or corporate research projects and income opportunities through licensing of university-born technologies.