Into the Abyss, Into the Light: Innovation at a crossroads in America

Things are not as bad as they seem, nor as good as they should be.

By Rohit Shukla, CEO, Larta Institute

Much of our collective energy has gone into discussing, arguing about, fretting and moaning over the threat of imminent collapse - of the economy, of our way of life, of the world at large. A crisis mentality has clearly overtaken much of the world's thinking, at a time when we face other pressures - environmental degradation, political instability, food shortages and the increasing, ever-present threat of global pandemics.

Yet, equally clearly, there seems to be a growing sense of optimism, a sense that, punditry aside, no set of issues should be stripped down to the navel, so to speak, in order to get a handle on the ways out of the binge of excess and hubris that has brought us to this pass. Indeed, the opportunity that this time of widely-acknowledged crisis brings is unparalleled: we can do things that otherwise might have continued to be encumbered by an under-employment of imagination! Read more ...

Produced by Larta Institute and presented by Danforth Plant Science Center, The Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise, and The Missouri Technology Corporation, the first annual
Ag Innovation Showcase will take place on May 18-20, 2009 in St. Louis, MO at the new Bio-Research & Development Growth (BRDG) Park at the Danforth Plant Science Center.

The 2009 Ag Innovation Showcase will feature companies and their innovative approaches to advancing productivity and sustainability in agriculture. Leading- edge technologies will be represented from the sectors of ag-biotech, food and nutrition, alternative energy, informatics, animal health, and sustainable materials.

To promote the advancement of these technologies and to stimulate dialogue between stakeholders, The Ag Innovation Showcase will bring together entrepreneurs, investors, corporate leaders, and public officials a for a two day conference that will:

For more information or to register to attend, visit www.agshowcase.com.


NIH Commercialization Assistance Program Feedback Sessions

The Feedback Sessions are an invitation-only event of the NIH Commercialization Assistance Program (NIH-CAP). It is a one-day working meeting for the participants to present their Commercialization Profiles to a group of mentors and life science industry experts. The mentors and industry experts will critique the company's presentation for both content and presentation style, and provide honest and objective feedback on the company's commercialization opportunity(ies) and strategy. By this point in the program, the participants will have diligently worked with their Principal Advisors, so hearing from a fresh set of experts provides new perspectives, and valuable feedback and direction.

Washington, DC February 2-3, 2009
Boston, MA February 5-6, 2009
Los Angeles, CA February 18-19, 2009

USDA-CATP Commercialization Training Workshop
January 15-16, 2009 - Washington, D.C.

Last month, the Commercialization Training Workshop marked the successfull kickoff of the 2008-2009 USDA Commercialization Assistance Training Program (USDA-CATP). Funded by USDA-CSREES and managed by Larta Institute, the USDA-CATP is designed to accelerate the transition of agricultural technologies, processes, and/or services into the commercial marketplace to further the economic goals of the USDA SBIR grantees and provide solutions to some of the most pressing issues in the area of sustainability. Over 40 representatives from this year's participating companies convened for the two-day Training Workshop; they were joined by corporate leaders, investors and top figures at USDA.

Members of this year's stellar Advisory Board come from a broad spectrum of venture capitalists, intellectual property attorneys, and corporate executives. They presented a unique learning opportunity to our participating entrepreneurs to familiarize them with strategies geared toward success through commercialization process and beyond.

The event brought forth invaluable knowledge through presentations and breakout sessions aimed at improving strategy, business planning, IP management, and investor pitching. In the upcoming months, CATP participating companies will undergo the challenging and rewarding process of developing their individualized commercialization strategies with their Larta Principal Advisors through meetings, webinars, and other learning opportunities.

For more information, please visit the USDA-CATP at http://usdacap.larta.org

Biomedical Industry Becomes Increasingly Vital to State's Economic Stability, Finds California Healthcare Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers Report

In the midst of financial upheaval, the biomedical industry stands out as a bright prospect for stability and growth and one that can play a key role in state and national economic recovery efforts, according to a report released today by the California Healthcare Institute (CHI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). The 2009 Report on California's Biomedical Industry provides an overview of employment trends, wages, product development pipeline, opportunities and challenges for the industry in California, home to the largest concentration of biomedical companies in the world. Press release ...

Competition to Promote Research Innovation in Zero Gravity

The Heinlein Prize Trust announced the Microgravity Research Competition to reward innovation in the use of microgravity to advance biotech, nanotech, combustion, metallurgy, and other fields. Sponsored by the Trust and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), the competition offers a $25,000 prize and transportation to and from Low Earth Orbit for the winning experiment aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

The Microgravity Research Competition is open to U.S. universities and non-profits organizations with industry partners. The winning team will also get to witness the launch of their experiment from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

For more information, please refer to the detailed announcement and the press release, or visit www.labflight.com

Fast Pitch - Los Angeles 2009

The 4th annual Tech Coast Angels Fast Pitch Competition will take on at UCLA Anderson School of Management on February 24th, 2009.

Tech Fast Pitch Competition is a "must attend" event for entrepreneurs looking to jump-start their entrepreneurial dreams and for investors seeking to hear about the latest in innovation in Southern California.

Each of the 10 carefully selected competitors will give a two-minute pitch to a panel of distinguished judges. The three winners -- for Best of Best, Best Presentation, and Best Investment Opportunity -- will be automatically invited to make presentations at Tech Coast Angels deal-review screening sessions.

The event includes networking where idea generators, Tech Coast Angels members and other interested parties will gather over delicious food and beverages. Over 400 people attended each of the previous three Fast Pitch Competitions in 2006, 2007 and 2008. More details …

Visit our Events Calendar for a list of Larta's partners events.

Our picks of companies that are making the news and already on their way to making it big!

2008-2009 NIH Commercialization Assistance Program participant (NIH-CAP), Leap of Faith Technologies is an e-health company based in Crystal Lake, IL, that integrates existing and emerging technologies, content, and strategies for delivery to improve patient compliance and healthcare outcomes. Ongoing funding from NIH, and over 15 years of R&D have gone into the development of various award-winning products, such as U.S. SBA Tibbetts Award for innovations in e-health, the World Wide Web Health Award, and have been selected by "World's Best Technologies 2005."

Want to hear more about the company? LoF will be presenting at the following events:

TEPR+ 2009 Palm Springs, CA Convention Center
Presentation: Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 4:15pm

DIA EuroMeeting, ICC, Berlin Germany
Presentation: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 11:00a