Government Support for R&D: Helping Hand or Handout?
by Rohit Shukla, larta CEO
Each year, Congress is locked in debate about government support for R&D. While this occurs mainly during the budget season in Washington, the debate itself exposes a question that has hung around for decades: does government support for these activities constitute "corporate welfare," as Republicans have often suggested, or is it vital to the country's technical and industrial competitiveness?
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Still Lost in Jeopardy: Advanced Technology Program
The same week the Department of Commerce celebrated their first-ever Global Science and Technology Week, the Department's reprogramming proposal for the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) to halt any new awards was rejected. This kept the ATP in business, but its very uncertain future is still in limbo.
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Defining the Intangible: Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property
Former UCLA researcher Nir Kossovsky was so frustrated with his university's inability to patent his inventions for commercialization, that he abandoned academia to start The Patent and Technology License Exchange (PL-X). He's hoping his new company might help research institutions with their unfinished of business of technology transfer.
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Related Articles
Technology Transfer and Commercialization: The Long and Winding Road
This presentation examines the problems of the tech transfer process, from Rohit Shukla, larta CEO. We welcome all opinions and suggestions to this presentation, please click here to send your comments.
click here to view presentation in PDF format

Tech Transfer: High-Tech Prospectors Dig for Gold In Troves of Big Defense Contractors
The Wall Street Journal highlights the tech transfer dilemma in a front page story about Lockheed Martin Corporation's efforts to move their telecommunication technology from the labs to the marketplace.
click here for the full article from The Wall Street Journal

Companies Fight for Federal Tech Grants
August 1999 article--U.S. government grants for high-technology research are under fire as the U.S. House of Representatives voted to kill $239 million for a program that some Republican legislators say is "corporate pork."
click here for the full article from CNET

larta annoucement:
From Passion to Profitability: Strategic Planning For Your Venture

May 16 at the Costa Mesa Hilton and
May 17 at the Santa Monica Doubletree

This introductory session of Larta University features leading entrepreneurs sharing their business stories--the peaks and the valleys--in an interactive panel session. Each entrepreneur will discuss the challenges they faced in taking their concepts and turning them into profits--initial funding, management recruitment, and marketing strategies will be some of the many topics covered. This session serves as a preliminary overview of the topics covered in the Larta University series, and should offer the budding entrepreneur knowledge and advice to make smart strategic planning decisions for funding and fundamentals.

larta in the News

May 7, 2001: "Tech Bashes Have Sobered Up" (Los Angeles Times)

May 7, 2001: "SATELLITES---Doubts Abound on DirecTV Deal" (LABJ)

Meet, Mix and Mingle:
Highlight of Featured Events
This event bulletin is provided as a service by larta on behalf of various partner organizations and about events vetted and endorsed by larta.

May 14: An Inside Look at the Tech Coast Angels
Come for the evening and network with 100 Tech Coast Angels (TCA). Enjoy a 'walk-around' dinner and networking reception. Submit your company's elevator pitch and get immediate feedback from a TCA panel; or just watch the process as other early-stage companies pitch. See a live 25-minute TCA screening, where a company does a full PowerPoint presentation, fields questions, and receives feedback from TCA members. The evening is designed to be an enjoyable and efficient way for entrepreneurs to learn how to pitch TCA, for investors who may be considering joining TCA, and for anyone who wants to experience key parts of the TCA process.
click here for more information

May 14: Harvard Business School's Annual Entrepreneurs Conference
Join your business colleagues in the learning and networking experience that has had a major impact on Southern California companies for sixteen years. This all-day conference will offer new insights and thought-provoking discussions with guest speakers and panelists, who will share their experience and expertise. Learn from real-life case studies-- the hallmark of the Harvard Business School education. The Harvard Business School Association of Orange County (HBSAOC) is pleased to host this popular annual event, which has become the conference for gaining the perspectives and making the contacts needed to build and grow new business ventures.
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May 15: Caltech/MIT Enterprise Forum-Venturing In New Media: A Content Meltdown?
If you haven't already noticed, Internet entertainment and content companies are spilling a river of red ink. We have read of the struggles of upstarts and mainstream media companies fighting this on-rushing tide and mourn the demise of last-year's stars. In this program, the Caltech/MIT Enterprise Forum takes a fresh look at the new media industry and examines how the industry has changed its course and what impact it will have on emerging ventures. This program features: Tal Vigderson - President, Icebox.com; Sean Carey - Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Sony Pictures Entertainment; Lynda Keeler - Partner, Redleaf Group; Xavier Kochar - William Morris Agency; and moderated by Scott Alderton - Partner, Akin Gump Technology Ventures.
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May 15: Internap's Videoconferencing Open House
Internap Network Service's will host a quality of service open house featuring videoconferencing over the public Internet. You'll be amazed at the image quality when running videoconferencing over the public Internet using Internap's patented routing technology. Visit the downtown Los Angeles office on May 15 and talk with New York (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.), San Jose (2:00 to 3:00 p.m.) or Seattle (3:00 to 5:00 p.m.). Each segment will feature a food indicative of that city. RSVP to: Jed Jones at: SoCalSales@internap.com, or call 800-947-2336 for more information.

May 16 and 17: larta University begins with "Strategic Planning For Your Venture"
larta's entrepreneurial workshop, Larta University, begins with the first class, taught in Costa Mesa on the 16th, and in Santa Monica on the 17th. This first session, "Strategic Planning For Your Venture," features leading entrepreneurs sharing their business stories--the peaks and the valleys--in an interactive panel session, to a preliminary overview of the series? topics. Each entrepreneur will discuss the challenges they faced in taking their concepts and turning them into profits. Initial funding, management recruitment, and marketing strategies will be some of the many topics covered. Workshops are from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.
click here for more information

May 21: Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, "If I Knew Then What I Know Now!"
Come and hear first hand from women founders and CEO's what it took to build their businesses.  Come hear how women have seen possibilities and seized them. Learn lessons on how their tenacity, vision, flexibility and team-building have been both fruitful and at times frightful!  Take away with you invaluable insight into tactics and strategies that have, and have not worked, as well as practical advice and key takeaways.  Moderator: Elizabeth Carlassare, author of "Dotcom Divas: E-Business Insights from the Visionary Women Founders of 20 Net Ventures" 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. in Irvine.
click here for more information

May 24: The States of California and Nevada Chapter of the National Association of Telecommunication Officers and Advisors 5th Annual Spring Conference 2001: A Telecommunications Odyssey
The new Administration and Federal Communications Commission are expected to bring telecommunications policy changes in the near future. This, along with the unstable financial markets, is changing the rate of investment and deployment of telecommunications technologies to our communities. How will this impact the quality of services consumers receive and local regulation? Rohit Shukla, president and CEO of larta, will provide the Plenary Session presentation. 8:00 to 4:30 p.m. in Santa Monica.
click here for more information

May 29-30: Software Council's VentureNet
VentureNet is hosted by the Software Council of Southern California. Capital presenters will be presenting before an audience of leading Venture Capitalists, Corporate Investors and Tech Coast Angels active in the software market. You'll meet the technology leaders of tomorrow. Keynote Speaker: Dr. Henry Samueli, who co-founded Broadcom Corporation in 1991.
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LA VOX is provided weekly as a free service to you by larta - the technology alliance for Southern California. LA VOX is made possible by the generous support of: Ernst and Young Akin Gump Technology Ventures Grubb and Ellis Mission Ventures State of California Technology Trade & Commerce Agency

Copyright © 2001 larta. All rights reserved. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to those who may be interested. Permission to quote any proprietary part of this material is granted given proper credit. Distribution is allowed provided that no modifications are made to the original content.