Programme Speakers
Jon Soderstrom
Jon Soderstrom is currently the Managing Director of the Office of Cooperative Research at Yale University. The Office manages the intellectual assets created at Yale to achieve the maximum benefit for the public and provide a financial return to support the University’s research efforts. He is responsible for (1) developing and managing the intellectual property portfolio, (2) defining and executing commercialization strategies including negotiation of licenses and corporate-sponsored research agreements, and (3) development and marketing of business concepts for new spin-off ventures to the investment community.
Since joining the Office in 1996, he has participated in the formation and operation of more than 25 professional venture capital-backed new businesses including polyGenomics, Molecular Staging, Agilix, Asilas Genomic Systems, Achillion Pharmaceuticals, PhytoCeutica and Protometrix. Collectively, these ventures have raised over $250 million.
Prior to this position, Dr. Soderstrom was the Director of Program Development for Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) after serving for ten years as Director of Technology Licensing for Martin Marietta Energy Systems and ORNL. In the Office of Technology Transfer, he directed a group of ten professionals responsible for negotiating licenses and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs).
Dr. Soderstrom was a founding board member and past president of the Association of Federal Technology Transfer Executives as well as a member of the Licensing Executive Society and Association of University Technology Managers where he is currently Vice President for Public Policy. He is frequently asked to lecture and teach seminars on various aspects of the technology process both within the United States and abroad.
In addition to his professional accomplishments,
Dr. Soderstrom was honored as the 87th "Point of Light" by President George H. W. Bush in March of 1990 for his volunteer activities helping to construct and rehabilitate low-income housing.
Dr. Soderstrom received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 1980 and his A.B. from Hope College in 1976.
