NC State's Entrepreneurial Impact 

NC State University ranks third in the U.S. in industry-sponsored research among public universities without medical schools. It owns and manages about 700 U.S. patents and has almost 200 more patents pending. About 70 companies have been started on the basis of University discoveries by faculty, staff and students.

Clearly, NC State has an impact on innovation, economic development and job creation. TechRevolution, hosted by the Office of Technology Transfer, will look at NC State’s entrepreneurial impact – specifically the role played by the Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (TEC) program.

Speakers:

• Roger Debo, Director of TEC, a program of NC State's Poole College of Management
• Steve Markham, Associate Professor, Department of Management, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Miles Wright, CEO of Xanofi, Inc., a NCSU startup
• Michael Zapata III, Chairman of the Board of Protochips, Inc., an early-stage company and TEC-affiliated startup

The TEC program teaches graduate students from business and technology disciplines the innovation and entrepreneurial processes necessary to transform new technology platforms into successful businesses. Since its founding in 1995, TEC has graduated more than 350 students. And its efforts have helped to raise more than $200 million in funding for clients and new ventures created in the class. That has translated into 250 jobs in the Research Triangle area.

TEC team members will discuss their roles in educating and preparing future business leaders and entrepreneurs. Executives from TEC start-up companies will share their insight about the value of the program and the challenges entrepreneurs face.