Upcoming Events

Technology Day: Creating Value Through Your Business (Jan. 21)

The Technology Day 2006 on January 21 from noon to 5 pm at U. T. Dallas in Hoblitzelle Hall to explore opportunities for growing business. Pre- register by January 20th.

TAD is an "umbrella" organization comprised of a number of Metroplex technology and entrepreneurship organizations who have banded together to offer to their members networking and educational events. There will be two contests and expert speakers to help entrepreneurs explore opportunities for growing their businesses. 

The keynote speaker will be Ed Cantwell, President of Inner Wireless, the leading provider of comprehensive in-building wireless distribution systems that provide a strategic, shared wireless broadband infrastructure.

There will be a business plan contest. Contestants will compete in small groups and will have expert coaches as they create a fictitious high-tech company, and make a presentation to investors and to the Technology Day audience. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team. To compete as a team of two, please contact Neil Kaden.

A panel discussion, "How to Obtain Funding for Your Business," will feature experts who will share secrets of success for funding your business. Panelists include Laurence Briggs, CEO of The InvestIN Group & President of Keiretsu Forum DFW; James Pautler, VP Engineering of AMX; and Robert Gruebel, Mentor Advisor of STARTech Early Ventures. 

A second panel discussion, “How to Determine Your Product/Service Value in the Market Place,” will feature experts who will share ideas on marketability and valuation.  Panelists include Howard LaMunion, CEO of ConsulttUS; and Alex B. Ramsey, CEO of LodeStar Universal.

There is a $5 charge if registered in advanced and a $15 charge for onsite registration. Cost is just $5 for members of supporting organizations of TAD if you register online ($15 at the door). For more information and to register online, please visit Technology Day website.

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Nanotechnology Workforce Development Initiative (NWDI) of Texas (Jan. 23)

The Nanotech Colloquium, a bi-weekly event to present and discuss issues related to developments, applications and commercialization of nanotechnology, is featuring Matt Ellis, senior research physicist at Zyvex Corporation at 11:30pm on January 23. The event may be viewed at any office of Winstead Sechrest & Minick but will be seen live at the Dallas office, located in 5400 Renaissance Tower at 1201 Elm Street in Dallas.

The Nanotechnology Workforce Development Initiative (NWDI) is a statewide effort to support advanced nano manufacturing in Texas. Funded by the Wagner-Peyser Act and administered by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), the NWDI plays a significant role in supplying the workforce necessary to create and deploy the services and products being created by the nanotechnology industry.

The combined efforts of the participants (Texas State Technical College-Waco, Baylor University, Del Mar College of Corpus Christi, Zyvex Corporation, Sematech, and Richland College) in the NWDI initiative lay the foundation for an innovative and effective partnership to produce a qualified and talented workforce for the growing demands of nanotechnology. This presentation will give an overview of the NWDI and the role that Zyvex Corporation plays in the initiative. For more information, contact Richard Fink 512-339-5020x130.

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VC TaskForce “The Boardroom” (Jan. 24)

Street in Palo Alto, California. “The Boardroom” uses a case-study approach to simulate real life boardroom scenarios. Through well-crafted cases, we can re-live actual boardroom situations in private and public, high-tech companies and learn from others’ mistakes. It’s a “Flight Simulator” for boardroom training – no seatbelts required.

Anyone who’s learned the hard lessons of business on-the-job knows that experience is actually the second-best teacher. The case method is the best. A well crafted case can pack more experience into every hour of learning than any other instructional approach – and there’s always a soft landing. Judgment and the wisdom developed from experience lie at the very core of business success. There’s no more effective way to develop these skills than through cases, such as those presented in “The Boardroom” program.

“The Boardroom” program has been developed by two high tech corporate governance advisors: Deborah Ludewig, Partner, Emerging Growth and Technology, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, and Ann Peckenpaugh, President, Board Search Partners LLC.

There is a $79 fee for VC TaskForce Members, a $99 charge for affiliate members and a general charge of $129. For more information, plese visit VC TaskForm website.

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Healing the Human Brain: The Next Medical Revolution (Jan. 24)

Dr. Michael Kilgard of The University of Texas at Dallas will be presenting “Healing the Human Brain: The Next Medical Revolution” at 7pm on Tuesday, January 24 in the Fogelson Auditorium located at Presbyterian Hospital at 8200 Walnut Hill.

He will discuss how we develop cures for neurological and psychiatric disorders lies in our understanding of science and the potential of brain rewiring.  The discovery of penicillin to treat infection and the sequencing of DNA to understand genetics have been pivotal revolutions in science.  Now, on the cusp of the next medical revolution, we have the tools to begin unraveling the mysteries of the brain. To register, please contact Sharon Omeara at the Center for BrainHealth® at 214-905-3007 or visit the Center for BrainHealth website.

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DFW Texchange Meeting with Philip Romano (Jan. 25)

The next meeting of the DFW Texchange meeting will be held at 6pm on Wednesday, January 25 at Maggiano’s Little Italy located at the Northpark Center Mall in Dallas. Philip Romano will be the guest speaker for the evening.

Romano is an investor, entrepreneur, artist and nationally-renowned restaurateur. Involved in the restaurant business for forty years, in the course of his career, he has created over twenty-five concepts. He is the only person in the restaurant industry that has created more than two successful national concepts….he has created six to date: Fuddruckers, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Spageddies, Cozymel’s, Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ and eatZi’s Market & Bakery. Fuddruckers has opened units in more than 150 locations worldwide. Romano’s Macaroni Grill now operates in more than 190 locations in the United States and Canada. The restaurant concepts created by Romano produce over $1 billion in sales each year. To date, his concepts have generated more than $10 billion in revenue.

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UTA Workshop on Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting (Jan. 27)

University of Texas at Arlington College of Engineering's Automation & Robotics Research Institute is hosting a conference on January 27 on Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting on January 27 at their location at 7300 Jack Newell Blvd. S. in Fort Worth, Texas

Vast reductions in the size and power consumption of CMOS circuitry have led to focused research efforts on small and efficient power sources. Much of the current emphasis has been on developing on-site generators that transform an available mechanical energy into electrical energy.

This workshop will bring together academic and industrial researchers on one platform to review past developments, current challenges and future goals in the field of piezoelectric energy harvesting. The presence of the leading industries, both nationally and internationally, in the field of energy harvesting and piezoelectrics at one location makes this a landmark event.

The workshop will also feature displays by innovators in piezoelectric energy harvesting and demonstrations their latest technologies.

For more information, visit workshop website or call 817-272-5900.

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Commercialization of Nanotechnology in Texas (Feb. 7)

The MTBC Nanotechnology Focus Group presents the first milestone nanotechnology event of the year. "Commercialization of Nanotechnology in Texas” will be at 11am on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at the TI Auditorium located in the School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Dallas campus. The program is complimentary and lunch will be provided, but registration is required.

The program will address innovation and commerce in relation to current and future nanotech-activity in Texas. As an enabling technology, nanotech will be fundamental to the success and evolution of virtually every industry, including computers, healthcare, communications, aerospace, automotive, transportation, and many others. This program will feature a panel that includes: Dr. Ray Baughman, NanoTech Institute, University of Texas at Dallas

Baughman is the Director of the NanoTech Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas, and holds the Robert A. Welch Chair in Chemistry. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Institute of Chemists, an Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, and an Honorary Professor at Jilin University ( China). He has 51 US patents and over 180 publications.

Dr. David Daniel, President, University of Texas at Dallas

Daniel, who is a member of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering, also serves on the Dallas Chamber’s University President’s Council, as well as the Board of Directors for the North Texas Regional Center of Innovation and Commercialization in conjunction with the Emerging Technology Fund. Daniel is expanding UTD’s research program, increasing collaborative work with government agencies, corporations and other universities, and speeding the transfer of ideas from UTD laboratories to the marketplace.

Mark Ellison, Texas Emerging Technology Fund

Ellison is the Director of the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, which was recently approved by Governor Perry and the Texas Legislature to assist the development and commercialization of technologies important to the future of Texas. The Emerging Technology Fund will improve university research, expedite the launch of technology firms, and speed transition of inventions from the lab into the hands of consumers. “Supporting emerging technologies in Texas will help us cultivate and keep our home-grown technologies and also attract new business and research. This will create new jobs and enhance our position as a global technology leader.”

Jim Von Ehr II, Zyvex Corporation

Von Ehr is the founder, Chairman, and CEO of Zyvex Corporation, the first molecular nanotechnology company in the world. Zyvex is a highly renowned world-scale player in the nanotechnology community, the most publicized private nanotechnology business in the world, and the most highly regarded company in the field of molecular assemblers. Von Ehr is widely respected as one of the world’s top nanotechnology industry leaders.

Moderator: Kelly Kordzik, Texas Nanotechnology Initiative

Kelly Kordzik is the President of the Texas Nanotechnology Initiative (TNI), and was greatly involved in the creation of the Emerging Technology Fund. Kordzik is a recognized leader in the field of nanotechnology, and also serves on the Advisory Boards of the Nanomaterials Applications Center, Nanotechnology Law & Business, and the Science, Technology & Society Program at the University of Texas at Austin. Kordzik just completed his term as head of the IP section at the firm of Winstead Sechrest and Minick P.C., and is the chair of their Nanotechnology Practice Group.

These key individuals integrally factor into the world-class commercialization of nanotechnology already developing in Texas. This panel discussion will serve as a precursor to nanoTX’06, the world-scale nanotechnology conference and expo to be held at the Dallas Convention Center in September, later this year.

To register visit Commercialization of Nanotechnology in Texas website.

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3rd Taiwan/US Air Force Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Workshop (Feb. 9-11)

The National Science Council(NSC) in Taiwan and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) of the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) are hosting the 3rd Taiwan/US Air Force Nanoscience and Nanotechnology workshop to be held February 9-11, 2006 in Hualien, Taiwan.

The first and second Taiwan/US Air Force workshops were held in Maui and Honolulu, Hawaii. This series of US Air Force/Taiwan Nanoscience Initiative Workshops aim to provide a stimulating and thought-provoking forum for sharing the latest technical developments and ideas in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Invited Speakers from the United States for the workshop include:

• Professor Ray Baughman, Robert A. Welch Professor of Chemistry and Director of NanoTech Institute of the University of Texas at Dallas
• Professor Paul C. W. Chu, President, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Dr. Leslie Kramer, director and engineering fellow at Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control

For more information, see 3rd Taiwan/US Air Force Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Workshop website.

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Visit by Shimane Prefecture Leadership (Feb. 16)

On February 16, 2006, a 21-member delegation from the Shimane Prefecture, Japan are going to be at The University of Texas at Dallas to discuss collaboration/investment opportunities with businesses in the area.

The University of Texas at Dallas will be hosting a reception and discussion with the delegation on Feb. 16, 2006 at 3:30pm in the Davidson Auditorium in the School of Management Building on The University of Texas at Dallas campus ( 900 West Campbell Rd.).

Located in Southeast Japan, the Shimane Prefecture has a 11 industrial parks and 4 seaside industrial parks, including the Shimane Research Business Park - a R&D oriented business park in the capital, Matsue City.

Its industries (and example companies) include:

• Information and telecommunications equipment (BellSystem 24, Wacom-IT Co., Mediatalk, Secom-Sanin)
• Iron & steel (Hitachi Metals, Ltd)
• Electronic components & devices (Panasonic Electroic Devices Matsue Co. Ltd., Cestron Japan)
• Environment/energy (Energia Solution & Service, Soil Research Center)

There is no cost to attend, but registration is required by contacting Beth Keithly.

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Society of Women Engineers Meeting "Resume Writing and Interviewing Techniques" (Feb. 21)

The February meeting of the Society of Women Engineers will be at 6:15pm on February 21 at Nedley’s Restaurant, located at 1801 North Plano Road (between Campbell and Collins). Laura Aguilar and Keats Moeller of Texas Instruments will be discussing “Resume Writing and Interviewing Techniques”. For more information, contact Kennifer Ray at 214-226-6967.