About the event
The University of Tennessee Research Foundation is pleased to host a virtual lunch and learn during Innov865 Week 2023. The free webinar, “UTRF’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program,” will occur on Wednesday, September 13, from 12 to 1 p.m. ET.
Dr. Kusum Rathore, vice president of UTRF’s Multi-Campus Office, will discuss the purpose, responsibilities, and benefits of UTRF’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program and chat with newly appointed EIRs Bob Vanderhoff and Ryan Ginder.
There will be time for audience Q&A at the end.
About the speakers
Dr. Kusum Rathore is the vice president of the University of Tennessee Research Foundation’s Multi-Campus Office (MCO) in Knoxville. Kusum manages the technology transfer needs for the MCO office that covers UT Knoxville, UT Institute of Agriculture, UT Chattanooga, UT Space Institute, UT Institute for Public Service, and UT Southern. In addition to negotiating and managing licenses and building strategic alliances, she oversees technology transfer and intellectual property management for advancing a diverse set of technologies coming from the various MCO campuses and the development of strategic partnerships with the industry to promote the commercialization of UT technologies. Prior to joining UTRF as vice president, Kusum worked at Thermo Fisher Scientific as Innovation and Commercialization Manager, focusing on licensing advanced therapies, including viral vectors, cell therapy, and mRNA manufacturing. Kusum holds a bachelor’s degree from Rajasthan University, a master’s degree from Delhi University in India, and a Ph.D. in Oncology and Cancer Biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Bob Vanderhoff is the president and founder of 35 Consulting Company, which is focused on interim and fractional executive roles, executive coaching, and bringing solutions to organizations to address leadership and management issues. Bob serves as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence for UTRF and the idea of “What is Possible” has been the driver of his life’s work. As a Global CEO, he has been impactful at building, leading, and positioning various businesses. With P&L responsibility, the industries he has served include electrical and industrial wholesale distribution, manufacturing, the home improvement market, and franchises. And as a consultant, he has been engaged with many other companies and industries. A strategic leader at the Executive level, he brings a strong sense of purpose and urgency with a proven record of delivering global growth, exceptional financial results, and value creation for both private and public companies, including Family and Private Equity businesses.
Dr. Ryan S. Ginder is a research assistant professor in the Aerospace, Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University and received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. In his current role, Dr. Ginder conducts experimental development of technologies for the recycling of glass and carbon fiber composites and research into novel applications for composite materials. His research covers polymer composite pyrolysis, fiber characterization and mechanics, fiber-matrix interface development, composite properties testing, part molding process design, and more.