LED BY THE UMKC INNOVATION CENTER, a National Science Foundation Partnership for Innovation grant created the Whiteboard 2 Boardroom program (W2B) as a partnership between four regional schools – UMKC, University of Kansas, Johnson County Community College and William Jewell College. It has since expanded to include numerous academic and research institutions in the bi-state region.
W2B is a team effort that includes research partners that provide the new technologies, a technology transfer office that collects technologies from research partners and helps with initial assessment and IP issues, entrepreneurs with a depth of expertise and experience in different technical domains that utilize a variety of business models, W2B staff members that serve as “match-makers”, and service providers such as the SBTDC and KCSourceLink partners that assist with business connections to facilitate startup development.
The Whiteboard 2 Boardroom program provides a number of services to the regional entrepreneurial community. These include but are not limited to identification of CEO talent and mentors for new companies, access to innovations developed at regional academic institutions and research organizations, establishment of strategic partnerships and identification of sources of capital.
Education
- Technology commercialization education programs for high school and university students/faculty and hospital physicians
- Serving as mentors for student entrepreneurial programs
Technology / Expertise Hub
- A central catalogue of university technologies available for licensing
- A database of domain experts for technology evaluation
- Relationships with CEO-potential candidates ready to run newly formed companies
Connections
- Matching available technologies to entrepreneurs and established companies in the region
- Facilitating the licensing of university technologies to regional companies
- Fostering relationships with regional trade networks
Business Development
- Promoting joint development projects between regional companies
- Teaming with business development organizations such as UMKC SBTDC and KCSourceLink partners to provide business assistance to entrepreneurs
- Identifying funding resources for newly formed startups
The W2B has become a clearinghouse for regional commercialization information that is available to innovators and companies alike to advance technologies to the marketplace. Ideas available for licensing can be found at Whiteboard2Boardroom.com. Please contact us if you are looking for an innovation to license into your existing company or want to form a new company based on an innovation.
Need help with business planning or funding?
Click KCSourceLink for resources.