Presenting Experts:

Chris Curran
Principal & Technology and Strategy Leader, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC)

Chris is an experienced technology professional, who works closely with clients on many of their most fundamental IT challenges. As an expert in technology innovation, Chris co-leads the advisory practice’s investments in new product offerings and technology strategy. Chris also spearheads PwC’s “Digital IQ Study,” in which 730 C-level business and technology executives express their beliefs about IT’s role in economic competition.

Chris is a regular contributor to industry journals such as CIO Leadership Forum, CIO Insight, Investor’s Business Daily, Baseline, InformationWeek, and Insurance and Technology. In addition, he is an active sponsor of the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and serves on the MIS Quarterly Executive Advisory Board.

Audio Presentation:

Slide Presentation:

Mike Bartlett
President, Vital Art and Science, Incorporated

Mike is President of Vital Art and Science Incorporated (VAS) – an early stage medical equipment Start-up Company focused on providing home-based vision function monitoring for tracking of degenerative diseases of the eye, including Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy. VAS has won NIH/National Eye Institute Phase I and II SBIR Grants, a $1 million grant from the Emerging Technology Fund and is currently collaborating with a multinational Drug company to validate its first product.

As the founder of the North Texas Angel Network, a retired Vice President of High Speed Communications Products at Texas Instruments, Inc and board member of three start-ups. He has a unique background as a financier, entrepreneur and corporate leader.

Slide Presentation:

About the Gravity Center:
The Gravity Center is a collaborative workspace for tech start-ups and entrepreneurs to collaborate with other like-minded people. Sponsored by Alcatel-Lucent, our mission is to create an ecosystem of incredible start-up companies in North Texas, provide access to resources, capital, and networks, and organize educational events and workshops for the startups and the community in order to accelerate the development lifecycle of a start-up company. We are located above the AT&T Foundry on Alcatel-Lucent’s campus in Plano, TX.

Audio Version:

Pictures from the event:

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will host a public series of educational “roadshows” regarding the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, allowing the public to speak with USPTO officials about the new patent law and its implementation. The programs will be held at seven venues across the U.S., beginning Friday, February 17 at USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Va. and running through March 9 with stops in Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago, Dallas, Salt Lake City, and Silicon Valley.

“The USPTO hopes that the public will find the roadshows to be an ideal forum to engage with the Office about our various proposed rules implementing provisions of the America Invents Act,” said USPTO Patent Reform Coordinator Janet Gongola. “The roadshows also give the agency the opportunity to visit members of the patent community in different parts of the country as part of our ongoing effort to create a 21st century patent and trademark office.”

Check out this website for more details: http://www.uspto.gov/aia_implementation/index.jsp

Featured Innovators: Robert Sherrard & Steve Hebert, Founders, Nimbix

The MIT Enterprise Forum of Dallas/Fort Worth is proud to present its monthly innovation luncheon, featuring the start-up company Nimbix!  This month’s featured innovators are Robert Sherrard and Steve Hebert, co-founders of the cloud computing start-up. (http://www.nimbix.net).

Nimbix is a provider of cloud-based High Performance Computing infrastructure and applications. Nimbix offers hardware accelerated server platforms as a service through the Nimbix Accelerated Compute Cloud ™ Portal and dramatically speeds data processing for Life Sciences, Finance and Graphics applications.  Nimbix has established partnerships with NVIDIA and is a graduate of the Tech Wildcatters start-up accelerator program.

Robert and Steve will present the Nimbix story, from an idea to a product producing start-up.  The presentation will be more than just a “pitch”.  We will cover the value of Nimbix, its experiences and where it is heading in the future.  Audience interaction and feedback is highly encouraged.  The agenda is outlined below.

Agenda:

12:00 – 12:15 Chair’s Introduction and Forum Business

12:15 – 12:35 Innovation Presentation

12:35 – 12:45 Discussion and feedback

12:45 -  2:00 Lunch, Discussion and Networking

We will each order from the menu and pay our own lunch expenses.  Anyone interested in the MIT Enterprise Forum or innovation is encouraged to attend. Coming to our Monthly Meeting is how you get involved. You do not have to be an MIT Alum.

Location:
Texas Land and Cattle
812 S. Central Expressway
Richardson, TX 75080

We managed to get a few pictures.  If you missed out, this is a taste of what to expect next time.  This event will be repeated in April.

Interested in getting involved? Be sure to check out our monthly meeting every second Saturday of each month.

The Forum has assembled a unique list of VIP guests to lead the party in cocktail conversations focused on the wonders brought on by innovation in our frenetic, constantly changing economic landscape.

Registration is now Open – Register Here (ends 2/20/12)

Guest speakers include:

Maria Smith, Director of Stakeholder Relations
The Governor’s North Texas Regional Center for Innovation & Commercialization

Becky Stoughton, Associate Director, Office of Technology & Commercialization
The University of Texas at Dallas

Jeremy Vickers, Director of Innovation
Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce

Fred Patterson, President, The Commercialization Funding Coach
[aka The SBIR Coach(R)]

John Reas, Industry expert on identifying emerging tech markets for Alcatel-Lucent

Guests are encouraged to mingle with our speakers, ask questions, and engage with fellow participants. Learn about such topics as partnering with universities for technology commercialization, the mysteries of capital solicitation, and techniques for identifying commercially viable “cool science” within organizations. Plus an unlimited selection of other tech tapas are on offer with this crowd.

Cost
$20 – includes two drinks from the unique menu and light appetizers
Registration is now Open – Register Here (ends 2/20/12)

Location
The People’s Last Stand, two doors down from the Angelika Film Center
(http://www.thepeopleslaststand.com)

Parking
Parking is plentiful in Mockingbird Station, which is at the NE corner of Mockingbird Lane & 75, across from SMU

Bonus Event!
At the conclusion of our networking, many guests will move down the sidewalk to Trinity Hall Irish Pub to join The University of Texas at Dallas in their “Tech on Tap” program.

Registration is now Open – Register Here (ends 2/20/12)

Eagle-Eye Sensor Systems provides petroleum producers with instantaneous ‘Situational Awareness’ through the use of accurate measuring equipment coupled with real-time telemetry. If you are interested  in contacting Eagle Eye Sensors, check out their website http://www.eagleeyesensors.com.

Be sure to save the date for our next innovation luncheon  – March 10, 2012 from 12pm to 2pm.  Registration will open soon.

Featured Innovator: Ross Fosolino, President, Eagle-Eye Sensor Systems

The MIT Enterprise Forum of Dallas/Fort Worth has changed the format of its usual second Saturday business meeting! We are now featuring an entrepreneur, researcher or thought leader from the local area. This month’s featured innovator is the president of Eagle-Eye Sensor Systems, a local start-up.

Eagle-Eye Sensor Systems, Inc. (EESS) is in the business of allowing the petroleum producer to review and run his entire operation from his desktop, anywhere in the world. They provide petroleum producers instantaneous ‘Situational Awareness’ through the use of accurate measuring equipment coupled with real-time telemetry.

Ross will present his story of growing the company from an idea to a product producing start-up. Beginning with only his personal savings, Ross bootstrapped his company all the way. EESS has now finally made it to market and is beginning to elicit significant interest from the petroleum industry. We will hear about the EESS journey, where it is heading, mistakes made and successes enjoyed.

Agenda:

12:00 – 12:15 Chair’s Introduction and Forum Business

12:15 – 12:35 Innovation Presentation

12:35 – 2:00 Lunch, Discussion and Networking

We will each order from the menu and pay our own lunch expenses. Anyone interested in the MIT Enterprise Forum or innovation is encouraged to attend. Coming to our Monthly Meeting is how you get involved. You do not have to be an MIT Alum.

Location:
Texas Land and Cattle
812 S. Central Expressway
Richardson, TX 75080

Register Now

Time: January 27-28, 2012: Friday 9:am-5:pm, Saturday 9:am-1:pm
Location: Palmer Conference Center for Engineering Leadership, Caruth Hall, Rm. 406, 3145 Dyer Street, Dallas, TX 75205
Contact: beth@lyle.smu.edu

Topics covered include:

• History and Philosophy of Intellectual Property Rights and their role in the information age
• Intellectual property’s impact on information system design and development
• The inventor’s role in recognizing a patentable idea
• Analysis of ground breaking industry patents
• Impact of Emerging Technologies on Intellectual Properties

Take a look at the flyer for more information.

Registration Ends 11:00pm on 12/08/2011

Register Here

Once again we will be collecting unwrapped toys for the Santa’s Helpers organization.  If you would like to contribue, please bring a new unwrapped toy for a needy boy or girl.

Price:
Members: Complimentary registration, please use your Membership ID to receive the discount.  Problems with member discounts should be addressed to secretary@mitforum.com
Non-Members and Guests: $15

Location:
3541 Rosedale Ave, Dallas, TX 75205

Date: 12/10/2011