Abi Barrow
Mechanical Engineering graduate with PhD degree from University of Edinburgh. Currently working as Founding Director of Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center.
| Headline: | Service Provider |
| Skills: | Engineering |
| Location: | Boston/Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Groups: | CCE 2010 Investor Pitches, CCE09 Exhibitors , CCE09 Investor Pitches , CCE10 2nd group Investor Pitches, Conference on Clean Energy 2008 CCE08, CONNECT Uppsala, Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship (QRCE), Social Entrepreneurship and Education Consortium |
| Interested in: | Consulting opportunities, Meeting new people, Offering Expertise, Professional opportunities, Providing services to startups |
| Schools: | University of Edinburgh |
WORK EXPERIENCE
| Employer: | Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center |
| Position: | Founding Director |
| Time period: | January 2004 - Present |
| Description: | The Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center was created in 2004 as a program in the Massachusetts Economic Stimulus Bill. Its goal is to support technology transfer activities from public and private research institutions to companies in Massachusetts. To achieve this goal, the Center works with technology transfer offices at Massachusetts research institutions; faculty, researchers, and students who have commercially promising ideas; and companies across the Commonwealth.
• Planned and launched the Center, including the development of program activities, hiring of personnel, and developing Advisory committees for the Center. • Oversaw the development of conference programs to jointly publicize new technologies and companies spinning out of Mass institutions. • Oversaw the development and implementation of translational funding program. • Developed collaborative relationships with major regional trade associations. • Oversaw the development of shared technology portal which showcases technologies from over 20 institutions. |
| Employer: | William J. Von Liebig Center, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California |
| Position: | Managing Director |
| Time period: | July 2001 - July 2004 |
| Description: | Created in July 2001 to support the commercialization of research being performed in the Jacobs School of Engineering. The Center offers support and advisory services as well as limited funding to faculty with technology which may have commercial applications. The Center also developed a series of graduate courses in Entrepreneurship.
• Planned and launched the Center, including the initiation of services, hiring of initial personnel, and developing Governance and Advisory committees for the Center. • Developed procedures for funding applications, for the review of funding applications and the distribution of funding. • Oversaw the design and build out of 5,000 sq. ft. space to house the Center. • Supported the development and implementation of a new series of courses in Entrepreneurship for graduate engineering students. The courses focus on the business basics of entrepreneurial environments and engineers roles and functions within these environments. Hired faculty and benchmarked courses against those offered in other engineering schools. Also taught courses on product selection and product development. • Member of Curriculum Development Committee for UCSD’s new Graduate School of Management. |
| Employer: | Center for the Commercialization of Advanced Technologies Consortium (CCAT) |
| Position: | Principal Investigator and Board Member |
| Time period: | December 2000 - June 2004 |
| Description: | A consortium of UCSD, San Diego State University, Lockheed Martin Orincon, and SPAWAR Systems Center (US Navy)—assists in the identification and commercialization of technologies in the area of crisis and consequence management.
• Negotiated UCSD contracts and ensured contract performance. • Participated in securing follow-on funding for the center. • Supported replication of CCAT in San Bernardino, CA. |
| Employer: | UCSD Connect, Extended Studies and Public Programs, University of California, San Diego |
| Position: | Director of Programs; Director of Springboard |
| Time period: | January 1995 - January 2001 |
| Description: | An internationally recognized program that assists emerging high-tech and biotech companies. The Director of Programs oversees all CONNECT programs, including management of one-on-one assistance to entrepreneurial companies, multiple seminars and classes, awards programs, and major forums. Also responsible for program and marketing staff management and recruitment, program fundraising, budget oversight (over $1 million per annum), grant management, policy development, and program committee selection and management.
• Developed a formal system for accepting and preparing entrepreneurs to present at “Springboard,” a program assisting entrepreneurs to develop business plans, and linking them to experts and advisors in their industry sector. • Increased the number of companies assisted from 10 to over 40 a year. • Arranged for CONNECT to take over the management of a local group of angel investors. • Created a Venture Capital Advisory Committee for CONNECT. • Managed all aspects of CONNECT's major forums. • Developed and maintained strategic partnerships with other technology and governmental organizations in San Diego, including the City of San Diego, San Diego Regional EDC, Telecom Council, Regional Technology Alliance, Software and Internet Council, and BioCOM. • Developed courses on entrepreneurship and small business issues. Including new Extension courses focusing on the needs of technology companies and a month-long entrepreneurship course for international Ph.D. and post-doctoral students. Taught Extension course on “Starting and Financing a Technology Company.” • Enhanced CONNECT’s collaborations with a variety of departments at UCSD. • Served on the proposal team which secured three years of funding from National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) to establish a Manufacturing Extension Center in San Diego (SanMEC). Managed a sub-award to CONNECT from SanMEC. • Developed relationships with University of Edinburgh, Scotland and the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences, Sweden to assist them in creating CONNECT programs. • Briefed many US and foreign delegations on technology commercialization. • Worked on UC system-wide committees reviewing a range of policy areas and funding initiatives. |
| Employer: | San Diego Regional Technology Alliance (RTA), San Diego, CA |
| Position: | Research Director |
| Time period: | January 1994 - December 1995 |
| Description: | A state-funded organization assisting small high-tech companies in obtaining Federal and State grants.
• Loaned by CONNECT to co-establish the RTA. Managed local RFP and proposal review for State matching grant program. Developed all marketing and PR materials for RTA. Established contact database to manage client outreach and proposal tracking. Represented RTA at State Defense Conversion Council Meetings. |
| Employer: | UCSD Connect, Extended Studies and Public Programs, University of California, San Diego |
| Position: | Special Projects Coordinator |
| Time period: | January 1990 - January 1995 |
| Description: | • Worked with City of San Diego to obtain $5.8 million grant from the Dept. of Commerce for a variety of defense conversion programs.
• Consulted on a US Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project to establish business assistance programs in Vladivostok, Russia. Traveled to Vladivostok three times to provide entrepreneurial training. • Developed Human Resources CONNECT Program and expanded CONNECT's “Meet the Researcher” seminar program, winning a National Continuing Education Association Award for innovative programming. |
EDUCATION
| University: | University of Edinburgh |
| Time period: | 1989 |
| Degree: | Science Studies Unit , PhD |
| University: | University of Edinburgh |
| Time period: | 1983 |
| Degree: | Mechanical Engineering , BSc |
INFORMATION
| Memberships: | • Massachusetts International Trade Council, Inc. (MITCI operates the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment which markets the state’s business internationally, through focused export promotion, attracting foreign companies to invest in Massachusetts and handling protocol as it relates to trade and investment. Board Member and Chair (2005-present)
• National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (The NCIIA fosters invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship in higher education as a way of creating innovative, commercially viable, and socially beneficial businesses and employment opportunities in the United States. Board Member (2007-present) • CDC Small Business Finance Corp. (an SBA-certified, non-profit corporation providing over $400 million in debt financing to businesses in San Diego, Orange, Riverside, and Imperial counties): Board Member (1997 - 2004), Chair (2000 - 2002) • Board experience on both private and public technology companies. |
| Awards: | • Selected as a High Tech All Star by MassHIghTech in 2008
• Selected by San Diego Magazine as one of the “Fifty People to Watch in 1998.” |
Abi's Contacts (3)
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Chad Joshi
Dr. Joshi is an accomplished inventor and entrepreneur whose expertise is incubating basic scientific discoveries into commercial products.
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Renee Fry
Operations and Logistics graduate from Pennsylvania State University, with MBA from Harvard. Currently working as consultant for various organizations.
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Linda Plano
Linda founded Plano & Simple based on a her experience as both coach and "yenta" to literally hundreds of entrepreneurs for the state of Massachusetts.