Description:

INVO invites Northwestern faculty, post-docs, students and members of its startup community to an information session on SBIR/STTR grants.

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are designed to help small businesses turn innovative ideas into market-worthy products. Northwestern faculty who are interested in starting a company can use SBIR and STTR grants to bridge the gap between basic science and commercialization. In this webinar, Anna Lisa Somera will offer general SBIR/STTR guidance for researchers who are interested in learning more about applying for Phase I ($150,000+) and Phase II ($1M+) awards to advance their research through these federal non-dilutive funding mechanisms.

OUR SPEAKER:

Anna Lisa Somera is an experienced medical device consultant, venture capitalist, intellectual property analyst, technology transfer specialist, biomedical researcher, and entrepreneur specializing in early-stage, cutting edge technology businesses. She has been part of the entrepreneurial community in Illinois for 16 years and has helped drive new venture formation and has raised angel and venture funding for several start-up companies spun out of universities while also serving as top management for many of these ventures.

Somera’s advising has helped raise over forty million dollars in grants to date, mostly for Illinois companies. Her multi-disciplinary academic preparation in business, public health, and cell biology coupled with her significant startup expereince has aided in her success in the entrepreneurial community. She is currently the CEO of Northwestern University startup, Rhaeos, a medical device company developing wearable skin sensors for chronic medical conditions. Additionally, Somera serves as an SBIR/STTR grant consultant at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Argonne National Laboratory.