CIE Partner: English

Feasibility

Follow-through

Funding

Sam English, PhD

Sam founded the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship in 2006 and works closely with clients to develop early-stage concepts into products and businesses.

Sam was the Director of University Relations at the Carilion Biomedical Institute (CBI), a partnership between the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and the Carilion Clinic. He was responsible for the Institute multi-million dollar biomedical research programs at UVA and VT. He also identified, qualified and positioned commercial products from university research. Sam performed diligence on more than 70 inventions resulting in 17 patent applications and 6 issued patents. He was responsible for the licensing of 10 technologies that lead to the development of 7 products/business candidates and the launch of 4 start-up companies.

Additionally, Sam performed diligence on 12 investment opportunities involving early stage companies for CBI, venture capitalists and local angel investors. These resulted in $800K of seed investments into the companies, the relocation of one company to Roanoke, and the launch of 2 start-up companies.

Prior to joining CBI, Sam co-founded and was VP of Business Development for Trivedi Technology Innovations International (T2I2), an educational software company launched in 2000 and currently located in the Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, VA.

Sam was an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Coordinator of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Jefferson College of Health Sciences in Roanoke. Before moving to Roanoke, he developed antibiotic-producing microbial strains at Abbott Laboratories in Chicago.

Sam has a PhD in Biochemistry and a BS in Microbiology from Clemson University and completed a post-doc at the University of Missouri. He is an author on more than 15 peer reviewed publications in the area of microbial biochemistry/genetics. He is a licensing professional in both the Association of University Technology Managers and the Licensing Executives Society.

Sam is active in the community and currently serves on the Boards of the Science Museum of Western Virginia and the NewVa Corridor Technology Council (NCTC).

CIE partners

Sam recognized the commercial potential of biochip technologies at Virginia Tech and worked with the inventor, VTIP, and CBI to launch OptiMetric in 2003. As President/CEO, he led OptiMetric to acquisition by a strategic partner in 2005.

Recognizing the therapeutic benefit of antiangiogenic compounds developed at the University of Virginia, Sam worked with the inventor, UVAPF, CBI, and Sunder Malkani to launch OcuCure in 2005. He is currently the VP of Pharmaceutical Development for OcuCure.

While at CBI, Sam worked with inventors, UVAPF, and CBI to develop the commercial potential of ADHD assessment technologies. After leaving CBI, he launched Attention Point in 2006 and is currently President/CEO.