UC San Diego’s ‘Innovation to Market’ Program Helps Scientists and Engineers Turn Their Ideas Into Viable Business Ventures

SAN DIEGO, June 18 /PRNewswire/ — UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management is offering a new evening program called “Innovation to Market” to help scientists, engineers and others develop plans to improve the market success of their technology ventures. During 11 Monday evening sessions July 20 through November 30, participants will analyze their entrepreneurial visions and create thoroughly researched and tested business plans.

“This program shows you what it takes to turn a scientist into a CEO, or an engineer into an entrepreneur,” says Clark Jordan, assistant dean for executive education at the Rady School of Management. “In a tough economy people start to think about striking out on their own, but too often those with technical expertise and a great idea don’t have the business skills to make it work. This course bridges the gap and helps you refine your plan.”

Innovation to Market is a hands-on, interactive program that shows participants how to apply management principles, technology strategies, market opportunity assessments, value propositions, business models and financing strategies to create and launch a business. Participants receive one-on-one business coaching throughout the process, and at the close of the program a panel of industry experts will review and advise upon the participants’ business plans.

Each session features a guest speaker with firsthand experience in bringing scientific and technological innovations to the marketplace. At the opening session on July 20, Titan Corporation founder and San Diego tech business veteran Gene Ray will share insights with participants.

This program is designed for anyone ready to create a plan that will improve the market success of their biotech, high-tech or innovation concept, including scientists, engineers, researchers and service providers. Participants leave the course with a business vision, concept statement and viable product. This includes a researched and well-developed business plan; competencies to identify and transform an innovation into a profitable market opportunity; the appropriate business model; and an introduction to the strategic and operational issues of sustaining a business venture. Innovation to Market utilizes FastTrac(R) NewVenture(TM), an award-winning, comprehensive package of entrepreneurship training materials developed by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

The Rady School of Management at UC San Diego educates global leaders for innovation-driven organizations. A professional school within one of the top-ranked institutions in the U.S. for higher education and research, the Rady School offers a Full-Time MBA program, a FlexMBA program for working professionals, a Ph.D. program, and undergraduate and executive education courses.

To learn more or to apply for the program, visit http://rady.ucsd.edu/exec/open/innovation/.

SOURCE Rady School of Management