Berkeley, California, United States
ABOUT ME I invest in and guide visionary founders building transformative technologies for future generations, leveraging 20+ years of experience in IP strategy, innovation, and deep tech commercialization. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE As General Partner at Berkeley Gateway Accelerator (2023-Present), I founded an early-stage venture capital fund focusing on breakthrough frontier technologies. Since 2020, I've served as Co-Founder, Director, and Faculty at the UC Berkeley Deep Tech Innovation Lab, bridging academic research with real-world impact through partnerships with Haas School of Business, Berkeley Engineering, Berkeley Law, national labs, startups, corporates, investors, and others. I direct research and education programs, teach interdisciplinary curriculum on commercializing deep-tech innovations, and mentor hundreds of students annually to manage real-world deep tech commercialization projects. As Co-Founder & President of IP Checkups, Inc. (2004-Present), I lead an IP strategy and patent analytics projects for global deep tech clients to align business, R&D, and IP decision-making, and have conducted technology and IP diligence for dozens of VC investments, startups, and M&A transactions. I teach graduate school bootcamps at the Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership (2021-Present) on deep tech commercialization, R&D management, and ethics. INVESTMENT FOCUS Targeting breakthrough innovations in: * Climate Technology * Semiconductors * Healthcare Innovation Including: Advanced Materials | Energy Ag-tech | Quantum Computing | Photonics | Robotics | Solar UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION Early Market Intelligence: Leveraging proprietary software to analyze patents, scientific literature, and market trends, identifying emerging opportunities early. Privileged Access: Sourcing exceptional founders through UC Berkeley connections, national labs, and patent attorney network. Holistic Advisory: Combining technical expertise with business acumen and common sense to help founders build sustainable growth strategies, including build sustainable growth strategies, including IP positioning, technology landscape analysis, and innovation management. Partner Network: Ambitious startup founders and Technical experts Business specialists and Legal advisors Family offices and institutional investors, & VCs PERSONAL MISSION I wake up every day excited to support founders building a better future. READY TO TALK? Reach out on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected]
Berkeley Gateway Accelerator is a pre-seed, frontier technology fund + accelerator. We transform breakthrough technologies into enduring, world-changing companies.
The UC Berkeley Deep Tech Innovation Lab is a unique initiative bridging academic research and real-world impact through partnerships with Haas School of Business, Berkeley Engineering, and Berkeley Law, as well as national labs, startups, corporates, investors, and research institutions. We provide hands-on experience with deep tech innovations while developing practical tools for commercialization analysis, building a comprehensive ecosystem that connects innovators with diverse partners to accelerate breakthrough technologies in climate change, health-tech, and beyond. Responsibilities: -Direct research and education programs, teaching interdisciplinary curriculum on commercializing deep-tech innovations -Mentor and teach hundreds of students annually in analyzing and advancing real-world deep tech commercialization projects -Manage relationships with university departments, national labs, startups, corporates, VCs, and industry experts -Host biannual events showcasing promising deep-tech innovations from research labs and startups -Co-develop experiential learning opportunities focused on climate change, health-tech, and other transformative technologies -Build and nurture an ecosystem that helps innovations reach their full potential and create lasting impact -Design and implement commercialization assessment frameworks combining academic rigor with market-focused development Technology Doesn't Commercialize Itself!
IP Checkups is a patent software, services, and IP Strategy firm located in Berkeley, California. Our premier product, PatentCAM™ was created for today’s inventor to categorize, archive and monitor essential, technical information. The cloud-based platform fosters a collaborative process between R&D, business development, and legal teams to make informed product development, M&A, and licensing decisions, while minimizing legal risk. Founded in 2004, IP Checkups provides strategic intellectual property management services. Our expert team of PhD analysts use the PatentCAM platform to organize patent search results and put the complete patent landscape into clear view. Our combined software and strategic advisory services extract maximum value from patent information while strengthening the client’s return on its technology investment.
- Performed, recorded, and taught music throughout the United States, South America and West Africa. - Studied music of the African Diaspora and its spread throughout the Americas via the transatlantic slave trade. - Organized, Produced and Performed on field recording in the Mississippi Delta, From Senegal to Senatobia, with Smithsonian Lifetime Achievment Award winner Othar Turner.