Subject-matter expert (SME) subcontractor to Enterprise Community Partners on a contract to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in support of a guide for community leaders and other stakeholders on using HUD CDBG-DR funding to promote economic revitalization as part of disaster recovery. Primary author for sections on what works in economic development.
List of my consulting engagements, in inverse chronological order. You can filter further by type of client or engagement from the Experience tab above.
As part of development of a strategy to draw private-sector and university R&D presence to a small midwestern community hosting a major defense laboratory, reviewed the approaches to interaction taken by a range of benchmark communities hosting similar laboratories owned by the military services.
Subject-matter expert (SME) subcontractor to Enterprise Community Partners on a contract to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in support of a toolkit for community leaders and other stakeholders on economic recovery and resilience. Primary author for sections on small business, microenterprise, and business incubation.
Subject-matter expert (SME) on economic development on subcontract to Jobs for the Future, in support of JFF’s agreement with the U.S. Economic Development Administration to administer a Community of Practice for the Good Jobs Challenge grantees.
Co-managed the consulting team at TEConomy Partners that produced a comprehensive strategic plan for the Maryland Economic Development Corporation, a state-chartered, non-profit, economic-development financing entity. Interviewed stakeholders, benchmarked peer state programs, reviewed programmatic and economic data, and participated in strategy formation.
Benchmarked potentially competitive efforts in California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Ohio as part of a comprehensive strategy on Autonomous Mobile Systems prepared by TEConomy Partners for the Regional Industrial Development Corporation and the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce.
Conducted benchmarking and stakeholder interviews as part of an organizational-design effort staffed by TEConomy Partners for UNC READDI, a multi-institutional initiative to develop several new classes of drugs for emerging viral diseases.
Advisor to the president of the university on pathways available for starting a program of externally sponsored research at this predominantly undergraduate institution in Memphis. Prepared extensive background material for a special committee of deans and administrators reporting to the president.
Provided support to senior staff of the Research Foundation for the State University of New York (RF SUNY) on a grant from the National Science Foundation to produce a conference (ultimately delivered as webinars due to the COVID-19 pandemic) on Deep Tech Incubation. Assisted RF staff in preparing questions for each panel that would stimulate discussion, in briefing the panelists, and finally in summarizing the lessons learned from each panel for use by the PIs in public communication.
Benchmarked examples of other nations’ support for advanced-biomanufacturing initiatives, included in a report by TEConomy Partners for PhRMA, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
Contributed benchmarking analysis to a comprehensive plan prepared by TEConomy Partners LLC for a Food Animal Initiative (FAI) being developed jointly by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University. Surveyed peer-competitive initiatives at five other North American campuses, yielding lessons learned for the FAI at NC State.
Benchmarked biomedical R&D research consortia potentially comparable to the new Hampton Roads Biomedical Research Consortium, as part of an overall program design executed by TEConomy Partners for Old Dominion University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, and Sentara Healthcare.
Conducted international benchmarking research for a report prepared for Pfizer by TEConomy Partners LLC entitled “Response and Resilience: Lessons Learned from Global Life Sciences Ecosystems in the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
SME subcontractor (as a subject-matter expert) to Enterprise Community Partners on a contract to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in support of development of a toolkit for community leaders and other stakeholders on how to leverage the Opportunity Zones initiative.
Assisted Design Technologies LLC, a company that operates entrepreneurial support programs, in trialing a new approach to demonstrating program impacts. Researched and drafted a case study of a university spinoff that was assisted by two of the programs operated by Design Technologies — ELabNYC and Next Milestone. Efficacy of this new approach to documenting impact is being tested by Design Technologies with its public and private-sector stakeholders.
Benchmarked policies, laws, and programs designed to encourage value-added food processing, as part of an unpublished supplement to an economic-impact study of MU Extension.
Researched and summarized laws and policies in Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, and Kansas and also described food innovation center programs at Cornell, Kansas State, Michigan State, Oregon State, Rutgers, and University of Nebraska Lincoln.
Assessed degree of alignment between investments made by Corporate Venture Capital affiliates of pharmaceutical companies and the firms’ core strategic interests, as part of a project by TEConomy Partners for PhRMA titled “Strengthening Biopharmaceutical Innovation: The Growing Role of Corporate Venture Capital.”
Benchmarked metro-level entrepreneurial initiatives in seven states for GO Virginia, as an unpublished addendum to a published study conducted by TEConomy Partners for the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) on behalf of the Virginia Research Investment Committee (VRIC).
Conducted stakeholder interviews with business incubators statewide and academic laboratories at Harvard (including affilated hospitals) and UMass as part of the first-ever comprehensive evaluation of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.
Advisor on program development and internal communications to Weill Cornell Medicine’s managing director for BioPharma Alliances and Research Collaborations.
Benchmarked state- and metro-level “innovation centers” that are structured as public/private or industry/university partnerships, as part of an unpublished study conducted by TEConomy Partners for the Maryland Excel initiative, a collaboration between the State of Maryland and the Hopkins and University of Maryland systems.
Consultancy services related to the modification of technology transfer processes at Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU aka CVUT), supported under European Union Structural Funds project No. CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/16_014/0000650.
Benchmarked research parks and economic-development initiatives at comparable lab settings worldwide, and contributed knowledge on available state-government support mechanisms, as part of a visioning study conducted by TEConomy Partners for a research park to be associated with a major federal laboratory.
External reviewer for the Jeff Lawrence Manufacturing Innovation Fund, operated by FuzeHub, a not-for-profit operating a statewide node on the New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Latest awards here. Note that as part of each review round, I disclose potential conflicts and may be required to recuse myself if any reviewable proposal has been submitted by a unit with which I have a direct business relationship.
Conducted all benchmarking research for a report commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). The report highlights pro-innovation initiatives being undertaken by 18 nations (plus the European Union at the transnational level) that are challenging U.S. global leadership in the advanced biopharmaceutical industries. Work delivered as a subcontractor to TEConomy Partners.
Conducted stakeholder interviews with the directors of four state associations which share certain interests with the New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC). Wrote an analytical summary of opportunities for alliances between these groups and NYSEDC, for use in strategic planning by the Executive Director and Executive Committee of the Board.
Benchmarked a series of major medical-research prizes, and suggested alternative methodologies for sourcing candidates, as part of a project by TEConomy Partners to advise a health-system foundation on a contemplated new prize. [Repeat engagements involved generating lists of candidates for this prize.]
Subcontractor to the NYU Wagner School on major grant from U.S. EDA to Wagner, ICMA, and JFF to assist in coordinating and harmonizing approaches to economic development across federal agencies. The project is intended to yield a one-stop platform to help communities make more effective cases for integrated federal support of complex regional partnerships for economic development.
Uncompensated, pro bono service on advisory board to the NYS Commissioner of Economic Development Development on aspects of the “research development program” administered by the Division of Science, Technology and Innovation at DED/Empire State Development Corporation. [UPDATE 4/2018: Because of work I am conducting for Weill Cornell Medicine, I have recused myself from advising on any round in which the latter institution applies for funding.]
Key advisor/seed-round-investor in DirectDep, a cloud platform enabling lawyers and their staffs to book individual court reporters for depositions in real time, with many time-saving and quality improvement features enabled by the technology.
Advisor to the NYU Wagner Innovation Labs on a report on cities and anchor institutions prepared by Neil Kleiman and his colleagues for the National Resource Network. Work delivered as a subcontractor to the Center for an Urban Future.
‘Pitch Prep’ coach, readying clients of WNY Innovation Hot Spot for their presentations to the semifinal round of the 43North business plan competition (an element of Gov. Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion program). Background here.
Member of a Technical Evaluation Panel (specifics subject to a confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement) convened by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
Benchmarked six centers at leading universities elsewhere in the nation as part of a project to plan initiatives in both plant sciences and food processing at North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Consultant to the Data Science Institute, Columbia University, helping draft its contribution to the overall strategic plan of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Key advisor/seed-round-investor in Calcbench, a startup that leverages the extensible business reporting language (XBRL) to provide advanced analytics on reports made by publicly traded companies to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Benchmarked globally prominent agbioscience research institutions and regional competitors as part of a strategy project for La Trobe University and its R&D partner, the State of Victoria (Australia) Department of Primary Industries.
Advisor in Community and Economic Development to the Innovations in American Government Awards Program at the Ash Center.
Benchmarked five major bioscience R&D institutes and several smaller programs for Indiana BioCrossroads (a cluster project of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership) as part of a strategy project to design what became the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute.
Conducted extensive stakeholder interviews with startup companies as part of a broader project for the (former) Louisiana Economic Development on how to pursue “blue sky” sectoral strategies in areas with limited competition.
Benchmarked the strategies of three other states that, like Nebraska, were considering integrating to some degree their departments of commerce or economic development and labor or workforce development.
Consultant to the Research Foundation for the State University of New York on innovation and economic development programs.
Consultant to Gulf Power (a unit of the Southern Company) on technology-led economic development strategic planning for Pensacola, Florida.
Consultant to Edelman public-relations firm and its affiliate BioScience Communications, providing competitive intelligence they needed for a client in the research-institute sector.
Contractor to New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for a stakeholders’ analysis on NYSERDA’s Saratoga Technology + Energy Park.
Mentor/coach, NYU Stern School of Business/Berkley Center $200k Entrepreneurs Challenge business-plan competition.
Subcontractor to Public Works Consulting (now Public Works Partners) on a significant program-design and grant-writing engagement for a major research university based in New York City.
Advisor/mentor to SOFIns, a startup providing secure remote-management services by which non-technical users can obtain advanced services from remote experts.
Benchmarked five university-related research parks as part of a project to guide Rutgers University in reinventing its Livingston Campus as an Innovation Park.
Benchmarked bioscience sectoral development strategies in 23 non-U.S. nations in a project on “growth platforms for economies around the world” for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA).
External reviewer for six innovation programs funded by Orange County (Florida) at the University of Central Florida, on a two-part technical-assistance project funded by Living Cities.
Conducted in-depth stakeholder interviews on possible reforms in the drug development pipeline as part of a project for the Council on American Medical Innovation, including also assessment of mechanisms used in other nations to promote biomedical innovation.
Benchmarked bioscience cluster development strategies in more than 30 states as part of a project on “driving state economic growth” for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA).
Consultant to the Director of Policy and Research, Living Cities, preparing a “blueprint” on urban economic-development issues as part of reconfiguration of the organization’s programs.
Benchmarked five state-supported eminent scholars programs for the Arkansas Research Alliance, in a project conducted through my affiliation with the Battelle Technology Partnership Practice.
As part of an assessment of the potential for the Tennessee Valley Authority to contribute to development of value-added R&D in the automotive sector, benchmarked six in-region university efforts in automotive technology R&D.
Researched national best-practice lessons in each of the programmatic areas being developed in a broader strategic project for Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) on behalf of the (former) Governor’s Life Sciences Advisory Board.
External Reviewer for the CUNY Institute for Software Design and Development (CISDD), reporting to the Vice President for Research at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
Benchmarked a dozen military base-closing/re-use processes as part of a Battelle Internal Research and Development (IRAD) project to develop automated tools for use by the company’s defense-business sector.
Advisor on first-year reporting to the NSF Engineering Research Center for Mid InfraRed Technology for Health and the Environment, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Princeton University.
Advisor to the Office of the Dean, Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Columbia University, regarding SEAS presentation to the Columbia Board of Trustees.
Advisor to the Office of the University Dean (now Vice Chancellor) for Research, City University of New York, regarding CUNY’s participation in the New York State Commission on Higher Education.
Conducted extensive analysis of USDA data to benchmark the agricultural research enterprise at Oklahoma State University against those of seven peer-competitor universities.
Conducted extensive local stakeholder interviews and benchmarked Syracuse against five regions with similar strategies for in the energy and environmental cluster, as part of a broader project for the Metropolitan Development Alliance of Syracuse and Central New York (now CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity) resulting in creation of the “Greencore” strategy.
Conducted benchmark interviews with leaders of 10 world-leading research parks, as part of a first-of-its-kind study for the Association of University Research Parks.
Benchmarked strategies in all 50 states for development of alternative energy sectors as part of an Internal Research & Development (IR&D) project at Battelle.
Advisor to New York University’s College of Nursing Office of the Dean; and to the College’s John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing; and to the Institute’s Nurse Competency for Aging project funded by the Atlantic Philanthropies.
As part of planning for physical development of the University of Southern California (USC) Health Sciences Campus, benchmarked six other urban research parks.
Executive Director (founding), Business Incubator Association of New York State, Inc.
Benchmarked the commercialization strategies of six university-based programs in a project for the Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Center for Crops Utilization Research.
Benchmarked eight regional strategies for economic development based on advanced logistics as part of a strategy project for CompeteColumbus.
Benchmarked eight centers supported through the NSF’s Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program as part of a broader project for Maricopa County Community Colleges to strengthen curricula in sectors targeted for economic development in Arizona’s advanced-manufacturing roadmap.
Conducted extensive stakeholder interviews as part of a broader project for the Ben Franklin Technology PArtners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, intended to provide strategic vision to its Mid-Atlantic Nanotechnology Alliance (MANA) funded under a U.S. EDA award.
Benchmarked multiple state strategies to promote the formation of bioscience-focused university research parks in a project for the Georgia Research Alliance. Followed on a general bioscience strategy survey four years earlier.
Benchmarked for Black Hills (South Dakota) Vision three consortial R&D efforts in multiscale materials science and three more in bioproducts/bioprocessing.
Benchmarked seven biomedically oriented university research parks in a project for Georgetown University/MedStar to envision a Bio-Tech Research and Development Park at the Washington Hospital Center.
Benchmarked a dozen state strategies for development of clusters in advanced manufacturing and information technology, in a project for the State of Iowa.
Project staff for for the Industrial and Technology Assistance Corporation (ITAC) in conducting a review of business incubators in NYS, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and NYSTAR.
Benchmarked six regions around the nation with bioscience development strategies as part of a broader strategy project for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce.
Benchmarked seven university-based translational-research initiatives for the Arizona Biomedical Research Commission.
Project staff for Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership Inc. (CEEP) in managing a Network of Economic Development Officers in NYC Knowledge-Based Institutions, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and sponsored by the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR).
At the request of the Technology Alliance in Washington State, benchmarked the way private foundations in six other regions were contributing to state-level initiatives for biomedical research.
Benchmarked for Georgia State University six university research parks with economic-development facilities, as part of a project to plan a bio-incubator in Georga State’s own science park.
Benchmarked civic leadership-development programs in six regions for the Flinn Foundation (Phoenix), as part of a project to reposition its statewide grant-making in this area. Overall project resulted in creation of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership.
Benchmarked 13 university-based programs nationally in fields being considered as “platforms” by the state bioscience-development programs of the Flinn Foundation (Phoenix).
Benchmarked five regional arts and culture strategies for the Flinn Foundation (Phoenix), as part of a project to re-orient the foundation’s arts & culture programming so it could better support regional strategy.
Benchmarked six state-government-backed sustainability-sector initiatives as part of a larger design project for the Arizona Department of Commerce.
Benchmarked university research parks in six regions as part of a state-sponsored strategy project for East Baltimore Development Incorporated, resulting in strategy for a research park adjacent to The Johns Hopkins University medical campus.
Benchmarked six research parks based on agricultural research, as part of a broader strategy project for the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (the OSU agricultural science campus at Wooster) to develop what has become the BioHio Research Park.