It’s no surprise that great universities can have a positive influence on industry. When you have the brightest minds conducting leading edge research, the benefits are clear. In the Bay Area, a cluster of high profile academic institutions have contributed to the growth of a robust, world-leading innovation ecosystem. But how do these relationships work and in what ways can they bridge the gaps from academia to industry to encourage continued growth and positive changes in the industry? Has Silicon Valley moved past its prime? What are the threats facing its longevity? Can academic influences improve the tech sector’s gender imbalance? Could these linkages support the expansion of the tech sector into the Cascadia Corridor? Hear from our panel as they discuss the strong influence of academia on innovation ecosystems, and their subsequent evolution.

Moderator:

Savannah Peterson - Founder and Chief Unicorn, Savvy Millennial

Panelists:

Dr. Ossama Hassanein, MASc'74, MBA'76 - Entrepreneur, Mentor, and Venture Capitalist; General Partner, Newbury Ventures

Ray Kruck, MBA'92 - Founder, Nexgate and Pointgrey Partners; Associate, Creative Destruction Lab West

Dr. Marc-David Seidel - Director of the W. Maurice Young Centre for Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Research; The RBC Financial Group Professor of Entrepreneurship; Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources (OBHR) at UBC Sauder School of Business

Jennifer Vancini, MBA’93 – Managing Partner, Pointgrey Partners; Partner, The Angels Forum

Recorded June 27, 2017, in Palo Alto, CA.