For decades, rural areas have faced a steady decline—losing economic opportunities, grappling with the "brain drain" as creatives and young people migrate to urban centers, and watching local industries falter. But what if university Tech Transfer offices (TTOs) could reverse this trend and be the spark for rural revitalization? Today’s episode explores this potential with Dr. Richard Cahoon, an expert in the field who has over 30 years of experience in invention, intellectual property (IP) management, technology commercialization, and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Richard Cahoon, an Adjunct Professor in Global Development and former Director of Cornell’s Tech Transfer office, has worked extensively with universities, government agencies, and companies across more than 25 countries. In addition to advising on R&D partnerships, IP management, and venture creation, Richard is a seasoned innovator who holds several U.S. patents. 

His vision? To align TTOs with Cooperative Extension offices and bring technology and entrepreneurship into rural communities to foster local talent, create sustainable businesses, and ultimately reshape these areas’ futures. Join us for this insightful conversation as Richard shares his strategies, lessons learned, and the transformative potential of connecting university resources with rural America.

In This Episode:

[02:04] Rural America has faced economic decline for decades, and traditionally, university tech transfer offices have focused more on urban or research-intensive areas.

[03:02] When Dr. Cahoon joined Cornell's Tech transfer office in 1990, he brought with him experience as an inventor and an entrepreneur. He was very involved in creating opportunities and recruiting entrepreneurs. He created the Venture Vision Summary which was like a tech brief.

[04:48] He wanted to take a proactive role in creating entrepreneurial activity in rural towns.

[06:10] Dr. Cahoon shares information about his first tech and entrepreneur pilot program in Auburn, New York. 

[09:30] There was robust entrepreneurship at Cornell which helped with the pilot program that Dr. Cahoon was developing. 

[10:19] How Tech Transfer professionals can help foster local talent retention through similar models.

[11:11] Thinking about the creative economy and creative people. Tech Transfer professionals are the bridge to enable the creative economy to flourish.

[12:56] He left the Tech Transfer office in 2009 just as it was beginning to thrive.

[13:41] We learn about a startup that came out of the Geneva campus at Cornell. It was about biological control of agricultural pests and disease.

[17:49] Dr. Cahoon made a connection with the owner of a car dealership while he was at Cornell. They ended up establishing a venture fund.

[18:51] Challenges when extending Tech Transfer models to a rural context.

[21:48] The importance of cooperative extension programs. 

[24:09] Parallels between rural America's current situation and other countries or regions when fostering local innovation.

[25:55] How fortunate we are in the United States. Other countries have so much bureaucracy it's absolutely stifling.

[26:28] Key steps for growing this particular model at Cornell and other universities.  It would be interesting to get a room full of Tech Transfer office directors and cooperative extension directors.

[28:13] It might be possible to start by getting Tech Transfer people together at AUTM. 

[28:53] The AUTM 50th Anniversary meeting is coming up in March in Washington DC.

[29:11] Movements with impact often start with a small group.

[30:29] Dr. Cahoon shares the story about a small town that was once thriving because of technology and patents. This one is about the Channel Master TV antenna. 

[32:05] This success can be reproduced with new technology.

[32:34] Practical advice for getting started and gaining traction in your local community. Reach out and look for technologies that might belong in a rural community. Do marketing with that in mind.

[35:08] How the TTO/Cooperative Extension could evolve. It has the potential to be one of the pillars of the mission of Tech Transfer. 

Resources: 

Dr. Richard Cahoon LinkedIn

Dr. Richard Cahoon

Dr. Richard Cahoon