Academic research is a major source of new innovations.  But how are innovations from academia being translated to the market?  Before you can be successful you need to understand the steps to take.  During the Empower conference there will be three discussions related to moving your research to success in the market.

First, you need to understand how to license your technology from your academic institution.  John Ritter of Princeton's Office of Technology Licensing will moderate a discussion with Almesha Campbell of Jackson State University, Patrice Jean of Hughes Hubbard, and Chad Womack of UNCF.  They will talk about when you need to speak to your academic institution, what you should expect, and ownership rights of your academic discoveries.

Second, you need to figure out if your idea has commercial potential. In many cases an accelerator can put you on the path to success.  Eric Goodie, from Houston Area Urban League will lead a discussion with Ian Johnston of The Engine at MIT, Burunda Prince of the Russell Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Atlanta, Grant Warner at Howard University, and Monica Wheat of Techstars Equitech accelerator.  They will discuss how to find the right accelerator for your startup, and what you should expect from the program. They will also talk about ways that accelerators are working to enhance diversity in entrepreneurship.

And third, some founders may find that the best path forward is with industry collaborations.  Dinesh Melwani from Mintz will moderate a discussion with Kenneth Lee from ExxonMobil, Robert Long from Kimberly-Clark, Cynthia Pierre from BP and Rossie Turman from Lowenstein Sandler.  Industry partners can often put some power behind the go-to-market strategy of a startup.  This group will talk about how to approach and engage industry partners to support your startup goals.