Gene Yelden

Experience

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  Heriot-Watt University

  Jun 1992 - Dec 1994

  Postdoctoral Research Associate
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  Silex Systems

  Jan 1995 - Nov 1995

  Laser Physicist
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  Surgilase Products

  Jan 1996 - Jan 1999

  Director of Research & Development and Acting Director of Operations (1998 to 1999)
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  Synrad, Inc.

  May 1999 - May 2008

  Chief Scientist & Manager – Laser Technology & Business Development

  • Rapidly assessed and rebuilt the R&D group in order to effectively meet emerging customer demands and market opportunities; the new structure is still successfully in place to this day.• Increased annual sales over 40% by launching a series of innovative product/market development efforts in Japan, working in collaboration with Matsushita, SUNX, and Panasonic's Home Health Care Division.• Instituted a rigorous HALT and vibration testing program for new products that resulted in reducing new product failures by an order of magnitude.• Delivered a family of laser products to market that encompassed 12 new products (plus model variations) that now account for an average of 60% of Synrad's total sales revenue.• Launched partnership with Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center to explore innovative laser technology uses within the food processing market; negotiated joint patent and revenue-sharing agreements; resulting technologies developed are under review by Ocean Spray, Cargill, and Oregon Freeze Dry. Show less

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  Johns Hopkins Technology Transfer

  May 2008 - Oct 2012

  Portfolio Director

  A customer service and business development position charged with providing outstanding customer service, identifying and contacting potential licensees, licensing of Johns Hopkins University’s intellectual property, and generating licensing revenue. Manage a team of professional licensing managers as well as a personal docket of technologies from Schools of Medicine and Engineering that included medical devices, medical imaging, surgical robotics, software, and materials.• Mentored and helped establish funding (VC, angel, govt. grant) and/or management teams/entrepreneurs needed to commercialize new technology for six start-up ventures spun out of JHU technology/inventions. Continue to participate on Board of Directors (observer) for two of these start-ups.• Managed personal portfolio of > 200 inventions and team portfolio of ~ 600 cases. Physical Sciences Technology Licensing Group executed > 25 licenses in FY10. Individually executed 11 revenue bearing agreements with total contract value ~ $4 million.• Coordinated and led the team that oversaw and triaged the engineering/science historical backlog of ~450 cases to extract and optimize the latent value of these patents and inventions. Show less

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  CoMotion at University of Washington

  Nov 2012 - now

  Sr. Manager - Innovation Development

  A customer service and innovation/business development role utilizing a variety of initiatives, including translational funding, entrepreneurial training, technology licensing and industry engagement to establish technology-based partnerships to enable access to UW's inventions and use these as the basis for new innovative products and services.• Established a PhD Student Intern Fellows Program with 40 participants to date who have conducted initial triage and invention analysis on over 1000 technologies with very favorable reviews from all stakeholders.• Managed personal portfolio of > 425 inventions. Show less