innoVEK, LLC was founded by pre-eminent experts in technology transfer and university-industry partnerships who have worked with many universities, companies, and governmental agencies all over the world, helping them build robust technology commercialization infrastructure, create effective partnerships and alliances, identify and pursue funding, and, ultimately, move innovative ideas from minds to the marketplace.
Founders
Vera Anderson, MBA, PMP, PSM II
Vera Anderson is a co-Founder and CEO of innoVEK, LLC.
Prior to founding this company, she served as Senior Licensing and Business Development Associate at Missouri University of Science & Technology. In that role she led various projects in the Office of Technology Transfer and Economic Development at the University. She successfully developed and implemented marketing strategies for technologies in a variety of technical areas, developed and executed commercialization strategies for a large number of patentable technologies with a high level of complexity involving multiple parties, government funding, sophisticated cost structures and high degrees of vertical integration. She spearheaded a new effort at the university on supporting women innovators and entrepreneurs.
Vera was instrumental in developing partnership projects between University of Missouri System and several leading universities in Russia. She presented to international audiences across the globe (Europe, Asia, Africa) on topics such as Intellectual Property Rights and Commercialization Process; Practical Guide to IP Commercialization; IP and Contract Management Systems; Broadening Participation of Women in Entrepreneurship and Innovation; and provided hands-on mentoring to entrepreneurship boot camp participants.
Prior to working in the technology transfer and business development environment, Vera worked in technical field of Enterprise Resourse Planning and data management systems at Knowledge Sharing Systems (KSS), a leading global provider of innovation management software and services to federal laboratories, research universities and advanced technology companies.
Ms. Anderson’s educational background includes a law degree, an MBA, and Master’s degree in Information Science and Technology. She is a certified project manager and agile practitioner.
Eugene Krentsel, PhD
Dr. Eugene Krentsel is a co-Founder and President of innoVEK, LLC.
He currently serves as Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Alliances at XLerateHealth, a healthcare focused early stage startup accelerator.
From 2013 to 2018 he was Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of Louisville, responsible for the full range of activities in the discovery-innovation-translation-commercialization spectrum at the University.
Prior to that, Eugene served as Assistant Vice President for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships at the State University of New York at Binghamton, leading efforts in Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property Management and Licensing, and Innovation-Based Economic Development. He led the development of the largest of the regional “Technology Transfer Hubs” across the SUNY research enterprise as part of a novel effort to spur new high-tech business opportunities and stimulate economic growth across New York State.
Prior to joining SUNY in 2005, he was founding Director of the International Technology Commercialization Institute at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Formerly a scientist, inventor and an entrepreneur, he has extensive experience in technology commercialization, as well as in development and management of hi-tech start-up businesses.
From 2012 through 2019 Eugene served as a member of SBIR/STTR Advisory Committee at the National Science Foundation.
Over the last 20+ years, Dr. Krentsel has advised various US and international organizations (National Academy of Sciences, US Department of State, National Science Foundation, International Science and Technology Center, Science and Technology Center in Ukraine, Civilian Research and Development Foundation, American Councils for International Education, etc.) and led projects in Spain, Chile, Russia, Ukraine, South Africa, Poland, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan and others, as well as published and presented on various aspects of technology commercialization.
He provided training to various international groups on building entrepreneurial ecosystems, working with industry, intellectual property strategies, assessing technology market potential, developing “Go-to-Market” strategies, identifying strategic partnerships and funding sources, negotiating techniques, and other aspects of technology transfer, as well as starting, growing, and managing technology-based companies.
His efforts have helped establish and/or significantly enhance a number of technology transfer offices at major universities and research institutions in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Chile.