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SSSeelig
New Contributor II

Should ACS assist Chemical Entrepreneurs?

ACS is looking to assist existing and future entrepreneurs by setting up educational programs and symposia with the help of the Divisions.  The goal is to establish future chemical companies that would increase jobs as well as future members.  This would include Business Plan writing, giving pitches to investors, connecting investors with chemical entrepreneurs, building a successful business team and much more.  Do you agree?  What other topics would you like to see included in this program?

13 Replies
emm_chem
New Contributor III

Re: Should ACS assist Chemical Entrepreneurs?

I agree totally. acs should support chemical entrepreneurs

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jhuebn
New Contributor

Re: Should ACS assist Chemical Entrepreneurs?

Yes, I certainly agree. I suspect many ACS members are only one invention from wanting to be a Chemical Entrepreneur. That is certainly my story, having co-invented photo-electric chemical sensors (PECS), US Patent # 7,354,700. Part of what is unique about PECS is that it uses molecular recognition from analyte recogntion chemicals on an electrode. Colorimetric sensing also uses molecular recognition chemicals, only on PECS these chemicals displace electric charge when illuminated, and with a light flash generate photo-voltages which can be digitized and analyzed, in many cases identifying the analyte and its concentration. As with colorimetric reagents more analyte changes more of the recognition chemicals by complexing with them, and so the photo-voltages changes are in general proportion to the analyte concentrations. We have over 100 analytes so far we can detect and quantify, and believe the number can be increased essentially without limit, making available chemical sensors for many analytes for which none now exist. I can provide more details (from jhuebn@unf.edu) and would benefit from advice from entrepreneurs.

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markobri
Contributor III

Re: Should ACS assist Chemical Entrepreneurs?

ACS has developed a report, Innovation, Chemistry, and Jobs, detailing steps to create economic growth, generate revenue, and add new jobs in one of our nation’s most valuable scientific sectors — chemistry. The report focuses on entrepreneurship as a pathway to major job creation. Check it out.

Joe_Sabol
New Contributor III

Re: Should ACS assist Chemical Entrepreneurs?

I'd like to know the process of making the recommendations in the

report, Innovation, Chemistry, and Jobs, into actual policy and procedures and programs in ACS, i.e., what is ACS going to do to help *create* the jobs???, but before that, what is ACS going to do to determine how to implement the recommendations???  Who is in the driver's seat and where is the report going???

deharwell
Contributor

Re: Should ACS assist Chemical Entrepreneurs?

Hi Joe - There are two major efforts within ACS to address the needs of entrepreneurs.  One is a grass-roots effort involving several divisions, committees and external orgaizations called the Chemical Entrepreneurship Council (CEC). Janet Bryant is the Chair of the CEC.  They offer workshops, symposia and other resources for entrepreneurs in the chemical sciences.

ACS is also launching two new programs for entrepreneurs as part of an initiaitve to impliment the suggestions from the Innovation Task Force Report. 

Entrepreneurial Resources Center

The Entrepreneurial Resources Center (ERC) directly addresses recommendation 1 from the Task Force report. References to resources in the Center have been italicized in the recommendation below.

“ACS should develop a single organizational unit—a kind of ‘technological farmers’ market’—offering affordable (or free) help to entrepreneurs.  This unit would support entrepreneurs by facilitating more affordable access to resources that should foster the creation of small companies from startups. Relevant resources might include information, management expertise, key services, and mentors. The unit could also support entrepreneurs in making introductions to much-needed capital and fostering partnerships with large companies.”

These potential italicized resources are described in the Task Force report as:

  • Technical information, in particular ACS Publications and CAS SciFinder
  • A community of talent, for example, members who are entrepreneurs and skilled, experienced business people
  • Administrative support
  • IT capabilities
  • ACS vendor relationships (legal, accounting, marketing, human resources)
  • Industry partners that when leveraged strategically can and will make a major contribution to the entrepreneur’s task of building a business and putting useful, safe, and environmentally sound chemistry-based products into the stream of commerce
  • Opening doors to sources of funding with accredited investors and venture capitalists having a specific chemistry-based technology and early-stage investment focus

Entrepreneurial Training Program

The Entrepreneurial Training Program (ETP) is a partial solution to recommendation 3 from the Task Force report.

“ACS should work with academic institutions and other relevant organizations to promote awareness of career pathways and educational opportunities that involve or include entrepreneurship.”

Admission into both programs will be through a competitive screening process.  Applications of the programs can be found at www.acs.org/ei.  The deadline for applications to these programs will be March 15th, 2012.  For more information please refer to the website.  Please note that the website is being built now, so more information will be posted on the site as it becomes available.  Inquiries about the Entrepreneurial Resource Center and the Entrepreneurial Training Program can be directed to entrepreneur@acs.org.

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wdcornell
New Contributor II

Re: Should ACS assist Chemical Entrepreneurs?

These ACS initiatives sound very promising.  Members considering this career path may also be interested in some free online courses in entrepreneurship offered through Stanford University.    www.venture-class.org

JanetBryant
New Contributor III

Re: Should ACS assist Chemical Entrepreneurs?

Thank you for the link, Wendy.  I will check it out. 

The ACS CEC (as Dave Harwell called out in his post on this thread) is an ACS Grassroots coalition of ACS Divisions, Committees and partners whose charters and energy are directed at supporting chemical/chemistry entrepreneurship.  Our org structure includes 3 subcommittees: Education & Training; PR/Outreach; and Resource Map/Roadmap of products, services, information for entrepreneurs or would-be entrepreneurs.

So as we map the resources available to our membership across the innovation pipeline from concept to job creation, we will be including as many resources, products, services, informational material as we can to help bring it to light for our members' benefit.

I'll be starting a thread on CEC shortly for more information.

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Joe_Sabol
New Contributor III

Re: Should ACS assist Chemical Entrepreneurs?

What new programs are coming out of CEC? And from the ACS? Programs that will help ACS members start/expand chemical companies? Chemists are still being "laid off" and hiring is slow. The option of starting one’s own company is appealing, but assistance is needed. What is ACS doing? My understanding is that "job creation" was a primary goal. But when? I see nothing in 2012 from ACS will help, 2013 at the earliest, but at this pace, 2020, if at all.

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helengerhard
New Contributor II

Re: Should ACS assist Chemical Entrepreneurs?

The link takes one to a generic page and not the Stanford courses.

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