Janet Yancey-Wrona is the Technology Business Development Manager for the Office of Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources and Engagement (SPIRE) at the University of Maine.

Janet is responsible for managing technology transfer projects, including identifying and prioritizing technology transfer activities. She works with stakeholders to determine and pursue the best commercialization pathways for new technologies, including patents and agreements with external partners. This position works collaboratively with colleagues in SPIRE and UMaine, as well as external business partners.

Most recently, Janet was a Marketing Director at Lonza, providing product and marketing management for their pharmaceutical quality control testing business. Prior to Lonza, she held various marketing and management roles in several life sciences companies in Maine, including working as a research scientist at IDEXX Labs, and serving as the founding president of the Maine Technology Institute (MTI), where she was able to oversee more than $40 million in investments for R&D in Maine-based organizations. She enjoys employing a marketing framework to define and articulate business value in order to drive strategic decisions.

She hopes to help people become more aware of all of the entrepreneurship resources that are available – including the internships and commercialization trainings offered through SPIRE at UMaine.

Andrew Rankin is Idaho National Laboratory’s Intellectual Asset Marketing Specialist. He specializes in connecting industry, academia, and other professionals to INL’s Technology Deployment staff for licensing and partnering activities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Utah Valley University and an MBA from Idaho State University.

Sue Rhoades is the Industry Engagement Manager at Drexel University, where she connects researchers and innovation assets with commercial R&D and business leaders to foster collaboration and licensing opportunities. Leading the industry engagement team within Drexel Applied Innovation, Sue focuses on expanding the impact of Drexel’s research through strategic partnerships and comprehensive technology transfer services.

With over 21 years at Armstrong World Industries, Sue has held several key executive roles including VP of Marketing, VP of Retail Sales & Marketing, and Director of Global Compliance. Her extensive experience encompasses identifying market opportunities, driving sales growth, and managing global compliance for a major public manufacturer.

Sue’s earlier career includes leadership roles in economic development and technology programs at Ben Franklin Technology Partners and the Delaware Economic Development Office. She holds an MPA from Princeton University and a BA in Political Science and Spanish from Gettysburg College.

Sue Rhoades brings a wealth of experience in marketing, business development, and strategic planning to her role at Drexel University.

Umesh Patel is the Senior Director of Corporate Relations at the University of Michigan. With over two decades of experience at the university, Umesh excels in fostering strategic partnerships between corporate entities and academic research. His role focuses on alliance management and business engagement, where he integrates the university's research capabilities with industry needs to drive innovation and commercialization.

Umesh's career spans significant roles, including Senior Director of the Business Engagement Center and Director of Corporate Relations. Before joining the University of Michigan, he served as a Senior Manager at Accenture, leading various projects in the Detroit area.

His technical foundation was built at Westinghouse Electric Company as a Project Engineer. Umesh holds a Master of Science in Industrial Administration (MBA) from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University.

Olena Danylyuk, Ph.D., is a distinguished Licensing Associate at Henry Ford Innovations in Detroit, Michigan. With over 20 years of research experience in biomedicine, bioengineering, and molecular biology, Olena excels in technology transfer, IP management, and clinical trials.

In her current role, she focuses on the commercialization of biomedical technologies, conducting market evaluations, protecting intellectual property, and creating strategic partnerships to translate scientific discoveries into practical applications. Her interdisciplinary approach is bolstered by substantial project management experience in medical device development and extensive involvement in grant proposals, teaching, and mentoring.

Olena's academic career includes significant positions at Wayne State University School of Medicine, where she has contributed as an Adjunct Professor and Associate Professor of Research. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals, emphasizing her profound impact on scientific research and education.

Olena holds a Ph.D. in Medical Biology and has completed postdoctoral research in molecular biology. Her leadership extends beyond academia, exemplified by her 15+ years of service on the Credit Union Board of Directors, where she has sharpened her skills in strategic planning and regulatory compliance.

Eusebio (EZ) Pires has a great passion for impact-creating biomedical research, demonstrated by the 17 years of his academic professional life focusing on translation and commercialization research. At Innovation Ventures, he leads the efforts for Rutgers Technology Marketing and Business Development. He works very closely with licensing managers and Rutgers inventors to strategically identify business partners for their technologies and at the same time he engages with potential industry partners, building new and fostering existing relationships.

Eusebio earned his BS in Biochemistry & Zoology from St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, followed by an MS in Biochemistry from the University of Mumbai. After receiving his PhD from the University of Mumbai, he moved to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where he developed and led a cancer immunotherapy program. Eusebio also holds an MBA (Focus area: Strategy, Operations and Leadership) from the University of Virginia’

Susan Ehrlich is the Technology Manager at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). In her role, Susan connects industry partners with APL's cutting-edge technological innovations, streamlining the process for research and development agreements and licensing opportunities. Her expertise lies in P&L management, strategic planning, and new product commercialization.

Before joining APL in 2019, Susan amassed over two decades of experience at W. R. Grace in various leadership roles. These included Director of Global Business Development for Materials Technologies and Business Director for Colloidal Technology. She has a proven track record of driving business growth by identifying and managing the development of new opportunities.

Susan holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University, enhancing her unique blend of technical and business acumen. Her ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive strategic initiatives has cemented her as a valuable asset in the field of technology transfer and commercialization.

Sam Miller is the Relationship Manager for Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) in Chicago, Illinois. In this role, Sam bridges the gap between DPI and its industry partners, facilitating collaborations that leverage the University of Illinois System’s consulting expertise and DPI’s advanced R&D capabilities. His primary focus is on identifying industry needs and assembling expert science teams to deliver customized solutions.

With over five years at The Timken Company, Sam has held pivotal roles in technical sales and aerospace design, driving strategic sales initiatives and managing key customer relationships. His early career includes engineering and development roles at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies and Materion Corporation, highlighting his broad technical expertise.

Sam holds a degree from the University of Toledo and brings a comprehensive blend of engineering acumen and relationship management skills to his role at DPI.

Leon Ma is the Assistant Director for Corporate Relations at MSU Business Connect. In this role, Leon holds responsibility for business intelligence research to determine high-potential opportunities for corporate partnerships that align with MSU’s strengths, as well as to drive corporate relationships to productive outcomes.

Before joining MSU, Leon was an Industry Analyst at BigOne Lab, a big-data start-up in Beijing, working with data scientists to discover business insights from alternative data sources. He also worked for Gerson Lehrman Group as a Client Solutions Manager and CCID Group as a Research Associate. Leon holds a master’s degree in human resources and industrial relations from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and bachelors degrees in international political economy and history from Peking University.