DALLAS, Texas—On January 16, 2003, the M.I.T. Enterprise Forum of Dallas-Fort Worth, Inc. will present a case study of a successful biotechnology company that leveraged discoveries from The University of Texas at Dallas (UT-Dallas). Biotechnology Dallas Coalition will co-sponsor the program.
The program will be at the UT-Dallas Conference Center beginning with a reception and light buffet at 5 p.m., with the program at 6:15 p.m. The cost is a donation of $35, $10 for students.
The successful company to be presented is Macrocyclics, Inc. a successful 1993 spin-off from the University of Texas at Dallas (UT-Dallas). Macrocyclics offers a variety of specialty chemicals to the biomedical research community and to pharmaceutical companies developing new targeted diagnostic and therapeutic agents. The Company has more than 200 leading research institutions and firms around the world as customers. From its genesis in making a market for novel compounds used in early-stage research, Macrocyclics’ goal is to see its products used in next-generation pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.
Panelists for the event will be Dean Sherry, Ph.D., Macrocyclics founder; Dan Rippy, chief executive officer of Macrocyclics; and a panel of experts who will comment of the Company’s successes and future challenges. The experts will be specialists from a pharmaceutical company, a biotech investment company, and from the university technology transfer community.
The moderator will be Naresh Lakhanpal, national practice director of products and services for Deloitte & Touche’s technology, media and telecommunications group. Introductions will be by Michael G. Cameron, Esq., registered patent attorney at Jackson Walker, Deloitte & Touche, and Jackson Walker will be special sponsors of the event.
Dr. Sherry, Macrocyclics’ founder, is professor of Chemistry and Radiology at the University of Texas at Dallas and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, respectively. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Wisconsin State University at La Crosse in 1967 and his Ph.D. in Physical/Inorganic Chemistry from Kansas State University in 1971.
Dan Rippy, Macrocyclics’ C.E.O., has over ten years of corporate experience with Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, and other firms. Mr. Rippy received his B.A. from Macalester College in 1989 and his M.B.A. from Columbia Business School in 1993. He is the author of Sizing Up a Start-Up, a career guide based on his own start-up experience with a Kleiner-Perkins-backed start-up in Seattle, Washington.
The M.I.T. Forum is funded by its sponsors: the M.I.T. Alumni/Alumnae Association, Deloitte Touche; FigDesign; Haynes and Boone; Jackson Walker L.L.P.; KPMG; Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.; Roach Howard Smith & Hunter; R.R. Donnelley Financial; and the UTDallas School of Management. The M.I.T. Forum maintains alliances with several local entrepreneurial non-profit support groups.
Biotechnology Dallas will co-sponsor the program. Biotechnology Dallas Coalition (www.biotechnologydallas.org) is a coalition of public and private organizations that are dedicated to helping the biotechnology industry join telecommunications, high technology and others that make Dallas a center for the 21st Century economy. It’s members are: City of Dallas, The Dallas Plan, Dallas County, The Dallas-Fort Worth Health Industry Council, Greater Dallas Chamber, STARTech Early Ventures and UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Executive committee members of the M.I.T. Forum are Chairman Neil Kaden, circle NK; Vice-Chair of Programs Elizabeth Frank, Intellectual Capital Holdings; Vice-Chair of Alliances David Kohl, Roach Howard Smith & Hunter; Vice-Chair of Marketing Mary Swensen, Swensen Communications; and Executive Committee Secretary Mary Langford.
Advisory Board Members are M.I.T. Enterprise Forum Dallas-Fort Worth founder Patrick Antaki, Willow Technology Inc.; Matt Blanton, STARTech Business Development Center; Skip Moore, Deloitte & Touche; Karen Farris, Roach Howard Smith & Hunter; David Fiegenschue, FigDesign; Custis Hoge, R.R. Donnelley Financial; G.K. Kalyanarum, M.I.T. Club of DFW representative; William S. Kleinman, Haynes and Boone L.L.P.; Mark Kopidlansky, Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.; Vance McCullough, KPMG; David Rex, Jackson Walker L.L.P.; and David Springate, UTDallas School of Management. Other Operating Committee members are Larry W. Calton, Jr., North Texas Enterprise Center; Mike Cameron, Jackson Walker, L.L.P.; Howard Chen, Haynes and Boone; Daniele Cunningham, Deloitte & Touche; Sejal Desai, STARTech Foundation; Paul Gaddis, UTDallas School of Management, Ken Gilliam, UTDallas School of Management; Joann Harris, Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.; Connie Luthy, The LUTHY Group; Tad McIntosh, Human Capital Solutions; Keith Neifach, Southwest Financial Control Services, Inc.; Jay Phillips, UTDallas School of Management; Frank St. Claire, StClaireNet; Lori Scott, Deloitte & Touche; Bart Showalter, Baker & Botts, L.L.P.; and Steven Thrasher, The Invention Factory, L.L.C.
The M.I.T. Enterprise Forum of Dallas-Fort Worth, Inc. is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the M.I.T. Enterprise Forum, Inc. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is managed by a volunteer executive committee supported by a paid part-time executive administrator.
As markets become more global and as they expand due to increased use of technology, the importance of building strong infrastructure for this process continually increases. The M.I.T. Alumnae/Alumni Association created the M.I.T. Enterprise Forum in 1978 to focus on the worldwide development of technology-oriented companies in their early stages and to support their successful growth. The M.I.T. Enterprise Forum of Dallas-Fort Worth, a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit, was created in 1986 to nurture the infrastructure for such companies in the North Texas area. The Forum ‘s mission is achieved through case study presentations of emerging companies, issues Forums, satellite broadcasts featuring speakers from M.I.T. and other special events. A select group of local companies sponsor the M.I.T. Forum and an Executive Committee and an Advisory Board manages the development of Forum activities.
The DFW chapter of the M.I.T. Enterprise Forum is one of 24 worldwide chapters of the M.I.T. Enterprise Forum, Inc. Each year, Enterprise Forum headquarters produces three newsletters full of information on Enterprise Forum programs, as well as articles of interest to entrepreneurs and Enterprise Forum members.