Amit Kumar, PhD
Director of Licensing & Venture Development
a.kumar@uconn.edu | 860.486.6938

Amit is responsible for evaluating the marketing potential of life science technologies and supporting them on the path towards commercialization. He serves as an advisor on business plans and startup strategy for companies with UConn IP, and he establishes and fosters productive collaborations with industry.

Christopher Conners, PhD
Director of Licensing, Life Sciences
christopher.conners@uconn.edu |

Chris supports the tech transfer activities of UConn’s researchers through invention evaluation, patent process, marketing, licensing, and agreement management and negotiation. He supports university startups by providing guidance on intellectual property and information regarding agreement expectations. Chris also provides valuable connections between internal and external stakeholders to support UConn tech commercialization.

Lindsay Sanford, PhD
Director of Licensing, Engineering
lindsay.sanford@uconn.edu | 860.486.2531

Lindsay is responsible for assessing engineering/software related invention disclosures for patentability and market potential. She supports UConn inventors through management of patent prosecution, the creation of invention-tailored marketing plans and outreach, and agreement negotiation and management.

Nicholas Caiafa, Esq.
Senior Manager, Intellectual Property, Physical Sciences and Engineering
nicholas.caiafa@uconn.edu |

Nick has the responsibility of managing and growing the Physical Sciences and Engineering patent portfolio. He leverages his law firm experience, where he prepared and prosecuted mechanical, electrical and chemical patent applications for clients ranging from startups to large entities, and his engineering experience, where he was a Design Engineer working in a research and development incubator at a Fortune 500 company.

Erin Daly, Ph.D., J.D.
Senior Manager, Intellectual Property, Life Sciences
e.daly@uconn.edu |

Erin is responsible for managing and growing the life sciences patent portfolio at the university. Erin graduated from Suffolk University Law School in 2019 with her juris doctorate. She is also a registered patent practitioner with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. 

Ana Lena Fidantsef, PhD, MBA
Industry Liaison
ana.fidantsef@uconn.edu | 860.486.1353

Ana supports marketing life science technologies from UConn and UConn Health, working with tech scouts from industry. She is also responsible for reviewing life science technologies for market potential and generating Material Transfer Agreements and Confidentiality Agreements for life science technologies.

Christine McCluskey
Intellectual Property Specialist
christine.mccluskey@uconn.edu | 860.679.3992

Christine coordinates UConn patent prosecution with faculty and external law firms, manages projects and serves as database administrator for TCS. She also supports licensing activities by managing invention disclosures, patenting processes, and is a Notary Public.

Nicole Barkley
Administrative Assistant to the AVP, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
nicole.barkley@uconn.edu | 860.486.2532

Nicole provides administrative support for the AVP of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, as well as the TCS team. This includes calendar management, meeting organization and records, payroll management, and procurement needs.

Mostafa Analoui, PhD
Executive Director, Venture Development
mostafa.analoui@uconn.edu | 860.486.1482

With oversight of venture development activities for UConn startups and the Technology Incubation Program (TIP), Mostafa supports the launch and growth of UConn companies. He also works closely with partners throughout UConn and UConn Health to support entrepreneurship and innovation programs. He also collaborates with organizations and institutions around Connecticut to support economic development efforts in the state.

Paul Parker
Director, Technology Incubation Program (TIP)
paul.parker@uconn.edu | 203.912.2214

Paul oversees the Technology Incubation Program (TIP) by discovering, vetting, and recruiting new technology based startups to the program. In addition to managing TIP lab and office facilities, Paul provides support from entry through graduation by preparing TIP companies for funding and mentors them on creating compelling pitches to potential investors, partners, and customers. Paul also recruits new business service suppliers and sponsors to support the TIP community.

Margaret Feeney
Director, Technology Incubation Program (TIP Digital)
margaret.feeney@uconn.edu |

Margaret is the Director of the University of Connecticut’s Data Science Technology Incubation Program (TIP Digital) in Stamford. In her role, Margaret engages with various stakeholders to identify cutting-edge data science startups and provides them with the resources they need to achieve their growth objectives. She joins UConn from NatWest Markets where she was the Head of Innovation in the US.

Vivek Ramakrishnan
Director, Venture Development
Vivek.ramakrishnan@uconn.edu|

Vivek Ramakrishnan, PhD is a Director, with Venture Development function, and prior to joining UConn he was Managing Partner, New Ventures at Ventech Solutions where he focused on Private Equity transactions. He has extensive experience in medical device development, technology transfer, intellectual property management, and fund raising for early stage companies

Brandon Nickle
Coordinator, Technology Incubation Program (TIP)
brandon.nickle@uconn.edu | 860.679.2921

Brandon serves as the point of contact for TIP companies’ facilities requests and sponsorship programs. He provides general support and shares building-wide information for TIP companies and their staff.

Erika Paine
Coordinator, Technology Incubation Program (TIP Digital)
erika.paine@uconn.edu |

Erika serves as the point of contact for TIP companies at the Stamford location and provides general support of TIP Digital.

Taylor Renaud
Marketing Coordinator
taylor.renaud@uconn.edu | 860.679.7893

Taylor manages TCS events, webinars, and workshops and provides communications support for TCS. She is responsible for managing TCS web content and social media accounts.