Author: Criss, Steve

Building Community, Sharing Insight: TIP Launches CEO Roundtable Series

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Last week, the UConn Technology Incubation Program (TIP) launched its first-ever CEO Roundtable series, bringing together startup founders and executives for candid, experience-based conversations about the realities of raising capital. The sessions—held at TIP Storrs and TIP Farmington—were led by Ryan McMillian, TIP’s Director of Venture Development, with support from Steve Criss, MPA, TIP Storrs Administrator; Paul Parker, TIP Farmington Director; and Entrepreneurs-in-Residence Joe O’Connor (AIF) and John Kallassy (VC23 Ventures).

Focusing on the theme Investor Readiness: Process, Pipeline & Persistence, discussions explored how investors evaluate startups, manage risk, and structure funding opportunities. Participants shared personal fundraising experiences and challenges, gaining perspective on how to build a disciplined, data-driven approach to capital strategy.

Across both campuses, CEOs expressed enthusiasm for making the roundtable a recurring forum for open dialogue, mentorship, and relationship-building. This new series will serve as a cornerstone of TIP’s community engagement efforts—strengthening collaboration among entrepreneurs, experts, and investors while helping founders prepare for their next phase of growth.

TIP extends its appreciation to all facilitators and participants for making these inaugural sessions a success. Future roundtables will continue expanding the conversations that drive innovation forward across the state.

Building Innovation Networks Without Borders

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Building Innovation Networks Without Borders

On October 9, UConn’s Technology Commercialization Services (TCS) and its Technology Incubation Program (TIP) welcomed two international delegations in a single day—a powerful demonstration of our commitment to connecting Connecticut startups with global partners, markets, and commercialization opportunities.

Global Affairs Canada Visit

In the morning, TIP Farmington was honored to host Max Lelu, Trade Commissioner at Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada, and his team. The visit gave TIP companies a unique opportunity to hold one-on-one conversations with the delegation, exploring concrete pathways to expand into Canadian markets, form supplier relationships, and establish cross-border collaborations.

The Canadian delegation also toured TIP labs and facilities. During the visit, Atlas (Matthew Cleaver), Therapeutic Bandage Products (Dr. Lawrence Silbart), QCDx, Arome (Alexey Melnik), and Nanoionix showcased their technologies, highlighted recent milestones, and shared their ambitions for growth. The energy of these discussions reinforced what makes TIP distinctive: we are not just fueling startups here in Connecticut—we are opening doors to global markets and long-term partnerships.

Turkish Delegation

That same afternoon, TIP Farmington hosted a distinguished delegation from Türkiye, including:

  • Prof. Dr. Fikrettin Şahin, Yeditepe University, Genetics & Bioengineering / Biotechnology Institute

  • Dr. Neslihan Isik, Innovation & Business Development Manager, BI7TECH Pharma

  • Selin Doğaneli Ozyuksel, CEO, BI7TECH Pharma

Their visit included in-depth discussions with UConn Health faculty and leaders—Dr. Anthony Vella, Dr. Bernd Simon, Dr. Tolga Turker, Dr. Abhijit Banerjee, Dr. Bruce Liang, Dr. Victor Hesselbrock, and Elizabeth Laska—on biomedical research, clinical innovation, and clinical trials. They also toured TIP facilities and engaged directly with startup teams, identifying potential pathways for collaboration in biotechnology, diagnostics, and translational research.

A Global Innovation Ecosystem

Together, these visits illustrate the value and reach of UConn’s innovation ecosystem. By connecting researchers, entrepreneurs, and startups to international partners, TCS and TIP are building an innovation network without borders—one that accelerates the commercialization of UConn research and supports startup growth across continents.