Research 2 Commercialization Conference

SPONSORED BY

Registration Closed

Early Summer 2026

Eastern AHEC

WHAT TO EXPECT

The Research 2 Commercialization (R2C) Conference offers faculty the unique opportunity to engage with over 30 industry and subject matter experts on how to advance early-stage research discoveries into commercial products and services. Attendees will have access to over 25 separate in-person sessions on the foundational elements of business, intellectual property strategy, attracting investment, applying for early stage non-dilutive funding, and much more.

Check back in Spring 2026 for Details

Breakout Sessions

Attendees will be able to join detailed breakout sessions that focus on the in’s and out’s of development in the areas of 1) drug and medical development, 2) software and internet of things, 3) consumer products, and 4) regional engagement.

Networking and Poster Presentations

A key aspect of the event is to help attendees make new connections with industry partners, subject matter experts, support organizations, and academic collaborators. To help enhance this network opportunity, attendees have the option to present a poster and sign up for 1-on-1 consultations with guest speakers.

Detailed Guide

As part of attending the conference, each registered attendee will receive a program booklet that will provide definitions, objectives, and educational material that can be used to help advance their commercialization journey.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Shawna Lemon

Dr. Shawna Lemon is a co-managing shareholder of Stanek Lemon. She serves as an outside patent counsel to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device management teams and universities, where she engages in the formulation and implementation of global patent strategies. In addition to drafting and prosecuting patent applications, Shawna assists clients with intellectual property due diligence, partnering negotiations, licensing, and opinion work, and she provides trademark assistance.

Shawna is also an angel investor and venture fund investor and uses her experience to assist her clients. She has co-authored publications in scientific journals and frequently speaks to various audiences about patent law topics. Before her legal career, Shawna worked in pharmaceutical market development at Merck & Co., Inc.

Guest Speakers

Crystal Weber
Group31

Aisha Hasan
Barnes & Thornburg

Kevin Nicusanti
SBTDC

Travis Albea
Michael Best

Alicia Parr
Performentor

Derrick Welch
NC Innovation

Tracey du Laney
NC Biotech

Josh Lewis
ENC Alliance

John Ujvari
SBTDC

Barry Ryan
NC Idea

Tom Snyder
RIoT

Darone Dancy
ECVC

Bob Burton
NC DEFTECH

Alison Beatty
NC Innovation

Kelly Andrews
Pitt County Economic Development

Allan Moorman
Alta Vetta Pharmaceutical Consulting

Ashley Davis
First Flight Venture Center

Jennifer Watson
ECU Foundation

Vin McCaffrey
113

Tim Alcorn
Latham Biosciences

Julie Cramer
Clinical Research Strategies

Erin Porter
Red Shark Digital

Gerry Klein
MedSurg PI

Ben Provan
First Flight Venture Center

Alaina Corsini
Red Shark Digital

Wade Minter
Dualboot Partners

Scott Davis
NC Innovation

Stanton Blakeslee
Instigator

Katy Johnson
ECU Foundation

Royston Carter
Biotechnology Research & Consulting

Volker Bornemann
Avazyme

Ryan Butcher
113

AGENDA AT A GLANCE

Registration, Coffee, and Networking

8:30-9:00

Morning Session

9:00-9:10 Welcome Address and Conference Overview
9:10-9:40 Communicating Your Science to an Investor
9:40-10:00 What Does Intellectual Property have to Do With It?
10:00-10:20 Beachhead Market Tactics
10:20-10:30 Networking Break
10:30-10:50 The Not So Basic Legal Elements of Starting a New Venture
10:50-11:10 Hiring and Compensation Made Simple
11:10-11:45 Opportunities to Fund Early-Stage Discoveries

Lunch and Keynote Speaker

11:45-12:15 Lunch
12:15-12:45 Shawna Lemon

Afternoon Session

1:00-1:30 Using SBIR/STTR Funding to Bridge the Valley of Death
1:30-2:00 Leveraging Accelerators and Incubators to Fill in the Gaps

Poster Session and 1-on-1 Consulting

2:00-3:00

Concurrent Breakout Sessions

3:00-4:30

Closing Address

4:35-4:45

Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Session A – Biotech

3:00-3:20 Pillars of Clinical Development
3:20-3:40 Therapeutic Development: FDA Compliance/Regulatory Strategy
3:40-4:00 Medical Device Development: FDA Compliance/Regulatory Strategy
4:00-4:30 Funding and the Long Road Ahead for Life Science Discoveries

Session B – Software and IoT

3:00-3:20 How Software Development Works Outside of Academia
3:20-3:40 How to think about an MVP through the Business and Customer Lens
3:40-4:00 Tools of the Trade: How to Leverage AI, Machine Learning, and SEO
4:00-4:30 Investment in Software and IoT Innovations – Complex vs. Simplistic Products

Session C – Consumer Products

3:00-3:20 Perspectives on Prototyping – Time, Quality, and Cost
3:20-3:40 Becoming a Superhero of Branding
3:40-4:00 The Big Step – Scaling Your Workforce
4:00-4:30 Leveraging Crowdfunding and Micro-Grants to Reach Success

Session D – Regional Topics

3:00-3:20 Understanding the Environmental and R&D Landscape for Ag and Marine Innovations
3:20-3:40 Regional Partnership Opportunities in Eastern NC
3:40-4:00 The Military Innovation Ecosystem in NC
4:00-4:30 A Economic Developers Viewpoint on Supporting Entrepreneurs

EVENT LOCATION AND PARKING

Eastern AHEC – Education Center

2600 W Arlington Blvd,

Greenville, NC 27834 Google Maps Link

Parking is available at the event site for free

EVENT CONTACT

Carlyle Rogers, PhD
Director, Licensing & Commercialization
rogersar@ecu.edu
252-737-1648

ADA Accommodations: 252-737-1018 or ada-coordinator@ecu.edu