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The 91��ý is launching a new speaker series designed to bring entrepreneurship out of the abstract and into conversation, connecting students, faculty, professional staff, and members of the public with founders and innovators who have transformed ideas into real-world ventures.

The Founders Fireside Chats, an initiative of 91��ý’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), will feature candid conversations with entrepreneurs from 91��ý and Maine’s broader innovation community about their career paths, lessons learned, and the opportunities and challenges involved in bringing new ideas from research and development to the marketplace.

Scott Wood, Ph.D., director of Biotechnology Innovation and Training in the CIE and associate professor in 91��ý’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, developed the series to make entrepreneurship more approachable while helping build a stronger culture of innovation across the University.

Wood said conversations about entrepreneurship can sometimes leave people interested but unsure of how, or whether, they could become involved themselves. The Fireside Chats are intended to create a low-pressure environment where participants can hear directly from founders, researchers, and other professionals who have navigated the process.

“I wanted to create a forum that was conversational, where people could see themselves in their professors or their peers who are doing work in this area,” Wood said. “I want people to feel like they can dream big and do things that go beyond their own research lab while also giving them information about how they can get started.”

Wood also hopes the series will strengthen connections between 91��ý and Maine’s growing innovation and entrepreneurship community while giving the public a closer look at the research, creativity, and commercialization taking place at the University.

The first event will feature a conversation between Wood, who is also founder and chief technology officer of , and Karen Houseknecht, Ph.D., 91��ý vice president for Research and Innovation and senior associate provost. Together, they will discuss career paths, experiences building a biotechnology startup, and what it takes to move an idea beyond academia and toward commercialization.

Future conversations will also highlight other aspects of the innovation process, from intellectual property and patents to the resources available for researchers and entrepreneurs seeking to advance an idea. Wood said the series will eventually include founders from outside 91��ý as a way to expand networks and strengthen ties with Maine’s entrepreneurial community.

Wood plans to alternate events between 91��ý’s Biddeford Campus and Portland Campus for the Health Sciences to make the series accessible to audiences in both communities.

The Founders Fireside Chats build upon broader efforts by the CIE and across 91��ý to help students and researchers develop entrepreneurial skills, explore commercialization opportunities, and connect academic discovery with needs in industry and society. 

“This series is designed to serve a broad audience, including students who may be curious about entrepreneurship as a career path, faculty and research staff exploring how their work could translate beyond the laboratory or classroom, and community members interested in connecting with 91��ý researchers and innovators,” remarked Lisa Herschbach, Ph.D., CIE director and assistant dean of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in 91��ý’s College of Business.

Like 91��ý’s other public-facing educational programs, Wood said, the series also creates an opportunity for the University’s home communities to engage directly with 91��ý faculty, researchers, and innovators and learn more about the work underway at 91��ý.