Dr. DJ Nag is the President of Innovaito LLC, an intellectual property strategy think tank. Recently, DJ launched Brevelex Inc. as the Chairman of the company, focused on transparent IP protection. He currently serves as an independent board member and Chair of the Governance committee at Crown Electrokinetics Inc. (NASDAQ: CRKN), an energy-saving technology company. DJ was the Chief Investment Officer and head of IP and partnership at Ventech Solutions Inc., a healthcare technology company that manages quality data for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) (2019-21). He has successfully led Ohio State University, Rutgers University, and the University of Nebraska’s technology transfer offices which included licensing, startup, and investments. As a serial entrepreneur, he successfully led a number of start-ups in the intellectual property strategy, artificial intelligence, and medical device space. As a consultant in patent monetization and intellectual property strategy, he has worked with many Fortune 500 companies, universities, and national governments. He was a Director of Ocean Tomo and a Vice President at ICAP Ocean Tomo leading patent transaction markets. He was recognized as one of the top IP strategists by IAM300 in 2022 and 2019. He is widely recognized as a global intellectual property strategist working with governments and universities in Poland, Japan, India, Turkey, Brazil, South Korea, Ukraine, and many other countries.
Currently, he teaches intellectual property strategy and negotiations as a Professor of Practice at Rutgers University, a Lecturer at the ITQB NOVA, Oeiras, Portugal, and Visiting Professor at Shizuoka University, Japan. He volunteers as the Chair of the Ohio IP Alliance, the Executive-in-Residence at the Dublin City Schools led a startup academy for high school students and served on the Foundation board at the Dublin Methodist Hospital.
He holds a Ph.D. in biophysical chemistry, MS in chemistry and computer sciences, and MBA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was summa cum laude in Bachelors in Pharmaceutical Engineering from Jadavpur University (top 10 in India) and received the M.L. Khorana Gold medal for placing #1 in India in pharmaceutical sciences (1992).
What experience do you have working on or with a strategic Board of Directors?
- AUTM Board from 2012-2014 during transition to being a strategic board.
- Chair of the governance committee and board member in a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: CRKN).
- Chair of Ohio IP Alliance - chapter of USIP Alliance
- Similar roles
Please include a brief description of your volunteer experiences within AUTM.
I have served in volunteer capacity for more than a decade for various committees of AUTM including:
- Professional Development
- International
- Industry Relations
- Program Committee
- Other various committees
Why do you want to join the AUTM Board of Directors?
I owe most of my professional goal achievement either directly or indirectly because of AUTM. I have had the fortune of being part of tech transfer either from the inside or outside. Whatever role I have served in as an entrepreneur, TTO leader or corporate executive, AUTM has been a big part of it. I would like to serve on a truly changed and strategic board of AUTM and contribute towards the bright future of our profession that is imminent.
Have you served in a volunteer leadership role for other organizations? If so, please explain.
Yes, multiple times. Most recently, I have had the fortune of serving as the Chair and Co-founder of the Ohio IP Alliance, a non-profit organization focused on DEI, education and ecosystem building. I have also served on board of hospital foundation, board of student based entrepreneur organizations. I have continually served for the last 18 years in some volunteer organization and I find that as one of the most rewarding things I am involved in.
If elected by the Membership to the Board, would you consider serving as Chair? Please explain.
I prefer playing a role in building consensus and find the role of a board member critically important. I am undecided at this time.
Please share personal strengths that you believe would be valuable to the AUTM Board and/or the strategic direction of the Association.
- Champion of diversity, equity and inclusion
- Life long learner
- International networker
- Strategic thinker
- Respectful of diverse opinions
What special experience do you have in driving and implementing a strategic plan?
As part of the AUTM board 2012-14, we were challenged in coming up with and implementing a strategic plan. This initiation of the plan to move away from a hands-on board to a strategic board was a very rich experience. I have also been part of several corporate boards where the key responsibility as a board member was to make a strategic shift for the company. Personally, I have been responsible for the creation and implementation of innovation strategy development and execution for a $150M revenue corporation and managing a large group in innovation focused on a healthcare data model involving the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data.
How do terms of the position (both responsibilities and time commitment) fit with your other responsibilities? Will you have any conflicts of commitment between your full-time position and your volunteer time on the AUTM Board?
It fits very nicely as I am coming off another board role and would like to devote time towards another meaningful board role. The AUTM board role, if confirmed, will create no conflicts of commitment or interest.
AUTM is committed to addressing issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion both on the Board and on behalf of our Members. Briefly describe how your experiences can contribute to the Association’s growth in this area.
I am very strongly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels within the profession of technology transfer and intellectual property (IP) in general. I serve as a faculty, an international speaker in IP, and participate in various professional development seminars all involving a very diverse population of individuals as far as race, age, gender, language, and nationality. As an immigrant, I have personally adapted to a new culture and have welcomed vibrant and different communities that have taught me to learn that there is equity in diversity. AUTM’s recent dramatic shift towards DEI initiatives is very obvious and has not gone unnoticed. It makes me a very proud member of AUTM! This is one of the key reasons I want to be part of the most diverse AUTM in the history of the organization.
Advocacy for the innovation ecosystem is something AUTM has promoted recently. How do you think AUTM should continue to be involved?
The recent shift of AUTM from being a tech transfer organization to an innovation ecosystem-building champion is a welcome strategic shift. The profession has changed dramatically, especially over the last decade. Given that we are being challenged globally and, in some cases, even falling behind, we have a duty to continually support a changing profession. Tech transfer has already evolved from being a transactional profession to one where entrepreneurship and startups are key indicators of progress. With the most recent CHIPS and Science Act bringing hopefully additional resources, AUTM will be challenged with playing a crucial role in creating a workforce that can adapt to building, managing, and professing the best practices for the various facets of an innovation ecosystem.
Is there anything else you would like AUTM Members to know about you before they vote?
AUTM is a platform that has been built on the shoulders of some of the most humble, friendly and knowledgeable people who I call friends. Always give more than you take. I am always very proud of this organization and grateful for what it has taught me.