Columbia Technology Ventures Faculty Ambassadors Strengthen the Bridge Between Labs and Licensing

 

Devin J. Jones
Manager, Business Development
Columbia Technology Ventures


When Columbia Technology Ventures (CTV) started planning its Faculty Ambassador Program in 2023, the idea was simple—help faculty connect with CTV and with one another around innovation and commercialization. One year later, the program has grown into a strong network of engaged researchers sharing experience, advice, and feedback that enhances how CTV supports the university’s inventors.

Faculty Ambassadors act as liaisons between their departments and CTV. They are experienced researchers who have already worked with CTV to commercialize their technologies and are eager to help colleagues do the same. Their role is to raise awareness of innovation resources, answer early questions about commercialization, and bring back faculty perspectives to inform CTV’s work. Faculty Ambassadors are serving as natural extensions of the CTV office within the Columbia University ecosystem, helping create an environment where faculty feel comfortable and excited to discuss future innovation. They have already surfaced consistent themes: most barriers to commercialization stem from awareness and education, not lack of interest. Many faculty want to move their work toward real-world impact but need guidance on where to start or how to balance it with academic demands.

The program serves several goals. Ambassadors provide input on how CTV can improve services, act as peer-level advisors for innovation and entrepreneurship, and advocate for faculty inventors across the university. They also help identify new innovators, including senior postdocs, who may not yet be connected with CTV.

CTV began recruiting Ambassadors in fall 2023 and launched the program officially in February 2024. The first cohort included faculty already familiar with CTV’s work across Columbia’s three Manhattan campuses. A kickoff cocktail hour and info session set the tone: informal, collegial, and practical. Participants reviewed CTV educational materials, shared sample language for LinkedIn highlighting their new roles, and previewed the Ambassador webpage. Important, but small touches including a branded jacket and a ”trophy” for the desk helped signal that CTV values their time and contribution.

Ambassadors now meet periodically around specific themes. Sessions mostly focus on fireside chats, in which CTV and the faculty ambassadors leverage existing department meetings to share the ambassadors’ experiences at Columbia as serial innovators, and to highlight and remind faculty and students of the available resources and support of CTV. Events have also included networking with CTV executives-in-residence and invitations for Ambassadors to meet with industry groups visiting Columbia’s campus . These gatherings allow Ambassadors to swap insights, explore new collaboration ideas, and stay current on CTV’s licensing, startup, and alliance activities.

According to Devin J. Jones, Manager of Business Development at CTV, the biggest surprise was how quickly faculty said yes. “We thought senior researchers might be too busy, but they jumped in immediately,” he said. “They want to help peers navigate commercialization and continue to drive the innovative culture of Columbia.”

That enthusiasm has opened new conversations across departments, including with faculty who hadn’t engaged with CTV before. It also confirmed how powerful peer-to-peer connection can be. “Faculty listen to faculty,” Jones said. “Sometimes all it takes is knowing who to ask.”

So far the program has seen strong participation and a positive sentiment. Every Ambassador from the first year has stayed on for year two, and departments with active Ambassadors show more inbound contact with CTV—a clear sign of growing awareness.

Structured feedback sessions helped guide 2025 priorities. Ambassadors asked for clearer guidance on licensing timelines, startup pathways, and faculty expectations. In response, CTV developed a quick-reference “commercialization guide” and embedded short educational segments, lead by the CTV Licensing Team, into departmental meetings .

Jones and the CTV team offer a few key guidelines for others interested in building a similar program:

• Start small and personal. Choose respected, engaged faculty who already understand the technology transfer process. A few committed voices are more valuable than a large roster.
• Make it a two-way street. Treat Ambassadors as partners, not promoters. Their candid feedback helps identify blind spots and improve office processes.
• Keep it flexible. Offer varied participation options—short meetings, virtual check-ins, and informal drop-ins—so the program fits around faculty schedules.
• Meet faculty where they are. Holding meetings in departmental spaces, rather than central offices, makes CTV’s support tangible and approachable.
• Expect to be challenged. Constructive criticism is part of success. “If you’re not hearing suggestions that make you rethink your workflow, you’re not asking the right people,” Jones said.
• Celebrate involvement. A small gesture—a thank-you lunch, featured spotlight, or even a piece of branded swag—goes a long way toward showing appreciation.

In its second year, the Faculty Ambassador Program moved into a refinement phase, formalizing communications, expanding educational tools, and exploring new ways to leverage their network of Ambassadors, executives-in-residence, and campus innovation leaders. They are currently planning for the third year of the program.

The early lesson is clear: when faculty lead the conversation, innovation spreads faster. The Ambassador model is proving that the best guide to commercialization is often a colleague down the hall.