Lunch, Learning, and Lifting Innovation

Wayne Nix
Executive Director for Innovation and Commercialization
LSU Health Shreveport






Last month, the Office for Innovation and Commercialization (OIC) at  LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) held a Lunch & Learn for LSUHS faculty with partners at Baker Donelson and TreMonti Consulting. It was a chance to reconnect with faculty, realign on shared goals, and reinforce our commitment to translating research into real-world impact. Staff heard directly from our team and our expert partners, asked questions, and saw how innovation is being supported across all fronts: scientific, clinical, and financial.
 

A Conversation, Not a Presentation

We chose a Lunch & Learn format to reduce barriers to participation. It encouraged open dialogue, gave faculty a chance to ask real-time questions, and provided a shared space for learning without the pressure of formal presentations. It was approachable, digestible mentally and physically (free food!), and well-timed within busy academic schedules.

On hand was our Tech Transfer Committee, a powerhouse of experience and expertise - Dr. Oren Rom with translational science depth, Dr. John Vanchiere with  clinical relevance, and Dr. Ramey Benfield, Vice Chancellor for Research Administration.

Together, the team represented more than just a process, but rather a purpose to translate LSUHS discoveries into real-world outcomes.
 

Partners Who Get It

Our external collaborators are a critical component to our outreach. We invited Baker Donelson and TreMonti Consulting not just because they’re experts, but because they share our belief in early, integrated, trust-based engagement. Their international reach and experience across academic, clinical, and industry spaces make them uniquely valuable contributors during this time of transition.

“Our collaboration with the LSUHS OIC creates a structure where faculty don’t have to navigate the complexities of intellectual property alone,” said a representative from Baker Donelson. “We’re able to bring legal insight into the conversation early, while the research is still evolving, not just at the point of contract or crisis. We emphasize the importance of filing disclosures early—even if you’re not sure what you have yet. That pre-publication checklist can be the difference between a global patent and a missed opportunity.”
 
TreMonti’s team, meanwhile, helped faculty think differently. “We’re not here to push every idea forward,” one of their consultants explained. “We’re here to help faculty move from uncertainty to clarity. Whether the outcome is a commercialization pathway, a pivot, or a pause, the goal is to give researchers the tools and confidence to make informed decisions. It’s not about forcing every innovation into the market. It’s about recognizing when something is worth advancing and doing it with purpose and the right support around it.”
 

Leadership That Shows Up

None of this would have worked without senior leadership championing the mission. As Dr. Benfield noted, “Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens in an environment where people feel supported, seen, and heard. When senior leadership shows up, it signals that tech transfer commercialization isn’t just a backend process, it’s part of our academic mission. Faculty take their cues from the top, and when they see leadership backing outreach efforts, it builds confidence that their work matters beyond the lab.”
 

Looking Ahead

We understand that faculty thrive when they’re supported with responsiveness, empathy, and a deep respect for their work. This Lunch & Learn was one way to show that we’re listening and acting. Every disclosure, every question, every meeting is an opportunity to reinforce trust and keep the focus on people, not just processes.

This event was just the beginning. We’re planning additional outreach sessions around entrepreneurship, research tools, and partnering strategies, while also improving our internal workflows. We’re developing smarter databases, connecting siloed systems, and using automation tools to reduce busy work so our team can focus on what matters most: human connection, problem solving, and support.
 

Lessons Learned

Start by listening. Ask faculty what they need, not just what you think they want. Our focus on “connect” as a core function came directly from conversations with principal investigators who wanted us to be more visible on campus and more engaged with industry. Faculty are not just stakeholders. They are innovators with stories, goals, and real-world pressures. When they walk into your office, they are trusting you with the product of years of work. That kind of trust deserves more than a transaction. It requires partnership.

Be transparent about how your office works. Not everything is captured in a formal SOP. Some of what we follow are best practices shaped by experience, bandwidth, and institutional constraints. But when we communicate openly and often, explain our reasoning, and show consistency, we build trust. And trust is what keeps faculty coming back.

Keep it simple. Outreach does not need to be flashy. A genuine one-on-one conversation or a timely follow-up can mean just as much as a large event. I come from a frontline background in medicine, military service, and administration. What those environments taught me applies here too: success depends on a strong team, situational awareness, and the ability to act. Tech transfer is no different.
 
Image courtesy of LSU Health Shreveport.