Which living person do you most admire?
I love Warren Buffett’s philosophies on success, life and fairness. Not only is he brilliant, but he emphasizes that his success is as dependent on his skills as it is on the sheer luck of being born in a particular era and context where those skills are useful. He talks about this as the “Ovarian Lottery.” Luck through this lens is opportunity meeting preparedness — you need both.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Social enterprise.”  Truthfully, I don’t believe social enterprise is a thing! All good businesses are about creating value, and typically with the intent of improving society.
 
What do you most value in your friends?
A good sense of humor and healthy dose of levity.
 
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Hiking, writing, and a little karaoke.
 
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Finding yourself in the penguin march to escape an over-crowded area on an incredibly hot day.
 
Which talent would you most like to have?
A photographic memory.
 
What is your motto?
Clarity is the result of taking action.
 
What unexpected challenges have you faced since you entered tech transfer?
I did not expect so much of tech transfer to be about the people and being able to translate between different lenses and perspectives. Much of my work is about nurturing relationships – with internal stakeholders, such as the inventors I am supporting, or external stakeholders like our funders and industry partners. Working with people, appropriately managing expectations, earning trust and buy-in is always a challenge because there is no set formula to follow. It’s also part of what makes the job awesome!