Sponsor Testimonials

Past sponsors said the following about their CTI practicum experience:

“Named among the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2021 by Fast Company, UrbanFootprint is the world’s first urban intelligence platform. We constantly seek to get the word out about how our context-rich data and mapping can solve industry and societal problems. During the fall of 2020, we collaborated with graduate students in Duke’s Commercializing Technology Innovations (CTI) practicum-based course to explore how our platform might positively impact the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported by the students’ research, we wrote a 03/17/21 blog post entitled “Using UrbanFootprint to Plan Drone Delivery of Medicines and Vaccines to Rural Areas.” This post makes the case how Urban Air Mobility (UAM) can use last-mile drone delivery of essential medicines and vaccines to rural destinations where the cost of ground shipping is prohibitively expensive. We were very happy with the value the Duke team (professor, TA, and students) provided in doing the research that laid the foundation for the post. They were very professional, followed our guidance, offered creative suggestions, conducted insightful research, sketched a post draft, and presented their methods and findings to our executive team. We found the collaboration to be a success, having already received inbound inquiries from the media and other prospects. We trust the students enjoyed being a part of a real-world commercialization team considering how to apply cutting-edge technology to urgent societal challenges. We welcome the opportunity to again work with the Duke Master of Engineering Management program in the future.”

— Josh Goldstein, Director of Business Development & Partnerships, UrbanFootprint

"Southeast TechInventures helps university inventors to develop and commercialize innovative technologies. We have enjoyed working with Professor Holmes and his Duke MEM CTI students since 2008 on over a half dozen projects. I have been impressed with the market intelligence and strategic ideas the students always provide which has enhanced our commercialization efforts for those projects. The students are energetic, professional, and hard working. The relationship has been of mutual benefit and we definitely look forward to continuing with this program into the future."

— Ashok Mendiratta, Chief Commercialization Officer, Southeast TechInventures (STI)

"We at Undercover Colors are working to prevent drug-facilitated sexual assault by developing a nail polish that detects date rape drugs. As an early-stage cosmetics startup, we still had a lot of fleshing out to do on the business side . The CTI team was professional and honest about what they thought they would be able to help with. After our first meeting, we could tell that they had really connected with our mission, and they proceeded to leverage what was an impressive array of experiences and skillsets to help us with branding, market research, and our go-to-market strategy. The team produced incredibly helpful reports to help us with strategic development for our business, and that same research continues to be an excellent reference for us almost a year later! Thanks to Professor Holmes and our CTI team for a fantastic experience, we wish them the best of luck with their futures!"

—Ankesh Madan, Co-founder, Undercover Colors

"Our Duke MEM CTI team got right to work. First, they interviewed us thoroughly to get a clear picture of where we were. Since we were basically a 2 person start-up, they quickly decided with our agreement to start helping us to develop software tools and processes to help us in the production of our juice product. These tools manufacturing-scheduling and project-management tools have been very helpful in enabling us to produce our juice in coordination with our farmers, transportation, and manufacturing windows. The team even helped us to start using business planning tools like Strategyzer which we used to raise money. We enjoyed the team both personally and professionally and would encourage any organization to get involved!"

—Dennis Tracz, CEO & Founder, Carolina Wild Muscadine Juice

"Professor Holmes' graduate-level CTI program was invaluable in helping our business. Our assigned practicum team was motivated and delivered a valuable go-to-market plan for the US. The team integrated business and scientific concepts to further develop the value proposition of a part-per-quintillion bioassay service for nuclear materials operators. As part of their CTI coursework, the team simultaneous learned, and then applied, how to assess technologies for commercial viability. This new knowledge was reflected in the quality of their research, analysis, and final deliverable. The team also helped create a pricing model based on their market analysis. Finally, they provided substantial research through their interviews with subject matter experts in industry, government, and academia, which revealed alternative market segments and specific business opportunities."

—Drs. Heinrich Ziegler & James Sund, Co-founders of femtoMass, Inc.

"I mentored a CTI team to help Orion Integrated Biosciences assess new and expanded opportunities for a genomics analysis and discovery platform. The students formulated a comprehensive, timely, & quantitative overview of the competitive landscape and market segmentation in the rapidly changing bioinformatics business environment. The team acted professionally and was very responsive to our specific needs, and provided us with a high quality report that provided up-to-date actionable insights that we are still finding valuable as we assess and adjust our business strategies going forward. This is the second CTI team I have been involved with, and I continue to be very impressed by the quality of work that the students provide."

—Dr. Royston E. Carter, Consultant for Orion Integrated Biosciences

"The work completed by the CTI team has been invaluable in revising my business plan and strategy as my company has obtained investment and moved forward with development. In addition to providing detailed information on market sectors about which I was already aware but had not examined completely, the team discovered new market segments where our products may be applied. Overall, the information they gathered has strengthened and refined our plan for commercialization considerably. Any startup company, faculty researcher, or independent inventor would benefit significantly from working with Professor Holmes and his students."

—Adam Steege, CEO of FreeHand Endoscopic Devices

"We were impressed by both the organization of the course itself and the caliber of the students working on our project. The students had a clear plan in mind from the first meeting (Thanks, Professor Holmes!) and executed it well. They asked good questions; they handled sensitive information responsibly; and they showed great initiative. By the end of the course, the team had captured a lot of very useful information from a variety of sources and distilled it into a thoughtful report that has changed our strategy moving forward. We would welcome the opportunity to work with Professor Holmes and his CTI students in the future."

—M. Jason Kelly, Manager, International Technology Center

"It was such a privilege to have such a knowledgeable professor and a group of bright and interested students work on the market value of my invention and company. I was impressed with the high-quality input and the resources that the students were able to bring to this project. The guidance on different licensing agreements and the expert interviews were especially valuable to me. I was pleasantly shocked by the level of people contacted for these interviews, including CEOs, market directors, and specialists of the major companies and institutions in my field. Overall, the work in the class has been extremely beneficial to me as I move forward towards commercialization, and I would not hesitate to recommend CTI to anyone!"

—Lucinda Camras, Owner of Eye Innovations

"I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to sponsor a CTI project for Professor Holmes’ MEM course. As an Alumnus of the MEM program, I knew the outcome of the project would be a great addition to my own commercialization planning. However, the commercialization plan and final presentation far exceeded my expectations. With Professor Holmes’ coaching, the CTI team delivered a thorough market and competitive analysis tailored to the state of my technology. In addition to the analysis, the team made several well thought out recommendations on how to best commercialize the technology."

—Gerrad Allison, Independent Inventor

“While my expectations were high, Professor Holmes’ CTI project team comprising Duke MEM students blew me away. From start to finish, I was highly impressed with the project experience. Through only a quick phone call, Professor Holmes introduced practicum goals and we co-designed a mutually beneficial project on the fly – to explore opportunities for foul release coatings in the recreational boat market. A team of three students selected my project and quickly contacted me for a kickoff discussion. After tweaking the project goal together, the students struck the perfect balance of working independently while tapping myself and Professor Holmes for guidance. Each student operated in a highly professional and effective manner throughout the project. I was impressed at project conclusion when the team provided their report and presentation. Having kept me informed throughout the process, I was already prepared for the final results. The final presentation, however, far exceeded not only my expectations, but those of my company’s directors. Moreover, the students had independently identified, and with my approval and guidance, catalyzed an opportunity to establish a business relationship with a world class Yacht company at the NC coast. After seeking the green light from me, a student set up and accompanied me to the meeting AFTER the CTI class had ended. The student even participated in the discussion, adding value to the initial negotiation. I attended the final CTI class in which all projects were presented and anticipate that other sponsors were also pleased with the experience. Needless to say, the experience was fantastic and I hope to have the opportunity to sponsor CTI projects in the future.”

– Dr. William Simendinger, CEO of MicroPhase Coatings, Inc.

"I had the opportunity to sponsor two projects for Professor Holmes' CTI class. One was a patented computer pointing device, and the other was a software-as-a-service offering. Two teams of three students worked on the projects, and I received thorough, insightful reports. Each team held three meetings with me, ranging in time from a half-hour to an hour per meeting -- at the beginning, end, and an interim session. The quality of the work far surpassed my expectation, and was highly professional and insightful. Perhaps the greatest aspect of the projects was the opportunity to work with and mentor the students as they prepare for and embark upon their careers. I highly recommend sponsorship to any company that is involved with innovative technologies or services."

—Gregory S. Hopper, CEO, Netanium Strategic Consulting, LLC

"When I was approached to consider sponsoring a project for Professor Holmes’ CTI class I did not know what to expect since this was the first opportunity I had to participate. It was not clear what level of expectation to have regarding the end product but I have to say I was truly impressed. Much of what the MEM students discovered substantiated some of the work that had been done at RTI. The class participants were able to take small amounts information and turn it into a cohesive, well thought out, applicable plan of action which has now been passed on for implementation. The MEM students were polite and understanding of the scientist’s time constraints, kept me informed of the project’s progress and needed only a small amount of my time to help develop the overall business plan and strategy. Having attended the presentations I thought that the team that supported my project was well prepared for questions and provided clear direction regarding their conclusions. Working with Professor Holmes’ students was an overall pleasant and beneficial experience that I hope to have the opportunity to repeat."

—Chris Sanders, Sales Development and Commercialization Manager, RTI International, Inc.

"I was very impressed with the work that Professor Holmes’ CTI project team performed for my company; Advanced Custom Coatings of Virginia. They completed detailed marketing analysis and IP research for a new custom automotive product line with global potential. Several times in the past few months, I’ve referred to their data points in order to make key business decisions. I’m looking forward to a successful business launch in the near future. Special thanks to Derek Brammer, the team leader, his hard work, dedication, and professionalism."

—Cory Johnson, Advanced Custom Coatings

"My recent experience with Professor Holmes' CTI class was overwhelmingly positive and I would not hesitate to work with future teams. I was impressed with the caliber of the students, their grasp of the complex nanotechnology project and creativity in proposing solutions. This team brought the needed technical and business skills to the problem and as a result ITECS-Innovative was able to fully satisfy the needs of demanding customers in both the private and government sectors. The team knew the right questions to ask and where to go to get the needed data—the market analysis and preliminary business cases were thorough and sound. I would encourage my colleagues to sponsor future teams and to experience first-hand the excitement of working with Professor Holmes and his exceptional students."

—Dr. Denise Barnes, ITECS-Innovative