UK to Celebrate Its Innovators, Entrepreneurs at Entrepreneur Showcase and 'Patent Palooza!'

The University of Kentucky Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) will host its second annual UK Entrepreneur Showcase and its fourth annual "Patent Palooza!" Tuesday, March 24, in the Gatton Student Center. The Entrepreneur Showcase will be held 2:30-4:30 p.m., in Ballroom 212C, and "Patent Palooza!" will follow from 4-6 p.m., in Ballroom 212A.

The UK Entrepreneur Showcase is a partnership between OTC and the Alumni Association/Philanthropy and offers an opportunity for the UK community to learn about the innovative projects of UK faculty, alumni and students. This year’s program will highlight talented faculty innovators, alumni entrepreneurs and student researchers/entrepreneurs. The keynote speakers, Elaine and Myron Jacobson, will receive the Lee T. Todd Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship.

“Our annual UK Entrepreneur Showcase is a celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit that is alive and well at UK, from students to faculty and staff, to alumni," said Ian McClure, executive director of OTC. "It is a chance to bring successful alumni back to share the wealth of experience that the network has to offer and to directly connect them with and show them the impressive talents and technologies of our students and faculty entrepreneurs. Creating this culmination of entrepreneurial spirit really highlights what UK innovation is all about."

Register here for the UK Entrepreneur Showcase.

Each year at "Patent Palooza!," OTC provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate UK’s innovators, entrepreneurs and startups for their breakthrough discoveries and commercialization successes. During this year’s event focused on fiscal year 2019, UK innovators who received patents and/or successful commercialization deals, recipients of SBIR/STTR awards, graduates of UKAccel and new members of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) will be recognized and honored. The event will also offer food and opportunities to network.

“'Patent Palooza!' is our annual flagship celebration of UK innovation, and we are excited to bring the fourth installment to the UK and Lexington community," McClure said. "We will recognize new patents, commercialization deals, startup successes and other instances that show off the incredible potential of UK research and innovation. We will award over 50 innovators this year, and especially recognize a new honorary member of our UK chapter for the National Academy of Inventors. You won’t want to miss it!” 

Register here for "Patent Palooza!"

The Office of Technology Commercialization is the technology transfer office for the University of Kentucky. The core mission of the OTC is to advance innovations that make a difference.