MaxCyte Founder, President and CEO Doug Doerfler joins BioTalk to discuss his history and the growth of the company. He also shares advice for entrepreneurs

Mr. Doerfler has more than 35 years of experience in the discovery, development, commercialization and international financing of biotechnology products and companies. He was a founder of MaxCyte in July 1998. Previously, Mr. Doerfler was President, CEO and a Director of Immunicon Corporation, a cell-based therapy and diagnostics company. He also held various executive positions with Life Technologies, Inc.(now Thermo Fisher Scientific). Mr. Doerfler plays an active role as a life sciences industry advocate, serving as Chair Emeritus of the MTC and on the executive committee of BIO.

Much of the progress made in healthcare in recent decades stemmed from advancements in biotechnology, but in the years to come, digital technology and artificial intelligence will take over as drivers of innovation.

In its annual Global Innovation Index, released July 24, the UN's World Intellectual Property Organization identified five global trends, all steeped in IT, that will have a significant impact on healthcare.

Underwater ice melt from glaciers could be happening much faster than previously thought, according to new research published in the journal Science. That’s a dangerous finding as melting glaciers linked to climate change threaten to raise sea levels dramatically by the end of the century.

Continuing innovations in health and medicine have led to economic growth and a better quality of life for many around the world. But inequalities could grow rapidly.

Innovation and policies related to it are no longer solely the reserve of wealthy countries, as we have seen in more than a decade of the Global Innovation Index (GII). Innovators in developing economies show the world how to do more with less.

In India (52), for example, one company has found a way to use accessible technology for early diagnosis of a malady that often strikes premature babies and can blind them if not caught in time.

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One of the first harsh realities that every entrepreneur has to learn is that most of the things that are critical to startup success are outside of their direct control. Just because you dream it and build it, doesn’t mean they will come – that encompasses not only customers, but also investors, partners, team members, and even your own family. They won’t come if they don’t trust you.

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Big transitions are fascinating examples of how desperately companies try to hold onto the past; driving by using their rearview mirror. That never works. Case in point, the transition out of the industrial era.

You don’t need me to tell you that we’re living through an era of tremendous transition and disruption for traditional industrial era industries. Tech behemoths such as Amazon and Google have radically altered retail, publishing, and advertising. Uber has decimated cabs, Airbnb is attempting to do the same with hospitality. Amazon has recently set it’s sites on healthcare.

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If you google "definitions of innovation," guess how many references you will get? 177,000,000! That's a whole lot of attempts at defining something most of us want, but can't quite agree on what it actually is. Obviously, there IS no single definition. Like reality, it all depends on the person and their point of view. Still, it's useful coming to terms with what you think it is -- especially if you are about to enter into some kind of "innovation sparking process" with others.

Darden's Entrepreneurship and Ethics Prof Saras D Sarasvathy tells us how the field has changed over 25 years and what her definition of an expert entrepreneur is

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Startup companies often prepare an “investor pitch deck,” which is a slide presentation summary of the company, its team members, the company’s products and technology, and other key information. The investor pitch deck is often used by the startup when trying to raise seed, angel, or venture capital financing.

Switzerland is the world’s most innovative country, followed by Sweden, the United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, according to the 2019 edition of the Global Innovation Index (GII), released July 24.

The index also identified regional leaders: India, South Africa, Chile, Israel and Singapore, while China, Vietnam and Rwanda topped their respective income groups.

Making big operational changes before spinning off assets can be daunting, but our research indicates that doing so can dramatically improve the odds of deal success.

The goal of most executives leading large spinoffs is to establish two (or more) successful and focused companies instead of just selling off noncore assets. Such transactions represent opportunities to create more value for shareholders. Since eBay spun off PayPal in 2015, for instance, PayPal has become one of the largest payments companies in the world and has been able to grow its base of active users, potentially exceeding 300 million accounts by the end of 2019—up from 169 million active accounts in 2015.1

Our favorite highlights from the 2018-2019 Stanford Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders (ETL) series.

Learn key takeaways from a candid exploration into the entrepreneurial journey. Informed leaders share personal stories of the secrets and challenges behind real success in this Stanford video and podcast series.

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This article is one more in a series I call Everything Transformed where I’m highlighting the disruptive forces revolutionizing just about every industry on the planet, including packaging, travel and hospitality, industrial safety, and more. This time it’s healthcare.

It’s no secret. The healthcare industry is going through massive disruption. To some, it’s not fast enough. To others, it’s been too much too fast. Whatever your stance, it’s fair to say healthcare is broken. $3.5 Trillion was spent on healthcare in 2018, roughly 18% of the country’s GDP. Despite this giant investment, the Commonwealth Fund ranked the U.S. dead last in a study of 11 developed nations when ranking the performance of our healthcare system.

NTT Data is calling on start-up businesses around the globe to submit ideas for new technologies that can make the world a better place.

Worldwide, regional contests will be held in 15 cities across 13 countries, where either one or two winner(s) in different business challenges will be chosen. In North America, regional competitions will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia on 29 October, Boston on 8 November, and San Francisco on 21 November. In India, a contest event will be hosted in Bangalore on 9 September 2019.

Nothing happens without a sale. Believe it or not, you’re a salesperson — whether you’re convincing your kids to do their homework, putting your best foot forward for a job interview, or running a business. We asked these sales ninjas and Advisors in The Oracles how to become the best salesperson alive. Here’s what they said.

If you’re getting your news from a smartphone, size matters.

Heart rate variability decreases and changes in sweat are muted when viewing video news content on smaller screens. Both are indications of reduced attentiveness and engagement with content, according to a new study involving researchers at the University of Michigan and Texas A&M University.

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science opens its incubator, Helix 51, creating wet lab and research space for the Illinois bioscience hub. Helix 51 will be the first bioscience incubator in Lake County, IL and will serve the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin region. The 5,400 square-foot institution will house therapeutic, diagnostics, and medical device startups from the area.

From a lone statistician toiling over narrowly defined problems for the marketing department, to a C-level executive overseeing a mission-critical area impacting every function of the company, the meaning of “data and analytics professional” has changed a lot in recent years. A. Charles Thomas’s career has reflected those developments.

The Global Innovation Index 2019 (GII 2019), collated by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), has ranked the Netherlands amongst the global leaders in innovation. The report mentions that even in economic slower times, innovation still thrives. “In developed and developing economies alike, formal innovation—as measured by research and development (R&D) and patents—and less formal modes of innovation are thriving.” According to the GII 2019, Switzerland, Sweden, United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom complete the top five of most innovative nations in the world.

Last year Justin was on the brink of a major life decision: Where should he work after graduation? He had two great offers. The first was a government job in his hometown, a 10-minute bike ride from his apartment. It wouldn’t pay much, but he’d have time to spend with his wife, nephew, and aging parents. The second was a corporate job in the biggest neighboring city. It would pay a lot more, but he’d have to commute four hours a day.