David has been managing the commercialization of academic research, inventions and Intellectual Property (IP) for over a decade at the University of Guelph. He also coaches faculty and graduate students on creating start-up companies through their New Venture Creation division in the Office of Research Innovation . David is a licensed mechanical engineer and veterinarian in Ontario, did research in comparative pathology at UofG and has founded several small start-up companies. Prior to joining the university, David held several positions in the pharmaceutical industry with Johnson & Johnson, did consulting, and was a veterinarian assisting both the UK and Canadian governments with foreign animal disease outbreaks. David has helped hundreds of academic faculty move their research & IP from the lab into the real world to create more impact. David is not a lawyer, nor a patent agent – only a long-term practitioner and user of IP tools in an academic environment trying to support public innovation and economic development for Canada. David has a wife and three kids and he loves to canoe in the back country.