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Kathleen Allen

Kathleen Allen Ph.D.
Professor, Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
Director, USC Technology Commercialization Alliance

As a professor of entrepreneurship at the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, Kathleen Allen has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs realize their dreams to start their first ventures. Dr. Allen is the author of several leading entrepreneurship texts: Bringing New Technology to Market, Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management 3rd Ed., Launching New Ventures, 4th Edition, and Growing and Managing a Small Business, 2nd Ed.. She is also the author of several trade books. Allen's research has focused on start-up and rapidly growing technology ventures.

Allen is also the Director of the USC Marshall Center for Technology Commercialization. The CTC focuses on assisting faculty researchers and students from science, engineering, and medicine to commercialize the technologies they develop at USC, and it provides a real-world learning environment for students who work on commercialization teams with inventors. At a national level, Allen is President of the National Network for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (N2TEC) Institute, which she co-founded and which is dedicated to bringing the wealth creation process through technology innovation and entrepreneurship to rural America. The N2TEC collaboration of universities, industry, and government is encouraging and supporting the development of High Performance Regions. Its pilot project is in the Black Hills of South Dakota where the N2TEC team is working with state officials to develop a technology corridor around an NSF designated federal deep underground scientific laboratory.

As an entrepreneur, Allen was involved in commercial real estate development for 10 years, owning two successful businesses, and more recently co-founded two high technology ventures, one of which has been sold. She sits on the boards of directors of a medical technology venture, an independent publishing house, and a NYSE company. She is regularly called upon to speak about technology commercialization issues and entrepreneurship in both large and small companies.

Publications

Allen, K. Growing and Managing a Small Business, 2nd Ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007.

Allen, K. “Bringing Technology to Market: A Macro View of Technology Transfer and Commercialization,” In Burke, A.E. (Ed.) Modern Perspectives on Entrepreneurship. Dublin: Senate Hall Academic Publishing, 2006.

Allen, K. Launching New Ventures, 4th Ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

Allen, K. and Meyer, E.. Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006

Allen, K. and Taylor, C. “Bringing Engineering Research to Market: How a Network of Universities, Industry, and Government are Attempting to Solve the Problem,” Engineering Management Journal, September 2005.

Allen, K., and Stearns, T. “Technology Entrepreneurs.” In Handbook of Entrepreneurial Dynamics. Sage Publications, 2004.

Launching New Ventures 3rd Ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003

Bringing New Technology to Market, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003

"Six for Success in a Down Economy, Boeing CEO Newsletter, May, 2003.

“Creating New Value Through Effective IP Management,” Leader to Leader, New York: The Drucker Foundation. December, 2002.

“Nascent High-Tech Entrepreneurs: The Who, Where, When, and Why,” with Timothy Stearns, In Advances in the Study of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Growth. Volume 14, Issues in Entrepreneurship: Contracts, Corporate, Characteristics, and Country Differences. Amsterdam: JAI/Elsevier, Pub. Date Early 2003.

Entrepreneurship for Dummies. Chicago: IDG Books, 2001

The eBusiness Technology Kit for Dummies. With co-author Jon Weisner. Chicago: IDG Books, 2001.

"The Foundations of High Technology Start-ups," (2000) with co-author Timothy Stearns. Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research. Wellesley, MA: Kaufmann Foundation/Babson College.

The Complete MBA for Dummies. With co-author Peter Economy. Chicago: IDG Books. 2000

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management,2nd Ed. With E. Meyer. Chicago: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2000

"The Use of Technology as a Competitive Strategy in High Growth, Entrepreneurial Companies." With Dennis P. Slevin, University of Pittsburgh. Presented at 1999 Kauffman-Babson Entrepreneurial Research Conference, Columbia SC, May 11, 1999.

Managing a Growing Business. New York Times Pocket MBA Series. New York: Lebhar-Friedman Publishing, 2000. (Pub. Date, Nov. 1999).

Growing and Managing an Entrepreneurial Business. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999.

Launching New Ventures, 2nd Edition, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999

"The Use of Technology as a Competitive Strategy in High Growth, Entrepreneurial Companies." With Dennis P. Slevin, University of Pittsburgh. Presented at 1999 Kauffman-Babson Entrepreneurial Research Conference, Columbia SC, May 11, 1999.

"Technology: A Competitive Advantage for Entrepreneurs," Marshall, Spring, 1999. p. 32.

Tips and Traps for Entrepreneurs, With Courtney Price. McGraw-Hill, 1998

"Technology: the Competitive Asset," SmallBiz. Microsoft Corporation, 1998

The Enterprising Woman (1997), Mari Florence, "Kathleen Allen: Woman on the Way," p. 141-2.

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Speeches and Presentations

"Entrepreneurship Education: a Vital Part of Career Preparation in the Ag and Life Sciences," Keynote. 3rd Annual Agricultural Entrepreneurship Insitute, Ames, IA, September 17, 2007.

"Your Second Act: Finding Your Passion," Keynote. Genesis for Innovation Forum, Rapid City, SD, June 15, 2007.

"Bringing Ideas to Market," Pacific Community Ventures CEO Forum, San Francisco, CA, March 29, 2007

“Integrating Entrepreneurship into the Curriculum,” University of Iowa, Ames Iowa, October 19, 2006.

“Building High Performance Regions,” National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers, Cincinnati, Ohio, October 13, 2006.

“So Many Ideas, So Little Time.” Pacific Community Ventures CEO Forum, Los Angeles, September 14, 2006.

“Enhancing the Wealth Creation Process Through Technology Entrepreneurship,” SD School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota, May 22, 2006.

“Building High Performance Communities Through Technology Entrepreneurship,” NCIIA Conference Speech, March 2006.

"Building a High Performance Region in New Zealand: Enhancing the Wealth Creation Process Through Technology Entrepreneurship," Workshop Leader, Auckland, New Zealand, February 7, 2006.

"Why Entrepreneurship?" Keynote Speech, AGSE-IREX 2006 International Research Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, February 8, 2006.

"Prosperity Through Innovation," Keynote Speech. EPSCoR Conference, Brookings, SD, September 8, 2005.

" Effective Technology Commercialization," Programa Desarrollo de Negocios de Base Technologia EGADE Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico, July 22, 2005.

"Entrepreneurial Networks and Structural Holes: How Value is Created," Babson-Kauffmann Entrepreneurship Research Conference, Boston, June 10, 2005.

"The Technology Scholars Program and Graduate Commercialization Assistants: Experiments in Dynamic Learning," with Cyrus Taylor Ph.D. NCIIA, San Diego, March 18m 2005.

"The Entrepreneurial Mindset: How to Think Like an Entrepreneur," Healthcare Financial Management Association, San Diego, March 4, 2005.

“Business Concept Development,” “Technology Commercialization,” “Feasibility Analysis,” “Raising Capital,” Techno-Entrepreneur Training Program, sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Los Angeles, December, 2004.

“One in One Million: Life as an Entrepreneur,” USC Alumni Association, November 11, 2004.

"Why Entrepreneurship Matters." Keynote Speech, University of Maryland Tech Enterprise Institute, October, 2004.

"Building an Entrepreneurial Culture." Keynote Speech, Governor's 2010 Inititative, Rapid City, South Dakota.

"Stimulating an Entrepreneurial Mindset." Keynote Speech, Rotary International, Pasadena, CA, March 2004.

“When Technology is the Company’s Product: Finding the Right Markets,” Keynote Speech, Invention to Venture Symposium, California State University, Fresno, May 1, 2004.

"Finding the Right Markets." Keynote Speech, University of Texas, Austin, January, 2004.

"Technology Commercialization at USC." LA Venture Association, January, 2004.

"The Environment for Technology Commercialization." Case Western Reserve University, October 2003.

"Technology Spin-offs from Pacific Rim Universities," Babson Entrepreneurship Research Conference presentation, June 2003.

"Six Tips for Success in a Down Economy," USC Alumni Organization, April 28, 2003, Seattle, WA.

"The Promise of Entrepreneurship," Thomas Colloquium, April 22, 2003, Youngstown, Ohio.

"N2TEC: Raising the Level of Commercialization in the U.S." American Physical Society, March 6, 2003, Austin, TX.

"The USC Technology Commercialization Alliance:Paving the Way to Commercialization," Stanford Roundtable for Entrepreneurship Educators, October 23, 2002.

"Smoothing the Path to Innovation and Commercialization," USC-Engineering Tech Transfer Conference, September 2002, San Diego, CA.

“Nascent High-Tech Entrepreneurs: Who are They and How Have They Done One Year Later?” Babson-Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneurship Research Conference, June, 2002.

”The Technology Commercialization Alliance,” KCOM: Keck Biotech Entrepreneurs Group, Cell Matrix, HSC, October 15, 2001.

”Bridging the Gap Between CTO and CEO,” The CTO Forum: Industrial Research Institute, San Jose, CA, October 27 , 2001.

”Technology Commercialization Efforts at the University of Southern California,” Roundtable for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education. Stanford University, October 25-26, 2001.

“Status of Research on Nascent High Tech Entrepreneurs,” Kaufman Foundation, Kansas City, MO. July 20, 2001.

“The State of Technology Careers,” Bioscope, Health Sciences Campus, April, 2001

“The Impact of the New Economy on the Total Business Enterprise,“ Prentice Hall Entrepreneurship for Accountants workshop. March 30, 2001.

“Commercialization and Virtual Incubators: the Case at USC,” National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance, Washington DC, March, 2001.

"Opportunity Assessment and Feasibility Analysis," NCIIA, Washington DC, March 9, 2001.

“The Entrepreneurial Mindset in a Large Corporation,” Embedded Systems Executive Summit, February 7, 2001, Carlsbad, CA.

“USC’s Virtual Incubator,” United States Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship. Orlando, FL, January ,2001.

Featured Speaker: “The Entrepreneurial Mindset in a Large Corporation,” Embedded Systems Executive Summit, February 7, 2001, Carlsbad, CA.

"Virtual Incubators" United States Association of Small Business Entrepreneurs, Orlando FL, January 9, 2001.

Business Week Online, October 4, 2001. “More than an Academic Consideration,” on the role of faculty researchers and conflict of interest.

Business Week Online, August 9, 2001, “Sweating the Details in the Gym Business,” on forecasting sales in a new business.

Business Week Online, July 31, 2001, “Too Many Pieces of the Action?” on the problem of taking on investors in early stage ventures.

Business Week Online, A Little of Something Beats All of Nothing,” May 8, 2001, on the importance of the founding team to investors.

Seminar Speaker: "Como Elaborar un Plan de Negocios de Clase Mundial para un Negocio Digital," Entrepreneurship Workshop 2000. Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Buenos Aires, Argentina, September 14-15, 2000.
http://www.utdt.edu/departamentos/empresarial/cebv/e-workshop2000.htm

Business Week Online, October 4, 2001. “More than an Academic Consideration,” on the role of faculty researchers and conflict of interest.

Business Week Online, August 9, 2001, “Sweating the Details in the Gym Business,” on forecasting sales in a new business.

Business Week Online, July 31, 2001, “Too Many Pieces of the Action?” on the problem of taking on investors in early stage ventures.

Business Week Online, A Little of Something Beats All of Nothing,” May 8, 2001, on the importance of the founding team to investors.

Featured Speaker: "The Foundations of High Technology Start-ups." Entrepreneurship Conference 2000, Universidad Torcuato di Tella, Buenos Aires, Argentina, September 13, 2000. http://www.utdt.edu/departamentos/empresarial/cebv/ec-2000.htm

Keynote Speaker: "Technology as a Strategic Asset in Banking." Independent Assembly of Bank Directors, The Southwestern Graduate School of Banking, Colorado Springs, CO, Sept 3, 2000.

Featured Speaker: "e-Commerce Opportunities in Banking." Independent Assembly of Bank Directors, The Southwestern Graduate School of Banking, Colorado Springs, CO, Sept 4, 2000.

Keynote Speaker: "Overcoming Barriers to Technology in Small Businesses." Microsoft Global Summit, Atlanta, July 20, 2000.

Speaker: "Teaching Entrepreneurship to Technical Students," NCIIA Conference, Washington, DC, March, 2000.

Featured Speaker: “Business 2000: Entrepreneurial Opportunities in an E-Commerce World,” Davidson Conference Center, USC. December 10, 1999.

Featured as Case Analyst. "Here's the Problem," Michael Selz, Wall Street Journal, September, 27, 1999.

Workshop: "Creating Business Plans for High Technology Ventures." With Tom O'Malia. USC School of Engineering Faculty. July 30, 1999.

Presentation: ”The Greif Center Entrepreneurship Program: Looking to the New Millennium." USASBE, San Diego, January 1999.

Featured in Business Start-ups, "Loser Chic," Jeffrey Shuman & David Rottenberg, February 1999, pg. 31.

Workshop: "From Idea to Opportunity," USC Engineering School Faculty, March, 1999.

Featured Speaker, "LA Times Small Business Strategies Conference," October 18, 1998.

Featured Speaker, "Small Business: Competing in a Connected World," Microsoft/USC conference, April 27, 1998.

Chairperson: The 1998 Product and Process Leadership Week Conference-Competitive Strategies for Product Development Entrepreneurs. April 17, 1998.

Featured in Business Asset, "Put Marketing in the Plan," Eric Gunn, Spring, 1998, p. 24.

Featured in Success Magazine, "Transform Your Business," Don Wallace, September, 1997, p. 59-64.

Featured in Los Angeles Times, Business, "Relative Distance," Jesus Sanchez, August 23, 1997

Featured Speaker, Microsoft Global Summit, Orlando FLA, July 29, 1997, "Thinking Like a Small Business Owner to Provide Technology Solutions."

National Spokesperson, Microsoft/Success Magazine National Media Tour for Small Business Technology Makeover Campaign, March, 1997.

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Professional Activities

Academy of Management
American Society of Engineering Educators (ASEE)
National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA)

Principal Investigator: National Science Foundation-Partners-for-Innovation Project: N2TEC
Editorial Review Board (1997-present) Journal of Small Business Management
Reviewer (2000-present) MIT Sloan Management Review
Reviewer (1994-present) Journal of Business Venturing
Reviewer (1994-present) Entrepreneurship, Theory and Practice
Editorial Review Board (1993-1997) Upstart/Dearborn Publishing Company.

Director: USC/Microsoft Small Business Technology Research Project 1998-2000

National Spokesperson for Microsoft Office 97 Small Business Edition Campaign (March-June, 1997): National media tour to promote the use of technology in small business.

Project Developer and Director (1991-1994). USC Marketplace in the Schools, a national secondary educational program in economics and entrepreneurship.

Consultant to Community for Education Foundation (1993/4). Developed curriculum and provided on-site direction for an entrepreneurship center at Manual Arts High School in conjunction with the Community for Education Foundation.

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