1. Partnerships for Tech Commercialization
Pipeline by Student Startups:
The EcoTech Example
Todd A. Watkins, Director
Baker Institute
for Entrepreneurship, Creativity & Innovation

2. Lehigh University in Brief
• Bethlehem, PA
• Carnegie Research II Doctoral
• Private, East Coast
• Founded 1865
• ~4800 UG, ~2200 Grad
• ~465 FT faculty
• 4 Colleges
– Arts & Sciences (~ 38% of u.g)
– Engineering (~ 30%)
– Business & Economics (~ 29%)
– Education (grad only)
• Tuition ~$39K; mean aid ~50%
• Admit rate 2009: 32.7%
• SAT inter-Q: 610-710V 650-740M

5. “Garage”
Thalheimer Student Start-up
Student Entrepreneurs Competition Incubator Wilbur
Powerhouse
Lehigh Entrepreneurs Network Innovation & Entrep.
Infrastructure Leadership Residency
L. Pool Memorial Scholarships & Other Related Office of Student
for Entrepreneurship Leadership
Courses Development
Levin Advanced Technology
Entrepreneurship Competition
Integrated
Product
Entrepreneurial Interns Program Entrepreneurship Development Computer Science
Minor & Business
Iaccoca Institute VENTURESeries Integrated
Professional Education Seminars Executive Certificate Educational Business &
MBA Corporate Programs Engineering
Small Business Counseling
Entrepreneurship
IDEAS
Community Consulting Practicum
PA School for Global
The Business of Life Science Entrepreneurship
Ben Franklin
Leadership Breakfast Series PA Governor’s Baker Institute for Technology
Institute for Personal Entrepreneurship, Creativity & Partners Keystone
Finance & Entre- Innovation Innovation
Development & Marketing Zone
of New Products preneurial Education Manufacturers Resource
Center
Related
Integrated Real Organizations SBDC
Bioengineering Capstone Design Office of Technology
Estate
Transfer &
Opportunities for Student Innovation Commercialization
International Social Entrepreneurship
Design Minor &
Design Majors Center for Advanced LEHIGH
Materials & Nanotech Entrepreneurship
Production & Marketing of Community Center for
Sound Recordings Fellows Optical Technologies
Martindale Center for the Study Global Village
Life Sciences
of Private Enterprise Greenhouse
Leadership
Microfinance Lehigh Enterprise
Systems
ArtsLehigh Center
Business 1
Business Minor

8. EcoTech Marine
Systems for Reef
Aquariums
~$5M annual revenue
• IPD Entrp. Project
• Thalheimer Winner
• NCIIA Natl. Winner
• Garage Incubator
• VENTURESeries
• L. Pool Scholar
• KIZ Funding
• ESC-Agile PA
• Ben Franklin Tech
• MRC, BEDCO
• IPD Sponsor
National • Nanotech Center
Winner • PSGE & ILR mentor

9. Thalheimer “Garage” Student Start-up Incubator
Student Entrepreneurs Competition
Wilbur Powerhouse
Lehigh Entrepreneurs Network Infrastructure Innovation & Entrep.
L. Pool Memorial Scholarships & Other Related Leadership Residency
Office of Student
for Entrepreneurship Courses Leadership
Levin Advanced Technology Integrated Development
Entrepreneurship Competition IPD SPONSOR Product
Entrepreneurial Interns Program Entrepreneurship Development Computer Science
Minor & Business
Iaccoca Institute VENTURESeries Integrated
Professional Education Seminars
Executive Certificate Educational Business &
MBA Corporate Programs Engineering
Small Business Counseling
Entrepreneurship
IDEAS
Community Consulting Practicum
PA School for Global
The Business of Life Science Entrepreneurship Ben Franklin
Baker Institute for
Technology
Leadership Breakfast Series PA Governor’s
Entrepreneurship, Creativity & Partners
Keystone
Institute for Personal
Development & Marketing Finance & Entre- Innovation Innovation
of New Products preneurial Education Manufacturers Resource Related Zone
Integrated Real
Center Organizations SBDC
Bioengineering Capstone Design Office of Technology
Estate
Transfer &
Opportunities for Student Innovation Commercialization
Design Minor &
Design MajorsCenter for Advanced LEHIGH
Materials & NanotechEntrepreneurship
International Social Entrepreneurship
Production & Marketing of Community Center for
Sound Recordings Fellows Optical Technologies
3 Time Martindale Center for the Study Global Village Life Sciences
of Private Enterprise
National Leadership Greenhouse
Grant Winner
Microfinance Lehigh Enterprise
ArtsLehigh
Business 1 Systems Center
Business Minor

10. Wilbur Powerhouse

11. Wilbur Powerhouse: Renovated Entirely
to Support Student Innovation & Entrep.

12. Thalheimer “Garage” Student Start-up Incubator
Student Entrepreneurs Competition
Wilbur Powerhouse
Lehigh Entrepreneurs Network Infrastructure Innovation & Entrep.
L. Pool Memorial Scholarships & Other Related Leadership Residency
Office of Student
for Entrepreneurship Courses Leadership
Levin Advanced Technology Integrated Development
Entrepreneurship Competition IPD SPONSOR Product
Entrepreneurial Interns Program Entrepreneurship Development Computer Science
Minor & Business
Iaccoca Institute VENTURESeries Integrated
Professional Education Seminars
Executive Certificate Educational Business &
MBA Corporate Programs Engineering
Small Business Counseling
Entrepreneurship
IDEAS
Community Consulting Practicum
PA School for Global
The Business of Life Science Entrepreneurship Ben Franklin
Baker Institute for
Technology
Leadership Breakfast Series PA Governor’s
Entrepreneurship, Creativity & Partners
Keystone
Institute for Personal
Development & Marketing Finance & Entre- Innovation Innovation
of New Products preneurial Education Manufacturers Resource Related Zone
Integrated Real
Center Organizations SBDC
Bioengineering Capstone Design Office of Technology
Estate
Transfer &
Opportunities for Student Innovation Commercialization
Design Minor &
Design MajorsCenter for Advanced LEHIGH
Materials & NanotechEntrepreneurship
International Social Entrepreneurship
Production & Marketing of Community Center for
Sound Recordings Fellows Optical Technologies
3 Time Martindale Center for the Study Global Village Life Sciences
of Private Enterprise
National Leadership Greenhouse
Grant Winner
Microfinance Lehigh Enterprise
ArtsLehigh
Business 1 Systems Center
Business Minor

13. State Economic Development @ Lehigh
• Ben Franklin Technology Partners
• Manufacturers Resource Center
• Small Business Development Center
• Pennsylvania Infrastructure
Technology Alliance (PITA) PITA
• Office of Technology Transfer

14. Keystone Innovation Zone Partners
Lehigh University SBDC

15. Financial & Technical Assistance
from Regional ED Partners
• Bethlehem’s Department of Economic Development
– assistance and two loans ($45K and $60K), the latest in 7/08.
• South Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ)
– two $15K grants and additional funding to support Lehigh student interns.
– One KIZ eventually got hired full time
– Locating in the KIZ enabled several hundred $K R&D tax credits.
• Lehigh’s Manufacturers Resource Center
– assistance w/ manufacturing processes, financial management and supply chain management,
including 15% financial match on numerous projects.
• Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern PA, a Lehigh subsidiary
– A loan in 2007 and grant in 2008 totaling $80K.
• Pennsylvania Infrastructure Alliance (PITA), a PA DCED-funded collaboration
between Lehigh & Carnegie Mellon
– Two grants totaling $60K, the latest 1/09.
• Agile Manufacturing program of Lehigh’s Enterprise Systems Center:
– two grants totaling $18K, the latest 6/08, for enhancing manufacturing processes.
• Four US SBA loans through First Star Savings Bank, a Lehigh Valley community
bank since 1893
– totaling $450,000, the latest 8/08.
• Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC)
– connections to resources in the region,
– helped find & finance a refurbished firehouse to locate operations, within walking distance of the
brownfield remnants of Bethlehem Steel, in the urban core in south Bethlehem.

16. EcoTech’s Awards & Recognition
• Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Companies in the US, 2010
• Newsweek List of 10 “College Kid to Millionaire”, 2010
• Winner, NEP Ben Franklin Innovation Award for Product Innovation, 2008
• Winner, Eastern PA Business Journal’s Next Level Challenge competition, 2008
• Winner, Lehigh University Entrepreneurs Network and Southside Keystone
Innovation Zone Next STEP Award for Student Entrepreneurial Company of the
Year, 2006
• Winner of new product innovation national E-Team awards from the National
Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) for three separate products
2003, 2005 and 2007
• Selected as one of 15 student startups nationally to participate in the March
Madness for the Mind
– National showcase of student innovators at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, CA, 2004.
– After the event EcoTech sold it first volume order, 600 units to a CA distributor.
• Winner of the Lehigh Invitation to Innovate student entrepreneurs competition,
2003
• Awarded Lehigh’s Leonard Pool Scholarship for excellence in entrepreneurship,
2003

17. America’s Top 25
Best Young Entrepreneurs 2010

18. Current Student Startup
In Residence in Garage Incubator
• IPD Entrp. Project
• Thalheimer Winner
• Levin Advanced
Technology Winner
• NCIIA National Winner
• Garage Incubator
• VENTURESeries
• Innovation & Leadership
Residency
• KIZ Funding
• 2010 March Madness for National
the Mind Winner
• Venture Well East 2010
• IPD Sponsor
• PSGE Mentor
America’s Top 25 Best Young Entrepreneurs 2010

19. Example
Student Entrepreneurial Start-Up
hField Technologies, Inc
IBE Freshman Workshop
ENTP 312 & IBE Capstone
Thalheimer Competition Winner
Powerhouse Garage Incubator
PA State KIZ Grant, Agile PA Grant
Ben Franklin Grant & Incubator

20. Example Recent Lehigh U.
UG Student Startups
Tech Startups Services
• Viddler.com • Lehigh Valley Grand
Prix
• Orion Security LSP
National • Vital Conversions
Winner • MPlug
• Gigmax.com Fashion
• hField Technologies • Simply-Anti Apparel
• EcoTech Marine • George Guest Ltd.
National
Winner • Kitchen • Hillary Caroline Jewelry
Conveniences
National
• Lifeserve NGOs
Winner Innovations • Soccer without Borders
• Jamii Water

21. Soccer Without Borders
• Ben Gucciardi ’05, G’06
Founding Director
• Lehigh soccer team captain
• Mission: “Soccer as vehicle
for positive change in the
lives of marginalized youth”
• Winner 2005-06 Lehigh
Student Social
Entrepreneurship
Competition
• Now worldwide programs
• Lehigh Entrepreneur in
Residence Spring 2008