After years of helping innovators through the often challenging process of reorienting themselves from a product- or technology-centric perspective to a customer-centric one, I wanted to give back to the entrepreneurial community. As a graduate of UW what better way than to volunteer as a CoMotion mentor. Since 2022 I’ve had the opportunity to participate in the I-Corps program and Innovation Gap Fund, working with talented academics seeking a commercial path for their inventions, supported by the highly competent CoMotion staff. A true highlight has been meeting and getting to know fellow mentors, a veritable brain trust of business, industry, and startup experience wanting nothing more than to help founders bring their ideas to life.

I’ve had the opportunity to work on so many interesting projects through CoMotion, it’s hard to pick a favorite. What has made projects favorite for me is the potential impact they can have on people’s lives. For example: a new test to predict life-threatening preeclampsia in the 5% of pregnancies that suffer from this condition, a technology that helps prosthesis wearers avoid the pain of ill-fitting prosthetic devices, a device that can easily and inexpensively provide early detection of gastric cancer, an online tool to help emergency physicians more accurately diagnose chest pain. Working with the dedicated innovators on projects like these always reinforces my optimism that any problem can be solved.

I enjoy hiking, reading, exploring scientific topics, attempting to perfect crafts from bagels to beermaking, and the generally easier pace of life that comes with retirement!