Vermont Small Business Development Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Rutherford to the position of part-time Advisor for its FAST Technology Commercialization Program. In this position he will be working with Vermont’s small businesses, colleges and universities to help strengthen their technology readiness and deepen VtSBDC’s relationships with young entrepreneurs.
The results of this technology readiness will play a positive role in keeping Vermont’s young people in the state after high school and college while encouraging them to start and grow successful businesses in Vermont. This program is designed to deliver the following activities:
One-On-One commercialization advising to Vermont-based businesses and young entrepreneurs in our academic institutions
One-On-One SBIR/STTR advising and helping new applicants and previous awardees with grant applications
Staff and partner professional development and training in technology commercialization
Rutherford comes to VtSBDC following a 35-year career as a consultant in technology commercialization and management for industry, government, national laboratories and high growth companies. Among his many assignments was a five-year project with NASA’s Northeastern States Technology Commercialization Group that focused on the transfer of NASA developed technology to private sector companies.
Since moving to Vermont in 1991 he has been active in the development of early-stage companies in the technology sector. He was one of the original founders of the Vermont Investors Forum in 1992, which matched investors with local emerging companies seeking financing at a time when little or no support was available for start-up companies in the northeast, outside of the Boston area. In his new role at VtSBDC he will be in a position to bring this wealth of experience and industry contacts to work for the benefit of Vermont-based companies. This will help them grow, prosper and remain in the State.