Jon Soderstrom

Jon Soderstrom is managing director of technology commercialization and faculty innovation at Yale University’s Office of Cooperative Research, responsible for working with leadership and faculty across the university to facilitate, support and enhance the protection, commercial translation, and dissemination of intellectual property developed through Yale research, and for overseeing operations toward that goal. He is also responsible for facilitating a robust ecosystem that supports faculty entrepreneurship.

Dr. Soderstrom has helped form 30 new ventures, including Molecular Staging (acquired by Qiagen), Agilix, Achillion Pharmaceuticals (NASQ: ACHN), PhytoCeutica (acquired by Kadmon), Protometrix (acquired by Invitrogen), Iconic Therapeutics, Applied Spine Technologies, HistoRx (acquired by Genoptix), VaxInnate, Affomix (acquired by Illumina), Kolltan Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Celldex), Arvinas (NASQ: ARVN) and Artizan Bioscience. Collectively, these companies have raised over $750 million in professional venture capital.

Previously, Dr. Soderstrom was the director of program development for Oak Ridge National Laboratory after serving for 10 years as director of technology licensing for Martin Marietta Energy Systems. In the Office of Technology Applications, he directed a group of 10 professionals responsible for negotiating license contracts and cooperative research and development agreements.

Dr. Soderstrom was a founding board member and past president of the Association of Federal Technology Transfer Executives as well as a member of the Licensing Executive Society and Association of University Technology Managers, where he was, in 2008, president and, from 2003 to 2005, vice president for public policy as well as a member of the executive committee of the board of directors. In 2016, he helped create the Academic Venture Exchange, designed to connect highly successful serial entrepreneurs with startup opportunities at major research universities. He is frequently asked to lecture and teach seminars on various aspects of the technology commercialization process and economic development both within the United States and abroad. He has testified before Congress on technology transfer issues and served as an expert witness in several patent infringement litigations and contract disputes.

Dr. Soderstrom received his PhD from Northwestern University in 1980 and his BA from Hope College in 1976.