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"TI:GER provides a solid dependable team, an extremely structured academic framework and super well connected and experienced network to make things happen. This program was the single most awesome experience in my entire educational experience till date."

"TI:GER was a great help in navigating the university commercialization process, identifying and attracting the people we needed to get on board to make it happen, and understanding intellectual property issues."

“Working with CDL has been a unique experience because I have been able to sit in on large group sessions and watch how each venture presents ideas and addresses issues and in real-time. I am learning what process work in selecting successful ventures. Even if I don't start my own company or work with a start-up, the knowledge of how to be successful in the early stage of a venture is extremely beneficial for any strategy role.”

"One of the biggest benefits of TI:GER is the interdisciplinary nature of the teams. In my product management role I interact with marketing, sales, legal, and technical teams developing new products and initiatives. The intellectual property aspect of TI:GER provides a great foundation for my involvement in the patent inventory of my business unit."

“Working with CDL through the TI:GER program has been an incredible experience amid the Covid-19 pandemic. I’m nearing the end of my MBA journey and this experience is one that has had profound impact on me professionally and personally. We are all living history right now, and the opportunity to actively contribute to public health and economic recovery efforts through CDL is something that a traditional classroom or a case study simply can’t capture. The CDL staff, mentors, and intake process, as well as the startups that participate, are a proof positive that the business world can be nimble – and thoughtful – in creating, applying, and managing innovation in an ever-changing world.”

"I am grateful for the invaluable experiences I gained from the TI:GER program. The program provided a multidisciplinary approach to technology innovation and commercialization.  In addition to learning from the lectures which covered topics ranging from Intellectual Property Law to Marketing Strategy tools, I also learned from my TI:GER classmates. My classmates were law students, PhD students, and MBAs. We shared our professional experiences and built skills together. The hands-on projects of TI:GER have significantly enhanced my resumé. I participated in consulting projects and the development of a commercialization plan for a PhD candidate. The TI:GER program is the highlight of my Scheller experience."

"The TI:GER program has given me valuable experience in real-life market research and the requirements for successful technology innovation. I also developed lifelong friendships with my team which taught me how to work with diversity and difference. I used the TI:GER experience in Amazon's interview and successfully landed the Senior Product Manager position. I am excited to apply what I learned from TI:GER in launching useful and impactful products in my next role at Amazon." 

"I started my company while enrolled in TI:GER. Through the program I connected with some of the brightest minds in the local technology scene. I raised my first seed round through these TI:GER connections which accelerated the growth of my company."

“TI:GER helped me transition my career into consulting. It helped me build core consulting skills for my success, including team management, project delivery and persuasive communication.” 

"In my job search, the TI:GER experience really helped me stand out from the pack. The firm I work for likes an entrepreneurial mindset in its consultants. TI:GER gave me deep understanding of how to get a startup business off the ground and what obstacles you might face."

"With a lifelong goal of developing a career around technology commercialization, TI:GER is literally the reason attended Emory Law.  The TI:GER program delivered and exceeded my expectations, by providing me with not only practical knowledge that greatly benefits my work in intellectual property and technology currently, but also an incredible network of alumni and faculty with whom I stay in touch to this day."

"The exciting part about TI:GER for me is that it extends beyond school. I know that I will use what I have learned in TI:GER as I explore entrepreneurship in my career."

"As a full time entrepreneur during the program, the TI:GER program helped to familiarize me with the fundraising process and strategies to employ during our own seed round."

“The CDL experience has been an opportunity to apply my growing MBA skill set, including my TI:GER studies, to directly support a response to an urgent and global health crisis.” 

"My interactions with the CDL program have already helped me in my career by seeing and learning how to start a business in the health care sector and how to use the essential toolset needed to take an invention and turn it into an innovation – ultimately witnessing a ‘bench to bedside’ technology innovation process to create a successful business.”

"TI:GER is a rare opportunity to work with complex technologies in their infancy, and build out a robust commercialization plan from the ground up.  The program imposes all the real world challenges facing entrepreneurs, and paints an accurate portrait of what it takes to lead a new venture.  I experienced first-hand what it's like to transform a lab experiment into a product, identify viable market opportunities, garner feedback from interview industry leaders and customers, and design a funding strategy to launch and grow the business.  In addition to all the skills gained, the experience serves as a poignant conversation piece that any business professional or potential employer will admire."

"TI:GER opened doors to the entire Atlanta tech ecosystem.  I still leverage the connections with business insiders that I made during the program."

"The ability to work on cross-functional teams is on every major company's radar.  That's exactly the type of hands-on experience TI:GER offers.  I can't even count how many times I brought up TI:GER during my interviews!" 

“The TI:GER Program has continued to benefit me in a variety of business roles since I graduated in 2011. The core technology innovation concepts that are taught in the courses, industry projects, and business plan competitions will add value to each graduate student and allow them to stand out from their peers in the job market and future careers. TI:GER uniquely combines faculty experts, team projects, successful entrepreneurs and investors, and real-world applications to give students a broad understanding of technology innovation and business impact. Whether you’re looking to start a new venture or bring a fresh, strategic approach to an established Company, the TI:GER program will teach you the path to make it happen.”

"TI:GER was the highlight of my MBA experience!  TI:GER's combination of class, experiences, and the mentors you get to interact with helped lay the foundation for success in the start up world!" 

"TIGER is an incredible opportunity if you are looking to build a career commercializing new technology. As a Product Manager in technology and digital media, I leverage learnings from TIGER every day. I built lasting relationships and strengthened my communication skills working so closely with my classmates."

“Working with the Creative Destruction Lab through the Global Technology Innovation Practicum has been an experience unlike any other at Scheller. Every week, I have the opportunity to work closely and cooperatively with founders, mentors, and other MBA students from across the globe to help the growth and success of a biotech startup working on a therapeutic treatment for COVID-19. Everything I’ve learned to this point at Scheller has been tested, broadened, and amplified by CDL. It’s exciting to be a part of a program where you can see the tangible impact of your contributions on such an explosive scale.”

“Through real world applications and direct support of local and global companies, TI:GER provided me with the right skillset and experience to successfully launch my career into the consulting industry.”

“Participating in CDL Recovery has been a great educational opportunity to learn from experienced entrepreneurs, executives, and government officials on how to approach developing an innovation and bringing it to the market so it provides value to society. The experience has also been inspiring as it has opened my eyes to all the unique ways ventures are trying to provide relief from COVID-19 through their innovations. At the end of my time in this stream, I will have applied more of my business knowledge and learnings to a real-life, time-critical scenario than I have in the past and that hands-on experience will prove extremely valuable as I navigate future business challenges in my career.”

"TI:GER armed me with the mental models and frameworks to pursue and excel in a career within corporate venture capital. I’ve found a new love for evaluating and advising startups because of the high technology and innovation fundamentals I gained from TI:GER."

"TI:GER helped me develop my startup, NanoCliq, an early-stage vaccine company. I gained all the tools necessary and joined my startup team through the TI:GER program."

"I not only learned to collaborate with PhD, JD, and MBA students but I also made lifelong friendships. I was always passionate about working in an intrapreneurial environment, and TI:GER taught me how to develop a startup, design and develop a product, and talk to decision makers to obtain the required funding and approvals to transform my visions into reality."

"TIGER gave me hands-on, practical experience dealing with the unique, complex challenges that teams encounter when bringing cutting edge technology to market. My experiences in this class shaped the way I think about business strategy, marketing, pricing, product development, and innovation in general. The skills I developed in this course helped me excel in my internship and I have no doubt that they'll be useful throughout the remainder of my career."

"TI:GER pushed me to step beyond the classroom by putting MBA course theory into practice. I not only learned how to develop a complete business plan for my startup but also to speak confidently to potential investors."

"The concepts and experience in TI:GERhave given me the ability to insert startup and business principles into my client presentations. This skill gives me a unique competitive advantage over others in my field."

“Being able to work with CDL through TI:GER has been a valuable experience. Specifically, I have been helping with the CDL Recovery stream, which includes startups with technologies focused on solving COVID-19 problems. CDL has allowed me to observe experienced entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors discuss their perspectives on technology startups. I think it is interesting to note that my experience from my first TI:GER course has prepared me well for my experience in CDL. The mentorship feedback from my TI:GER project is the first course is similar to the mentorship feedback the CDL startups receive from their mentors.  I choose to join TI:GER because of its hands-on experience and real-world applicability. My interests lie at the intersection between business and technology, so there isn’t any other program I would rather be a part of.”

"TI:GER was the best academic experience of my life. It not only provided me with the fundamentals of how to start a business and what to look for – it was the primary reason that I decided to take a stab at a startup of my own after graduation! In addition to spurring my inner entrepreneur, TI:GER allowed me to connect with some people that have been influential in helping me get to where I am in my career."

"TI:GER helped me discover my passions in business in order to best chart my path. To this day, I've been using the skills learned in the program at every step in my career progression...from start-up to corporation."

"The TI:GER program was the most valuable of my MBA program as it allowed me to pull everything together in a practical way. I learned how to create a business plan and launch a product which has helped me tremendously throughout my career."

"TI:GER was one of the most valuable components of my MBA experience.  Although I work in a large fortune 100 company, the experience I gained in developing and presenting business plans is relevant to my career every day!"

“In CDL, I’m working with a startup focused on creating a wearable proximity monitoring device that aims to improve the effectiveness of social distancing practices within businesses. Studying content in class is informative but seeing real-world examples and application of what we’ve studied enriches the content. The CDL experience has let me see behind the curtain of how mentors assess startups and help them succeed. I have learned more about what mentors and investors are looking for, and what they are not looking for, and why.”

"As a PhD student and post-doc, I often worked with very impactful research that didn’t seem like it would ever get the traction it deserved outside of the research sphere. TI:GER has taught me how to bridge the gap between research and business so that those impactful projects can become successful new ventures. Regardless of the field I pursue after graduation, the skills I’ve built through TI:GER, interviewing, business strategy, financial projections, and patent law, among others, will continue to be useful and to shape the projects I work on in the future."

"My experience with CDL has been very favorable. The objective-based mentoring in CDL is key, and it’s clear that this is what helps the companies in the program scale rapidly.”

"The TI:GER program is an absolutely unique offering that gave me invaluable hands-on exposure to everything that touches technology innovation: Market Analysis, Customer Discovery, Industry Analysis, Technology Analysis, IP Strategy, Business Model Formation, Financial Modeling and more. This program was incredible for my personal development and the experience was integral to my successful job search. I plan to make use of the skills I developed throughout the process for many years to come."

“The TI:GER program was the best part of my MBA experience and the skills and relationships I developed during the practicum continues to make an impact on my career to this day. The program’s emphasis on business valuation has really helped me in my corporate role working with biomedical companies to determine the value of medical devices at different stages of development”.

"The skills I learned in TI:GER have given me the versatility to blend the worlds of technology and business. This rare value-add has allowed me to effectively launch user-centered products with real-world impact."

"TI:GER is a highly valuable program. In the classroom, I learned multi-disciplinary subject matters in both areas of Business and Law and applied them in the real-world. Today, I work in Banking and have started my own company, leveraging skills and knowledge that I acquired from TI:GER. In addition, TI:GER provides networking opportunities and deepen relationships among peers and colleagues. Thanks to TI:GER, I've gained not only invaluable skills, but also amazing network of colleagues and strong friendships. "

"- Learned how to evaluate a market and technology together to understand a path to commercialization.
- Learned how to build a team with diverse skills and experiences to best take a product to market.
- Gained experience in the nuts and bolts of corporate formation and contracts, as well as patents and licensing, that lay the foundation for a startup and fundraising.
- Built a network that has helped me in the years since I left Georgia Tech."

"Through CDL I feel as if I am an actual employee of the startup, and the impact of my contribution is tangible. I am forging relationships with manufacturers and suppliers that will carry the company well into the future. Of particular value is the access we as students have to the startup selection screening meetings. I get to see the uncertainty, the imperfections, and the grit that threads entrepreneurial endeavors. Most importantly I am gaining a broadened perspective, as CDL mentors share insights built upon diverse backgrounds and expertise. I'm learning to ask the right questions when formulating and executing a business strategy, and that is a critical skill for success when I enter industry.”

"TI:GER was a perfect way for me to diversify. Having an understanding of science and how to talk to the business side was really helpful in getting jobs. It definitely jumped out at potential employers."

"In TI:GER, my research evolved from ideas into value propositions and a funded startup. This was possible only because I worked in a TI:GER team. I continually use the knowledge I gained from TI:GER, and its instructors and mentors, in my career.”

“As elite entrepreneurs are selected and mentored by some of the world’s most distinguished subject matter experts, business leaders, and investors, CDL allows me the unique chance to be in the room where it happens. Reaffirmed with each session is the importance of designing not for perceived issues that have been circularly confirmed but designing for those problems that have been hypothesized and validated through qualitative research and customer discovery. Experiencing firsthand these living case studies of what it takes to translate research from the bench to the market as viable commercial endeavors is an opportunity unique to my PhD experience at Georgia Tech.”

"As a graduate student in engineering school, I have always been interested to figure out how researchers in the academic environment can be more effective, addressing practical challenges in the real world, and creating value in the market. TI:GER program gave me a unique opportunity to learn what in my opinion is missing in science and engineering schools, to make research more practical and add values sought after from customers. This involves all the steps from idea development to commercialization, each step as important as the scientific research itself; this ranges strategy and market discovery all the way to the legal aspects required to make a technology venture successful. I am so grateful for having this opportunity to work with exceptional people, networking with industry experts in my research area (photonics and semiconductor industry) and get to know the important steps in business development."

"TI:GER fundamentally changed my career trajectory-- the skills I learned during the program shaped the way I think about and tackle business-related challenges within biotechnology. TI:GER enabled a transition from the lab to a leadership position at a hot biotech company developing cutting edge cancer drugs. Looking back, TI:GER was one of the most valuable investments of time I made-- the skills I learned served as a springboard for my career." 

"TI:GER provided me with the skills, confidence, and network to make the leap from thinking about doing a startup to actually diving headfirst into one. Years after graduating, I still rely on the mentorship, advice, and encouragement from TI:GER faculty and staff, alumni, and my TI:GER team."

"I liked the idea of working with other disciplines, seeing the perspectives of the MBA, JD, and other PhD students. It was a very beneficial program. I apply it to my current career, and I think it has made me a more valuable employee."

"TI:GER was an incredible experience that allowed me to build solid and useful skills that complemented my research program. These are the kinds of valuable skills that differentiate TI:GER students from other PhDs."

"TI:GER helped me understand the importance of market research, due diligence, and industry analysis before taking technologies to market. My TI:GER experiences are what helped me land the job [senior management consultant with Easton Associates] in the first place. Easton liked the fact that I had not only a PhD in science, but also experience with market assessment as well as communicating with CEOs and others on the business side."

"The TI:GER program helps engineers and scientists understand what place their work has in greater society. TI:GER is without question the most rewarding experience I've had so far at Georgia Tech."

"TI:GER gave me the fundamental knowledge, network, and initiative to start, scale, and eventually sell my company that commercialized a university-based technology. This has allowed us to improve the lives of over 10,000 patients around that world that previously suffered from chronic neck and back pain."

"TI:GER showed me that there was so much more to a successful product than just a cool technology. TI:GER gave me the skills necessary to identify how my technology fits into the marketplace. This will allow me to attain my ultimate goal of it reaching as many people as possible is seldom realized by most biomedical scientists."

“My CDL experience is helping me with my TI:GER project, which I brought from my lab at Georgia Tech. In my TI:GER project, my team has been conducting higher level customer discovery and competitive analysis to confirm that our technology will indeed succeed in the cell culture market. The CDL experience has been extremely insightful for many reasons. As a PhD candidate constantly interfacing with the early benchtop work that goes into development of tech, I used to find it difficult to see the long-term picture of getting this tech to end-patients. This opportunity helps me fill in that gap and has shown me that successful ventures require expertise that extend beyond technical knowledge of the intellectual property. Furthermore, as part of my career exploration, this experience has further confirmed my admiration for entrepreneurship and desire to pursue similar endeavors after I finish my graduate studies.” 

"I got a TON of value out of the TI:GER program. TI:GER courses have been the most eye-opening and stimulating that I have taken in engineering grad school. While other courses expanded on what I knew, the TI:GER courses have given me a new paradigm and numerous tool sets for looking at innovation. The many frameworks for thinking about and understanding markets, industries, and business models have given my research a more meaningful, richer context, which has motivated me to focus and to become more productive in the lab. The skills have also translated to improving my impact as a speaker, subject-matter expert, and leader."

"The TI:GER experience provided me with a unique opportunity to learn how to effectively communicate my Ph.D. research with non-technical experts in my field of study. TI:GER also enabled me to work on exploring the innovation potential of my Ph.D. technology in a multidisciplinary team of amazing MBA and JD students with successful and productive teamwork projects. The learning experiences I gained in this program laid a foundation to attract investors to consider seed funding my Ph.D. project as I move forward to advance the technology innovation. I am extremely grateful to our wonderful team mentors. They were all incredibly supportive and patient enough to walk us through the steps in the technology innovation process."

"Receiving the TI:GER fellowship was a highlight of my graduate career. The opportunity to work with graduate students from law and business helped me develop skills and knowledge that I use to this day;just yesterday in fact."

"TI:GER came up in every interview I had they really liked my experience in the program. Without TI:GER, I'm not sure I would have gotten the job [strategic consulting position with McKinsey & Company]."

"TI:GER enabled me to gain a solid understanding of the different steps in the entrepreneur journey from a prototype to a product launch. But more fundamentally, TI:GER taught me how to better present my product to investors, which not only led me to win a prestigious international business pitch competition, but to be more prepared and confident when talking about my business idea to others."

"The TIGER program helped our team to understand the basics of financing a startup and how to sell your vision to investors and other stakeholders. TCPoly has gone on to raise nearly $1M in mostly non-dilutive financing and is now part of the Atlanta based Venture Capital firm Engage Ventures, a relationship that started due to TIGER related activities. The combined educational elements and access to resources (and most importantly, local investors and experienced entrepreneurs) helped TCPoly to successfully transition to a full-time, funded endeavor."

"I learned a lot from all the different aspects of TI:GER, but what ended up being the most important for me as a Ph.D. was getting experience with intellectual property protection through the partnership with Emory Law. This allowed me to work with the in-house patent attorney at my first role to build a patent portfolio that was instrumental in the later acquisition of the company."

"As a PhD student, TI:GER exposed me to the many different components, other than the technology itself, that go into commercializing a product idea or research platform. By understanding the broader context of how many business decisions are made, enabled me to work on broader, more important problems compared to my peers. Now I'm applying these same concepts learned in TI:GER to get my own venture off the ground."

"The TI:GER Program gives PhD students the opportunity to see how their technology will impact people. Understanding the stages required for commercialization helps gives the research focus and purpose. The program has helped me clearly articulate my research and its benefits to nonscientists, so vital to making science and technology successful in the real world."

"TI:GER provides a great opportunity to learn the business of technology innovation, to work in teams and internationally collaborative environments, and to exchange your ideas with the smartest people. If you want to launch a start-up with your cutting-edge technology to revolutionize the world, the TI:GER program is the right curriculum!"