Our Team
Isaac T. Kohlberg
Senior Associate Provost and Chief Technology Development Officer
Isaac is responsible for the strategic management and commercial development of all technologies and intellectual property (IP) arising from Harvard University’s research enterprise. This includes industry liaison and outreach, IP management, business development, technology commercialization, and the formation of startup companies and new ventures around Harvard technology platforms. In tandem, he is also responsible for generating, structuring, and negotiating research alliances and collaborations with industry and generating industry-sponsored research funding for Harvard faculty.
Prior to joining Harvard in 2005, Isaac was the CEO of Tel Aviv University’s Economic Corporation and head of Ramot, its technology transfer organization. Before that, from 1989 to 2000, he was Vice Provost at New York University (NYU), Vice President for Industrial Liaison at NYU (NYU’s technology transfer program) and headed the Office of Science and Technology Administration at NYU School of Medicine. From 1982 to 1989, he was the CEO of YEDA, the commercial arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
Members of the Business Development team are the primary point of contact for both Harvard researchers and our external partners. The directors of business development foster connections with industry collaborators, create comprehensive plans to advance technologies in labs throughout the University toward licensing and commercialization, and catalyze the launch of new startups.
LIFE SCIENCES
Paul Resnick, MD
Director Technology Commercialization - Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Grant R. Zimmermann, PhD
Managing Director of Business Development, Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator
PHYSICAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
The Corporate Alliances team manages the strategic research alliances between Harvard and corporate partners that are engaging in multi-year support of projects across the University.
Our two accelerators help bridge the “development gap” by supporting and guiding early-stage technologies with great commercial potential toward key milestones in development and validation.
BLAVATNIK BIOMEDICAL ACCELERATOR
Grant R. Zimmermann, PhD
Managing Director of Business Development, Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator
Anu Natarajan, PhD, MBA
Director of Project Advancement, Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator
HARVARD GRID ACCELERATOR
The Intellectual Property (IP) team of attorneys and legal administrators manages the University’s IP portfolio (e.g., patents), from first filing through to commercialization and beyond. Working closely with Harvard inventors, collaborating institutions, licensees, and OTD’s Business Development team, they ensure good strategic alignment with overall business development plans.
IP MANAGEMENT
Denlyn Atherton
IP Portfolio Specialist, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
James (Jay) Culverwell, JD
Senior Associate Director of Intellectual Property, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Vani Velamoor, PhD
Associate Director of Intellectual Property, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
IP POLICY
This group of OTD staff provides strategic leadership to guide major initiatives, supports collaboration among closely affiliated institutions, develops new strategic partnerships, and ensures that we provide the highest quality service to all Harvard innovators, to external partners, and to society as a whole.
The Transactions team structures, drafts, and administers OTD’s legal agreements, including those pertaining to technology licenses, industry-sponsored research, corporate alliances, equity, material transfers, and confidentiality. Members of this team streamline negotiations, advise on contractual and policy questions, and ensure compliance with executed agreements.
Natasha N. Aljalian, MBe, JD, LLM
Senior Associate Director, License Oversight & Enforcement
David A. Hackett, JD, MBA
Associate Director, Technology Transactions - Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Katherine "Kat" Holliday, JD
Senior Associate Director of Technology Transactions
Kimberley Danzi Overs, JD, LLM
Senior Associate Director of Technology Transactions - Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Members of OTD’s administrative staff manage overall operations, human resources, logistics, and reporting/analysis. The Finance team oversees OTD’s fiscal resources and manages accounts payable and receivable, including the disbursement of royalties and other licensing revenue to Harvard inventors.
FINANCIAL OPERATIONS
.png)
Communications is the point of contact for news/media, publicity, events, outreach, and OTD’s digital platforms.
