This event, organized by the Institute for Quantitative Social Sciences (IQSS), is open to affiliates of Harvard University.

University communities generate huge numbers of ideas with commercial potential. You might be familiar with high-profile startups with academic roots (e.g., Genzyme, Akamai, Google, Facebook) and the associated "creation stories" (e.g., "Genius researcher spins out breakthrough scientific discovery," "Computer Science whiz drops out and moves to Silicon Valley"). The reality is more varied, with new companies emerging from all disciplines, including the social sciences. These companies commercialize academic research, internally built tools, side projects, class projects, etc. In addition, many academics are forming commercial entities or forging partnerships to empower their own research, obtain access to new data, or secure funding. In this talk, we provide an introduction to this world and a guide to help you unlock the potential of your work.

Featuring IQSS' inaugural Entrepreneur in Residence, Shervin Ghaemmaghami, who is an investor with F-Prime Capital (part of Fidelity Investments). Shervin co-founded the technology fund at F-Prime in 2012, which focuses on backing early-stage startup teams – many of which have roots at Harvard and MIT.

Shervin's talk will be followed by pizza and networking in the IQSS Quantina. He’ll also be available for office hours (to act as a sounding board or provide 1:1 startup advice) every Friday between 10am and noon in CGIS Knafel K313.