February 13, 2008

Endocyte executive to speak to budding entrepreneurs

Ron Ellis
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The event, sponsored by Blue Chip Venture Company, is free and open to the public. The lecture will be followed by a networking reception that includes students, entrepreneurs and people from the community.

Before the talk, Tim Peoples, director of Purdue Technology Centers of West Lafayette and director of the Purdue Gateways Program, will present an overview of Purdue Research Foundation resources for entrepreneurs.

Ellis, who in 1996 helped found the life science firm with Purdue University professor Phil Low, will talk about organizational effectiveness. Endocyte, located at Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, Ind., uses an advanced targeting technology that makes it possible to develop custom guidance systems for drugs.

Under his leadership, Endocyte has successfully filed four investigational new drug applications with the FDA that represent a range of receptor-targeted therapeutics to treat cancer and autoimmune/inflammatory diseases. The company has raised more than $60 million in capital and has executed several successful license agreements.

"A winning formula consists of aligning strategy, skills and shared values," Ellis said.  "Organization aligns these essential elements by using levers of organization change - staffing, systems, style and structure."

Along with entrepreneurship-related students groups, such as Purdue Innovations and Krannert Entrepreneurship and Venture Club, students participating in the final course for the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation will attend the lecture. In the course, students work in teams to develop business plans for new ventures.

"We want students to start focusing on opportunities outside the university and be aware of all the start-up resources Purdue Research Park offers entrepreneurs," said Nathalie Duval-Couetil, director of the certificate program and associate director of Discovery Park's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, where the program is based. "Hearing speakers such as Ron Ellis at this point in their studies is timely. The instructor for the capstone course this semester is Eric Davis, also a president and CEO of a Purdue Research Park company, Kylin Therapeutics. Together with Ron Ellis, they provide insight about building highly successful companies that have roots in West Lafayette."

For information, contact Duval-Couetil at (765) 494-7069, natduval@purdue.edu. To register, go online to http://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/certificate/events/

Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, maggiemorris@purdue.edu

Source: Nathalie Duval-Couetil, (765) 494-7068, natduval@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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