Risk Management for Photonic Startups…and Life
Success in a photonic startup company requires constant attention to the balance between risk and opportunity. These risk / opportunity decisions involve many different areas, technical, marketing, financial, organizational and psychological, among others. Some of these decisions are very specific to photonic startup issues but the balance of opportunity and risk touches on a broad range of aspects of life, of course.
This presentation will discuss the general nature of risk and opportunity and from these general ideas will then derive recommendations for effective risk management methods in photonic startups. The presenter will attempt to do this through examples drawn from his own experience and from the experience of others that have influenced him strongly.
Instructor
Daniel Renner
Dr. Daniel Renner grew up on a farm in the wilderness of Chilean Patagonia, looking after horses and pine trees. In his early twenties, he decided to leave the Patagonian open spaces for the High Tech open fields and he went to the University of Cambridge in England to do a Ph.D. in Opto-Electronics. Now, 37 years later, Dr. Renner has lived through the whole range of experiences that relate to the development, manufacturing and commercialization of complex photonic devices and systems used in communication, sensor and industrial applications. His experience spans both the technical and the commercialization aspects of photonic products, having led activities in many areas, including technology and product development, identification of new business areas, introduction of new products, marketing and sales.
After receiving his Ph.D. degree, Daniel joined Standard Telecommunication Labs in England, where he was a member of the team that developed diode lasers for the first trans-Atlantic underwater fiber optic link (TAT-8). He then joined Rockwell International, Richardson, TX, where he led the team that developed photonic components for some of the first commercial long haul fiber optic systems. This was followed by many years as VP of Engineering at Ortel Corporation, Alhambra, CA, where the first commercial CATV fiber-optic transmitters and RF fiber-optic links for antenna remoting were developed. At Ortel, Daniel fell in love with the business of making small companies grow. He followed his years at Ortel with key roles at Agility Communications, Santa Barbara, CA and Aerius Photonics, Ventura, CA. At both companies, Daniel led the development of new applications for existing products, the introduction of new products and the identification of new business areas. These new areas of activity drove significant revenue at these companies.
Dr. Renner is currently Vice-President of Business Development at Freedom Photonics, Santa Barbara, CA, where he is responsible for the identification of new business areas, definition of new products and the successful introduction of these products into the market. Additionally, he supports Technology Research, Product Development and Program Management with his expertise in the application of photonic devices to commercial and defense systems.
Through his long experience, Dr. Renner has gained a respectful appreciation for the critical importance of effective business risk management.
Publication Year: 2018
Available for Photonics Society Members. Login required.