Turning technologies and inventions into commercial successes is no easy task. Most commonly, IP holders seek to match existing technologies with existing licensees while minimizing investment and risk. Refining innovations to match market needs or finding secondary applications may often be overlooked or avoided. To realize the full societal and commercial potential of research, we must not rely solely on gathering promising technologies as they emerge. Instead we must cultivate innovation by engaging and fostering ideas from their earliest stages.

Techriculture is a non-profit organization focused on cultivating technology innovation. We form project teams comprised of PhD and MBA students to work directly with researchers and in close coordination with technology managers. Teams are formed with a unique combination of skills: deep technical subject understanding and entrepreneurial and commercialization experience. The teams work directly with researchers not only to develop primary market applications, but also to seek novel new ways to utilize the researchers' underlying technology and skills in the marketplace. Techriculture helps researchers and technology managers establish a significantly more valuable position from which to develop commercialization strategies.

Educational outreach is a critical component of Techriculture as well. Numerous outlets have reported the need for not only training in math and science, but also in technical innovation. Targeting students of all ages and working closely with entrepreneurship and educational organizations, we provide training and outreach programs to enhance students' scientific and entrepreneurial mindset. Techriculture is working to increase the number of young people interested in being a part of technology startups and other technology commercialization efforts.