Seeding Start-Ups Event Invites College Entrepreneurs to Practice Their Pitching

The UF College of Medicine Office of Research hosted its first Seeding Start-Ups event on May 17th. On a sunny, sultry day at Frog Song Organics, an organic farm in north central Florida, college investigators networked with entrepreneurs and pitched start-up company concepts.  

Launched by Assistant Dean for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, May Khanna, Ph.D., and Assistant Director of Strategic Research Initiatives, Katie Blackburn, MSPH, the event is the first in a new series aiming to develop researchers’ entrepreneurial skills. 

“It’s important for [developing entrepreneurs] to have a safe space to pitch, because they often run into investors in the most unlikely places,” Khanna said, giving the recent example of a physician pitching a start-up company to her while driving in a golf cart. “I’m hoping these events make our faculty more comfortable and excited as they go along.” 

Khanna invited UF Innovate I Ventures Director Jackson Streeter, M.D., and UF Innovate I Pathways Program Director Anita Rao, M.S., M.B.A., to explain how they can help researchers with the nuts and bolts of entrepreneurship, such as technology licensing, venture support, education, and business incubation. 

“We’re kind of like a farm in a way,” Streeter said. “We take the seeds of inventions that you do in your labs and try to plant and grow them, either into startups or by getting technologies commercialized and out into the world.” 

Before getting to business, though, Frog Song Organics welcomed the pitch persons, their teams, and their families to explore the farm. Attendees interacted with pigs and picked basil and peaches to bring home. 

Against the backdrop of an elegant farm-to-table dinner, pitch persons had five minutes to pitch their innovations and another five to answer questions. The casual environment gave them confidence, and the limited time required them to hone their message. 

“It can be a terrifying feeling at first because you just aren’t sure if your idea is worth anything or how people will receive it,” Khanna said. “But the fresh-air and laid-back environment we established allowed them to be more genuine, more open, and more themselves.” 

From AI-accelerated patent drafting services to gene therapeutics, the pitch persons explained the significance of their venture and received critical feedback from seasoned innovation experts such as Streeter and Rajesh Khanna, Ph.D., Richard and Thelma O.C. Barney Term Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Chief Scientific Officer of Regulonix, LLC, a non-opioid drug start-up company.  

“Establishing connections between aspiring entrepreneurs and the appropriate next steps is crucial for fostering entrepreneurship at the University of Florida,” Dr. Rajesh Khanna said. “I believe that the right connection is critical, whether it is a collaborator, an investor, an advisor, or a target audience.” 

But the afternoon pitches weren’t all just business minded. Eric Wang, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, shared not only his two start-up ideas, but also the story and drive behind them.

Wang saw his father’s struggles with myotonic dystrophy, a progressive, inherited muscle disorder, and pursued his first company, Kate Therapeutics, to develop safer, more precise gene therapies for muscular diseases through AAV delivery. Novartis, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, acquired Kate Therapeutics in 2024 for its strong preclinical assets. Wang now continues to support translational research and new ventures like ReyjaBio, remaining committed to patient-focused innovation. 

“I have had previous experiences pitching to venture capitalists and to biotech and pharma companies,” Wang said, “But this experience was unique in that the focus was to practice and provide opportunities to network with each other.” 

That afternoon was the first opportunity that some participants had to share their business concepts and to connect with others interested in entrepreneurship. But it certainly won’t be the last. 

“It was such a unique and organic event,” Dr. May Khanna said. “Everyone felt open and comfortable with their ideas. It almost felt like this small family. We will continue to build a community of entrepreneurs that are excited to meet, trust, and inspire one another.”