RAPID CITY - Genesis of Innovation, the Rapid City-based economic development group, will conduct a series of seminars in seven cities to talk about how the state's universities can help nurture a knowledge-based economy in South Dakota.
The half-day sessions will be at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota State University in Brookings, Dakota State University in Madison, the University Center in Sioux Falls, the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, Black Hills State University in Spearfish and South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City.
The Spearfish seminar will be Thursday, Oct. 25, beginning at 9 a.m. in Jacket Legacy Room. The Rapid City seminar will be the same day, beginning at 3 p.m. It will be in the Electrical Engineering/Physics building.
Seminars are free and open to the public. They are especially appropriate for inventors, business and community leaders, entrepreneurs, educators and students.
The four main speakers are:
* Dennis Anderson, president of Genesis of Innovation and the Genesis Equity Fund, a venture capital fund affiliated with Genesis of Innovation. He has invested in a number of publicly traded technology companies, and he has performed due-diligence research for several potential ventures.
* Stephen Hall, founder and president of AlphaGenix of Sioux Falls. AlphaGenix recently moved to Sioux Falls from San Diego. It develops produces for basic and clinical research in cancer, endocrinology, infectious diseases, immunology and neuroscience.
* Kathryn Johnson, a geochemist and environmental scientist with expertise in applying geochemistry, geohydrology and environmental technology to a broad range of issues.
* Paul Gnirk, a former instructor at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and co-founder of RE/SPEC in Rapid City. He also built an international science and engineering firm.
"They will examine how research at the state's universities can make a global impact, lead to commercialization opportunities and transform local and regional economies," organizers said in the brochure announcing the event.
For more information, contact Greg Bartron at 394-1706.
