Scientist-Entrepreneur: Lesson learned from my personal experience
Dr. Opher Shapira

Abstract 
Scientist-Entrepreneur: Lesson learned from my personal experience
Lessons learned from my own personal experience in moving from a PhD in theoretical physics to becoming an entrepreneur. In this talk, I will describe the challenges in taking a scientific idea and building a venture around it and focus on the key points for success and the pitfalls. I will also talk about IP – when it is needed and its importance. I will conclude, again from my experience, on ‘coming back’ to academic life via Yeda (the R&D/venture branch of the Weizmann Institute).


Dr. Opher Shapira is a veteran manager and entrepreneur, with more than 25 years of diverse executive experience in the Israeli high tech sector. After obtaining a PhD in theoretical high energy physics from Yale University, Dr. Shapira began his professional career as a project manager at Indigo Graphic Systems (now HP Indigo). Later on, he joined Neuromedical Systems, serving as Director of Product Development and later as VP of Product Development. Following that, Dr. Shapira co-founded BioView, today a publically traded biomedical company. He served as President and CEO of BioView throughout its corporate development, its IPO and as a publicly traded company. Later in his career Dr. Shapira was appointed as Global VP of R&D for Syneron Medical, a leading manufacturer of medical cosmetic equipment. Prior to joining Yeda, Opher joined Nucleix, a medical diagnostics startup, where he held the positions of President and COO, and later CEO. Dr. Shapira led Nucleix through several capital rounds and product launches.