Areas of Responsibility - Job Description: 

CEO - Principal. Works directly with start-up companies. Dr. Porter has had a successful 33-year career in the medical products industry. He has been influential in inventing, developing and introducing over 30-medical products to the market. He is an inventor or co-inventor of 35 U.S. patents with several others pending. Dr. Porter has served in a variety of positions (CEO, General Manager or top technical positions) in both major corporations (3M, Johnson and Johnson, and Pfizer) and small start-ups. These experiences have given him an excellent overview on how to plan, start, value, finance, organize and lead a successful early stage technology business. He has been an important part of creating in excess of $3-billion dollars in shareholder value. Dr. Porter is and has been a board member of numerous companies and non-profit institutes. He is and has been a member of several national advisory committees. He has founded seven companies and started several divisions in major companies. He is an experienced and successful fundraiser including venture financing, corporate relationships and IPO's. At present, he is devoting most of his efforts towards starting and managing early stage companies.

Areas of Expertise - Employment History: 

*Formation and management of early stage companies
*Fund raising
*Business plan writing and strategic planning

1992, Founded Medical Genesis
1989, CEO CellPro, a early stage biotechnology company. He took the company public in 1991.
1988, Dr. Porter formed an implantable-stent company with Pfizer. This division was eventually sold to Boston Scientific for $2 billion.
1982, VP of R&D, Quality and Regulatory, American Medical Systems
1976, Worldwide VP of Research, Development, Quality and Regulatory Affairs
Prior to 1976, Worked at 3M and Celanese

Education - Personal History: 

Ph.D., Chemical and Material Engineering, University of Utah, 1971

Any special topic or expertise you'd like to concentrate on this year?:

Assisting in business planning and/or start-up activity in new ventures.

Civic Organization Memberships or Professional Affiliations: 

Dr. Porter presently serves on the boards of American Medical Systems and Graftcath and is a Trustee at Seattle Biomedical Research Institute. He also serves on the Engineering National Advisory Council of the University of Utah and the Advisory Board of the Entrepreneurship Center at Seattle University.

When and Where do you hold meetings with students? 

To be negotiated later, prefer East Side--Seattle U. is an option.

Mentor since Fall 2005
Will mentor graduate students