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RED
BRICK
THE BIG PICTURE
SUPPORTING STARTUPS
Alumni, Purdue Foundry benefit University entrepreneurs and companies
P
THE MENTOR
One such Purdue expert is Emily Liggett
(ChE’77), who has mentored several Purdue
6
PU R D U E A LUM N US
entrepreneurs and startups. She is CEO and
founder of Liggett Advisors and a member of
several boards of directors, including the Purdue Research Foundation.
Liggett has advised
Purdue-connected companies Dattus, NutraMaize, and Tri-D Dynamics. She says the type
of mentoring needed
depends on the nature
and stage of a startup.
“Early on, advice may
be about technology
development and intellectual property strategy, and there are many
resources at the University to help with this,” Liggett says. “After the
technology is proven, commercialization gains
importance: business model, value chain, target
markets, product, manufacturing, sales and distribution strategy, business/financial planning,
fundraising, and more.
“Sometimes startups need an outside objective
point of view. I help directly by observing and asking questions, finding resources, sharing my relevant experiences, and providing encouragement.”
Liggett says supporting Purdue entrepre-
C O U RT E SY O F E M I LY L I GG E T T
URDUE HAS A LEGACY of delivering innovations to the market, ranking No. 3 nationally over an 11-year period for creating
startup companies based on university
intellectual property. These innovations—developed by faculty, staff, and students—are improving lives around the world.
Purdue Foundry is a key contributor to these
results. Since the entrepreneurial and commercialization hub was founded in 2013, more than
350 startup companies have been launched.
Those companies have raised more than $255
million in investments and funding and account
for 400 high-paying high-tech jobs.
Wade Lange (P’79, MS M’83), chief entrepreneurial officer at Purdue Foundry, says Purdue
alumni play crucial roles in supporting startups.
“Alumni have been important to the Purdue
Foundry’s mission from day one by joining startups at the executive level, advising them based
on their experience starting companies or deep
industry expertise, and investing in them,” Lange
says. “We are constantly looking for experienced
founders, investors, and industry experts to work
with our startups and their founders.”
