Commercialization Partners
For Hard Science Companies
Commercialization Partners
For Hard Science Companies
Diane Hickey, Ph.D.
Founder
Dr. Hickey's passion for working with brilliant scientist and engineers to move their creations from the lab to the public realm led to the creation of the Diamond Chameleon Group, LLC. Providing a base of strategic services contributing to commercialization, early clients grew and followed paths to exit. Our strategically-sourced, lean teams used design thinking as part of our philosophy on every project. As the innovation ecosystem grew, Dr. Hickey was able to bring her passion to public service at a national level, and Dr. Zoe Quan took over operations and partnerships. Partnerships are critical to commercialization, as going to market touches every aspect of business. The partners listed below continue to help move amazing innovations to the public realm.
Zoe Quan, Ph.D.
Dr. Quan continues to work with clients via Qingchu Thinking, LLC.
Dr. Quan is a Harvard-trained Mathematician, Biophysicist, Theoretical Biologist and Strategic Thinker. She helps companies see patterns among seemingly unrelated pieces of information to create order out of chaos, and identify the best business opportunities to attack.
Partners
Inspiralia
Your Innovation Process Starts Here! Miami-based Inspiralia understands innovation begins with research and development, and that the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is the largest and most important source of early-stage R&D financing for America’s Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs. Inspiralia's SBIR services demystify the SBIR process and de-risk the application effort by providing a complimentary validation of your project's suitability for an SBIR program. If your project seems suitable for a SBIR solicitation, Inspiralia uses its proven track record of creating winning SBIR proposals to turn those ideas into realities. Most of Inspiralia's fees are performance based, and with winning proposals comes continued support through the life of the project for compliance and administrative management, which takes the paperwork and forms out of the hands of the founders and team, freeing up the innovators to focus on changing the world.
The Market Element
The Market Element, a CF Life agency, is a full-service digital marketing agency based in Denver, CO. Our core specialty is in science & technology marketing. We understand how to market to sophisticated buyers using compelling and contextual content while leveraging inbound marketing techniques to reach the right buyer at the right time with the right content. Our clients range from the Fortune 500 to the innovative start-up, where we provide targeted expertise in helping our clients build awareness, drive lead generation, and grow sales. Our mission is to digitally connect, inspire, and convert future customers for our clients. To find your missing element, visit our website:www.themarketelement.com
threelegdog design
threelegdog design has provided DCG with creative services for many of our clients. threelegdog creates visually appealing marketing collateral, often surrounding extremely technical subjects. Their team has an outstanding portfolio , with clients such as the PGA Tour and PGA Superstore, and their work has won awards from the International Association of Business Communications, Print, Horizon Interactive, and a Technical Emmy Nomination.
MagCorp
MagCorp provides access to the world’s magnetic experts to solve industrial problems. Founded by staff from the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, MagCorp understands the challenges facing hard science companies, specifically those addressing today's energy needs. MagCorp's services include feasibility studies, prototyping and product development. MagCorp is your one-stop shop for magnet science solutions.
Subject Matter Experts
Subject matter experts - yup, we know a lot of 'em. Commercialization requires constant networking and reaching out to those who know the industries, technologies and markets better than anyone else. DCG's extensive networks open doors for customer discovery, private capitol and corporate investment. As part of our network, DCG works with science communication and outreach experts, and even a few budding scientists too. Pictured is Mike Davis, one of the SME's in our orbit, showing a future subject matter expert the ways through the chemistry world learned from many years delivery Science Show Spectaculars.
Philosophy
Commercialization is Hard
Commercialization is Hard
Commercialization is Hard
Diamond’s are a girl’s best friend, until a research mistake gas-etches the surface of the single crystal diamond, creating this amazing image in a Scanning Electron Microscope. Our team understands that research is messy, and the path to commercialization of technology is hard.
Solving Puzzles
Commercialization is Hard
Commercialization is Hard
A resolution target for an x-ray synchrotron beam line, created by an SBIR client. The SBIR program requires commercialization plans - a clear path to bringing you solution to the people who can use it, and will buy it. Like solving puzzles, a methodology combined with experience is key.
Growing Your Business
Commercialization is Hard
Differentiating Your Brand
A MEMS device created at Argonne National Laboratory, used to measure the weight of material when exposed to extremely cold temperatures, imaged with a 3D Optical profiler. The manufacturer of the optical microscope, our long-time client, was acquired by an industry leader in a successful exit.
Differentiating Your Brand
Differentiating Your Brand
Differentiating Your Brand
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell research material, imaged with the scanning electron microscope in a Focused Ion Beam instrument. Numerous small companies are trying to transition university technology into viable businesses, and we represent their brands to investors, agencies and potential acquisition targets.
Bridging the Chasm
Differentiating Your Brand
Bridging the Chasm
Hair (3.5 mil thick) imaged with a scanning electron microscope. Our group works with scientists from particle physicists to skin care formulation specialists, from medical device startups to national labs, all experts working to bridge the chasm to commercialization.
What's in a Name?
Diamond Chameleon Group, LLC
Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it? Doesn’t lend itself to consumer marketing, either. But back to our core mission – executive services for hard science companies – for that, it describes our purpose accurately:
- DIAMOND – Diamond is hard science. Literally. The hardest substance on the Mohs Scale of Hardness is elemental carbon configured in a diamond lattice structure. Yes, that’s nerd talk for the gemstone “Diamond”. It also happens to be technically accurate. Our team only works with “hard” technologies, or business problems associated with companies doing “hard” science. Technologies that you have to have a Ph.D. to even begin to comprehend how it works… yup, that’s the kind of companies with whom we work. Technologies that other people may call “hard” or “science” or “math”, we probably call "cool" or "fun" or "amazing". We love that stuff.
- CHAMELEON – Chameleons change for a purpose. If trying to catch a meal, a neutral coloring that blends into the environment is appropriate. If mating, a chameleon will make itself as bright and attractive as possible. If challenged for territory, a chameleon will puff up its body, turn perpendicular to the challenger, and look large and intimidating. And if stressed, the chameleon becomes dark and dull. The change in appearance for purpose is analogous to our approach to services. The purpose is not to change the company or the technology or the products, but to align executable strategies to accomplish its business goals.
- GROUP – This isn’t a traditional firm… unless you know a lot of firms that are passionate about talking to synchrotron physicists. We’re not consultants; we are consultative and will bring our expertise to the table to solve your growth problems. We’re a group of professionals who will work with your team to accomplish your business goals.
So, that’s the story behind the name. There might also have been some influence from our founder, who studied diamonds for her Ph.D. work, wears a few significant natural and man-made diamonds everyday, has a penchant for lizards as pets, and has been fascinated with both American chameleons (anoles) and Madagascar chameleons (true chameleons) all her life.
As a cool science side note, the naturally occurring “chameleon diamonds” change color with changes in temperature, and some natural blue diamonds, like the Hope Diamond, glow bright red after being exposed to ultraviolet light. Just more examples of how amazing hard science can be.
