For our November Member Spotlight, we talked to Earle Hager, Managing Partner of the Neutrino Donut. Hager is gearing up for a move to Omaha and bringing with him his expertise in science and technology commercialization.
Tell us about The Neutrino Donut.
The Donut is a consultancy, founded in Austin, Texas and working in Los Angeles, California. I started with international entrepreneur programs in 2007 at the University of Texas at Austin and set up my company in 2010. I have a global network of business associates and friends who I can bring to the table for projects. The company name is from the CERN programs. The Donut is the Direct Observation of the Neutrino Tau. You can find us at www.neutrinodonut.com and [email protected].
I graduated from The Wharton School at Penn years ago and started being an entrepreneur when I moved to Texas in 1995. It has been heads down work ever since.
What products/services do you offer?
I bring science and technology to the marketplace. This includes grant programs such as SBIR/STTR, military programs, FAST, Phase 0 programs, and other sources of development. I know how to leverage these opportunities and alternate funding sources to minimize the direct cash from the startups.
I understand the science of technologies and what it will look like in the marketplace. My clients and I develop planning opportunities which include the development of the product, potential business development and licensing opportunities, and how to get there.
I am licensing several technologies and advancing them through the market entry process. I am also seeking to leverage several opportunities to license university technologies by starting a company and running them through the grant process. We will have more conversations about that in the near future with the folks in Omaha and Lincoln.
The Donut’s specific target areas include biotech, healthcare, consumer goods, chemistry, IT, materials science, environmental, product innovation, strategic planning, and development of business development strategies. As part of this consultancy, I have completed over 450 technology assessments and over 300 business development projects in innovative technologies over the last ten for domestic and international clients. I have been part of many SBIR commercialization projects, writing multiple commercialization sections and consulting on many more. These projects include grant reviews for DoE, DoD, NIH, NSF, and other agencies as well as US and foreign universities, marketing, and business development for multiple universities, SBIR grant development, and running multiple startups.
Why is Nebraska an important location for you?
In 2025, the Donut will be expanding to Omaha, Nebraska. The growth of the area is nothing but incredible.
I also want to bring my BBQ to Nebraska – my nieces and nephews need to learn these things. My college team is the University of Pennsylvania, who played Nebraska in the NCAA basketball tournament back in the 90s. We won, but it hasn’t been pretty since.
How many employees and/or who are key employees for the company?
I am the Managing Partner of the company and CEO for the startups for the licensing projects. I also developed The Syndicate, a national group of consultants. We share information and go after projects together and separately.
Who are your customers and where are they located?
Everywhere. Domestically in multiple states with various agencies, university tech transfer groups, and other organizations. Internationally, with a network I have developed over the years. Consultants who share business opportunities in both directions. With some NASA projects, we are technically intergalactic.
How do you help clients in the bioscience industry overcome challenges and/or find new opportunities?
Money is grant funding, VC funding, and customers. I can find the money. I can help get the company to the marketplace. It’s that simple.
What’s on the horizon for the Neutrino Donut?
Moving to Omaha and developing extended consulting and licensing opportunities.
What else would you like to include?
I beat cancer.