Dean Alle (pictured), has been named as the new entrepreneur-in-residence at Australia’s University of the Sunshine Coast.
An entrepreneur with a PhD in atomic and molecular physics, Alle founded commercialisation consultancy firm BwiseIP in 2005.
Discussing his new appointment, Alle said: “The term entrepreneur is over-used, and entrepreneur-in-residence can mean anyone who is hanging around looking for a piece of the action, maybe as an investor. But this role is about helping our students and businesses, and I’m not looking for part of the action or a slice of remuneration.”
He added: “Working with creative people to reach some sort of business outcome is, in itself, quite difficult to do. You’ve got to really get to know them. You need to manage this well or it’ll end in tears. It’s not a `turn the handle process’, and a lot of business advisors such as lawyers and accountants aren’t adept at handling creative people.”
