PIVOT Center

Keith's strong leadership skills come from 30 years of experience as an inventor, entrepreneur and investor. Overseeing operations for PIVOT Center, Keith’s passion for innovation has helped countless ideas get the momentum they need to succeed. He has three patents, launched four companies, and helped entrepreneurs raise more than $500 million in investment capital. An avid skier, hiker and traveler, he has visited almost all 50 states, and more than forty countries.

Mary directs PIVOT Center's technology management and intellectual property teams. With more than 25 years of industry experience, including serving as past president of AUTM, she understands that success depends on forging lasting relationships with stakeholders, especially university faculty. She prides herself on working collaboratively, listening intently, and being highly responsive to all parties during negotiations. Mary received her bachelor of science in physiology from the University of California-Davis and is both a certified licensing professional and registered technology transfer professional. She is also an accomplished student of kung fu.

Paul is the Deputy Director, as well as the Director of Entrepreneurship at PIVOT Center and has been involved in helping people with bright ideas build business for over 25 years. As part of an international aid and development program, Paul got his first experience with entrepreneurship after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, helping to identify and support local innovators and entrepreneurs.

As Director of Operations, Shaleen is responsible for managing and overseeing key projects and operations within PIVOT Center. Shaleen has a passion for people and bringing together the strongest team possible to ensure that the inventors, entrepreneurs and investors working with PIVOT Center receive the support they need. She loves nothing more than watching sports with her boys, working in her flower gardens and traveling anywhere tropical.

Having spent almost two decades in licensing the public performance of music for songwriters and publishers, Miriam is passionate about protecting intellectual property. Applying this passion as PIVOT Center’s contracts manager and paralegal, Miriam reviews incoming material transfer and confidential disclosure agreements and drafts. She also edits any outgoing contracts that need to be revised. Miriam graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a bachelor’s in journalism/public relations and received a certificate in paralegal studies from UC-Berkeley. A 10-year cancer survivor, she was also once a professional, high-limit blackjack dealer in Lake Tahoe. If you’re lucky, you may still see Miriam’s croupier skills in action: she works as a part-time dealer for a casino party company.

Deborah manages federal funding, reporting and contract obligations flow as the Contract Processing Manager. Her experience managing these obligations also ensures timely response for MTAs, DTAs, and CDAs.

Aaron is a technology manager who is responsible for numerous commercialization activities at PIVOT Center. As a biochemist with expertise in technology transfer and IP, Aaron works closely with faculty to help them understand the commercial value of their technologies, helping them navigate the intricacies of commercialization. Originally from Hawaii, Aaron received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Neely supports the efforts of the Chief Innovation Office and manages the faculty mentorship program. Neely moved to Utah in 2019 to lay the foundation for a capital access program with the Women's Business Center of Utah and more recently managed entrepreneur education for the International Rescue Committee's business incubator. Neely has a unique background in marine research and her first foray into the tech commercialization world involved a surfboard fin that collected oceanographic data. She spends her free time teaching about the ocean and ROV design or exploring trout streams in the Mountain West. Neely studied Biology at the University of Memphis with a focus on environmental research.

Tommy has always been drawn to a career in which he can leverage his natural tendencies to work hard and excel under pressure. At PIVOT Center, he is able to be his true self: a trustworthy accountant who provides quality work and dedication. He is excited to work with a team that is dedicated to needs of entrepreneurs and provides a path for growth. A Salt Lake City native, Tommy likes to surround himself with people who are down-to-earth and hold the same values, a match he has found at PIVOT Center. In his downtime, Tommy is extremely active. He always finds time to work out, watch or play basketball, and spend time with his family. He is also an avid movie buff and voracious reader.

Sarah coordinates and manages high-priority initiatives for PIVOT Center. Her previous operational and communications experience at a county economic development agency gives her the tools to work with stakeholders at every level to bring projects to successful completion. Sarah’s many hobbies include riding horses, hiking, dogsledding, and traveling (she visited 19 separate countries in 2018). She holds a B.S in business administration and communication from Georgetown College in Kentucky and an MBA from Western Michigan University.

As a Technology Manager, Dean brings over 30 years of industry experience in electrical power, telecommunications, software, equipment manufacturing and infrastructure to the table. He’s had the chance to coach each of his three (now grown) children in football, soccer, basketball, wrestling and softball. Dean is also passionate about music and has played guitar in local bands since the 80’s.

Jessie plays an essential role in one of PIVOT Center’s core services: managing the intellectual property for the technologies disclosed to the center. As IP coordinator, Jessie manages the paperwork—including declarations, assignments, and powers of attorney—associated with the patent process. When not at work, she loves spending time outdoors with her family and volunteering for an organization that fosters leadership, teamwork, and character-building in girls.

As the Communications Coordinator & Events Manager for PIVOT Center, Amy oversees marketing campaigns, plans events and contributes to publications and this website. If you’ve ever read a newsletter, social post or press release on LinkedIn, she was probably behind it. There are so many interesting things about Amy–she’s a semi-professional sword fighter, has her own YouTube channel, lost over 250 pounds over 12 years and is writing her first novel–that you just need to meet her to learn more.

Michelle is responsible for keeping the entire PIVOT Center office running shipshape. Her proactive approach, pragmatic problem-solving skills, and creative flair (which she honed while receiving a B.A. in Photography from Ithaca College) ensure that both staff and visitors benefit from a professional, well-run work environment. Michelle grew up in the South Bronx and now likes to get lost in the desert: you can find her digging up dirt in her yard, hiking, or camping in Utah’s backcountry nearly every summer weekend.

Cassidy graduated with honors from the University of Utah with a degree in writing and rhetoric studies. As PIVOT Center’s New Venture's Associate, she manages the market analyst team and writes the market analyses for disclosed technologies. Cassidy brings a willing, efficient, and analytic approach to her work. A detail-oriented writer and editor, she is equally adept at stepping back to see the big picture. Cassidy is an avid equestrian—practicing both hunters/jumpers and dressage—and has watched The Beatles: Yellow Submarine at least ten times!

A strong analytical mindset and natural curiosity makes Eric an outstanding Business Intelligence Manager. At PIVOT Center, he is currently mapping out our workflows and processes. Eric has a B.S. in Chemistry and an M.S. in Business Analytics, both from the University of Utah.

As the Director of Corporate Engagement, Sadhna brings a wealth of experience in her role to evaluate, analyze and develop new business opportunities for the U. When she moved from Birmingham U.K. to Little Rock, AR, she brought all her favorite British words like lorry, rubbish, queue, and trolley with her. She also still enjoys supporting her favorite British Premier League team, the Liverpool Football Club.

Carla is the information coordinator for the PIVOT Center team. She is responsible for creating new database records, running reports and queries, monitoring, training office staff, troubleshooting and creating and approving new user accounts in the database. And she does it all with her trademarked sparkling personality. When you meet her, be prepared to smile because along with doing an excellent job as information coordinator, Carla was born to make people laugh.

As Finance Manager, Abby helps keep PIVOT Center’s finances humming by processing invoices and monitoring accounts and payments for the office’s vendors and licensees. She works especially closely with PIVOT Center’s intellectual property law firms and helps track the IP budget. Abby moved to Salt Lake City from her hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado and loves crafting, cooking, and camping. She plans to travel across the world in the near future.

As a serial entrepreneur, David has a strong history of founding, building and exiting companies. He’s raised over $70 million in venture capital and has a keen understanding what it takes to navigate the choppy waters of entrepreneurship and invention. David was previously COO and General Counsel of the nation’s largest and oldest business incubator, The University City Science Center in Philadelphia. He thrives on the energy surrounding big ideas and knows what it takes to turn them into big successes.

Ross holds a B.A. in Biology from Colorado College, an M.S. in Genetics from the University of Utah, and a J.D. from Emory University. He draws on his scientific and legal expertise to ensure that technologies developed at the U receive the intellectual property protections necessary to find commercial success. Ross also served for six years in the Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer. Originally from Missoula, Montana, he enjoys skiing, traveling, exploring southern Utah, and feeding his ardent obsession with James Bond movies.

As the Senior Contracts Manager, Eric oversees all forms of contracts. Whether it’s material transfer or non-disclosure agreements, Eric has it covered. He also helps finalize license agreements and helps with all other contractual relationships. Originally from Wyoming, Eric spent two years in the Philippines serving an LDS mission. He is married with a happy family of four kids.

As a Technology Manager, Jonathan champions faculty technologies at PIVOT Center to have a more significant impact on society. He has been an inventor most of his life, having notarized notebooks from as far back as age seven with his own inventions inside. That inventor mindset is what led him to the field of Technology Commercialization as a career.

If you were to sum Spencer up, you’d have to say that he just gets things done. Whether that’s facilitating educational programming or acting as an entrepreneurial matchmaker or interpreter, Spencer has a knack for getting it done. It comes in handy as a New Ventures Manager.

As a New Ventures Manager, Kyrsten is responsible for initial market analysis and identifying entrepreneurs for certain technologies. She provides guidance on unmet market needs and helps match resources with technologies. Kyrsten is currently in the professional MBA program at the University. She also loves to travel and explore new cultures, her favorites being Scotland and Slovenia. As a Harry Potter fanatic, she’s read each of the books over 100 times.