Aryn Strand

When Aryn Strand saw a WestLink internship posting during his third year of university, he thought he had found the perfect way to transition from engineering to business and still take advantage of his technical background. But he tucked the idea out of his mind, finished his mechanical engineering degree at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and took a job in project management. However, a few months into that role, Strand left the company for that WestLink internship and to pursue his burgeoning interest—commercializing new technologies.

Strand's first placement was with the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). When he started, the Applied Research and Liaison Office was in its early stages and staff was "keen to get technologies off the shelf and into industry," says Strand.

There, he engaged in licensing negotiations for a solar power-related technology. "There was a mismatch of expectations from both sides which made the licensing process very challenging," says Strand. "We used a lot of creativity to develop license terms that softened the issues."After eight months of grinding away, the licensing agreement was finally signed.

In a separate project to commercialize a cyber security technology in collaboration with some of the world's largest corporations, Strand witnessed the importance of having the researcher on side. "This had the potential to be a blockbuster deal for the institution, but was derailed after several months of work due to conflict between the various stakeholders. "In our WestLink training programs we always heard stories about this happening and I really got to see it firsthand."

Strand's next stop was as a venture capital analyst with the Golden Opportunities Fund in Saskatoon. One day he could have been be analyzing a potential oil and gas deal and the next he could have been investigating a new biotechnology company. "It really was all over the map and you had to work hard to learn enough about each business to make qualified recommendations," he says. "Since most of it is new, you had to try to wrap your head around the science of it all."

At first, Strand found it difficult to get involved in deals. "Golden has a strong management team, and the onus was on me to figure out how I could add the most value," says Strand. Once he showed what he was capable of, he took on a lot more responsibility. "In some ways, venture capital is all about being a critic. You tear off a strip of optimism and question everything, and then see where you're at. This part of the job came naturally to me."

Strand's last placement was in Calgary at the Sustainable Energy Technologies. He took on a business development position which has now become permanent. Because it is a small company, he is involved in many activities--investor relations, strategic development, sales, and marketing. Drawing on his experience with WestLink, he consistently assesses strategic decisions from the investor's point of view, and has been in talks with academic institutions to collaborate on R&D, and sourcing synergistic technologies.

"I've been really happy to have this diverse experience," says Strand. "Each placement has been so different, but for me, the perspective truly ties together, making it possible to add a very unique value to many types of organizations."