Dann Chow

The words oil sands and Alberta go hand-in-hand, but Dann Chow is working in an area that not only delves into those deep wells, but into alternative means of energy for the province. As a venture manager with the Alberta Research Council (ARC), Chow works in the environment and energy sector, an industry that plays a more crucial role than ever before.

“There are some big issues our province deals with on the environmental side and we are trying to figure out what technology we will be using in 20 years from now,” says Chow. “There are a lot of challenges and opportunities in Alberta—we have the traditional means like oil sands but there are a number of alternative ways to generate energy. It’s an exciting time.”

Chow acknowledges he never would have ended up in his position if it was not for the WestLink Innovation Network Technology Commercialization Program. At the time, Chow was a PhD student in biomechanical engineering at the University of Calgary when he applied. Wanting to get out of the research lab and into business and industry, the program seemed like a perfect fit.

His first placement was with St. Albert-based Foundation Equity Corporation, a small venture capital firm with interests in various emerging technology companies in the biotechnology and software industries. With only three employees, Chow learned a bit about everything the company was doing. “It was difficult at first because I was thrown right into the fire but I got to interact with local companies which helped me increase my network, especially since I moved from Calgary,” says Chow. “And the mentorship was outstanding.”

Chow then moved to ARC, the not-for-profit research and development organization owned by the province of Alberta. At the time, a technology commercialization group analysed inventions that originated from ARC. The idea was to move the inventions—from agricultural vaccines to health products, such as glucosamine--out into industry. Watching collaboration from a team that worked to get an invention from the early-stage to commercialization is what appealed to Chow.

“You are doing things for the benefit of the province and that’s part of the nice thing for me,” he says. “The choices you make are not entirely profit-driven, but they have an effect on all of us.”

His final eight-month spot was at University of Alberta spin-off company, EquiTech Corporation, a pharmaceutical company specializing in pain relief products. Chow was able to tie in much of what he learned during his first two placements at EquiTech. “It was nice to see both perspectives from the investor and the company selling the products,” says Chow, whose primary role with EquiTech was business development and marketing.
Once Chow completed the Internship Program he knew he was well armed to combine his background in engineering with the skills he learned at his three different placements. He returned to ARC and has been there ever since.

“I like seeing ideas from the beginning and watching them unfold,” says Chow. “I have been here for five years now and am just seeing some inventions I was involved with in the early stage start to take flight.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the WestLink Internship Program. It was the vehicle of transition for my career to get me from the research domain to becoming a business person.”

Chow continues to be involved with WestLink, from mentoring interns, to acting as the ARC representative, to being the first intern alumnus to join the WestLink Board of Directors (in June 2008). “The ongoing connections made with WestLink staff, members and the intern network are incredibly valuable and have led to a number of collaborative commercialization initiatives and many employment referrals,” says Chow.