Diane Harms

Diane Harms admits that during her university years, she wasn’t sure if she was on the right track. In her third year of a biochemistry degree, she questioned whether research was her true calling. So she mapped out a lengthy plan that would see her gain experience in a lab, complete graduate studies, add more technical work experience to her resume and then cross over into the business side of science, which is where she really wanted to be.

But a few years into her timeline--she was working in a lab about to create a spin-off company-- Harms learned of the WestLink Technology Commercialization Internship Program, a two-year commitment that would accelerate her career plan much faster than she could have on her own. Today, she runs her own company in Lloydminster, Alberta, where she mixes her creative side with her background in business and science, as a business and technical writing consultant.

In 2001, Harms’ first placement with WestLink was at the University of Saskatchewan’s (U of S) technology transfer office. She spent much of her time meeting with and educating researchers about the role the office played in commercializing ideas from the lab and moving them to the marketplace. She also worked on a survey of U of S start-up companies and immersed herself in intellectual property issues. Her science background made it easier to bridge disciplines and manage projects in fields as diverse as pharmaceutical chemistry, nanotechnology, agricultural engineering and robotics.

Working at the university and interacting with researchers was an easy transition for Harms, “but as I moved on through the subsequent placements, I detected a definite shift toward a more corporate mindset,” she says.

At her second placement for example, Harms was on the other end of the commercialization fence. Alviva Biopharmaceuticals was an early-stage research company that focused on developing therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. At Alviva, Harms spent much of her time working on competitive intelligence research, business plan development and quality-assurance (QA) studies. “It was interesting to see the company from the perspective of the university and vice versa,” says Harms. “I learned a great many new skills while on the QA team, from regulatory requirements for drug development to implementing good laboratory practice, including writing and organizing operating procedures as well as performing research audits.”

Harms’ final placement was with Foragen Technologies Management, a venture capital company created to help commercialize early-stage, advanced agricultural technologies from Canadian sources. Her primary role was to research potential companies and study early-stage businesses with developed business plans. “It was an incredible learning experience looking at business plans from a critical perspective,” says Harms. “The major lesson I learned from my time in venture capital was that it is very hard to write a rock-solid business plan and much easier to find holes in it. It allowed me to be in a position to help an early-stage company write and develop its plan and help the company present a more solid business case to additional investors.”

And that is exactly what she ended up doing. Since 2004, Harms has freelanced as a writing consultant and in 2007 opened Harms and Company Consulting. Her company offers a range of services including patent mapping, market research, grant and business plan coaching, technology transfer and commercialization due diligence, and writing and editing services.

Participating in the WestLink Internship Program was an incredible learning opportunity for Harms that has had a lasting impact on her career. “The diversity of perspectives of the same issues from different placement hosts helped me solidify an ability to communicate information effectively to target audiences,” says Harms. “The network of contacts developed during the internship have provided both business leads for me, as well as allowed me to identify collaborative opportunities for my clients.

“I am not sure where I would be on my career path without the internship experience; it helped shape and broaden my entrepreneurial mind-set and I am very grateful for gaining so much knowledge and experience in such a short span of time. If someone would have told me in 2000 that I would be running my own company in 2007, I wouldn’t have believed them. My prospects have changed quite a bit since the internship.”

Learn more about Harms’ business at www.harmsandcompany.com