Effective technology commercialization is foundational to innovation and entrepreneurship as relevant to engineered products and solutions. As such, technology commercialization is a system engineering endeavor, where the multiple dimensions of hard and soft knowledge must converge. Systems as associated with hard disciplines like engineering, applied science, finance, and safety need to further converge with the soft systems and practices of design, creativity, operations, business, marketing, and human factors.

As an alumnus of the University of Houston (BSME, MSME and Ph.D.), a graduate of a multidisciplinary program at Cullen College of Engineering, with a rewarding professional career in multidisciplinary system development and commercialization – I look forward to sharing this experience and learning in two ways. First, by sharing my personal journey, starting with what led me to engineering, foundational experience at the university, a unique graduate studies program, and then an eclectic journey outside of Academia. Second, to provide an overview of how systems engineering, and multidisciplinary convergence are critical to successful technology commercialization and entrepreneurship. For the later, I will use industrial solutions realized over my career to touch on the different aspects of convergence. In summary, we will bring the two threads, the journey and multidisciplinary convergence back to the EPIE mission of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship with the themes of curiosity, challenging ourselves to step-out, continual learning, and mentorship.