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OU grad works to build a tech-based economy
Oklahoman, The (Oklahoma City, OK)
February 25, 2007
Author: Jim Stafford; Business Writer
Anil Gollahalli literally grew up on the University of Oklahoma campus.
His father, Subramanyam, was a professor in the mechanical engineering department, so the young Anil had ample opportunity to hang around the engineering school.
Naturally, after graduating from Norman High School in 1993, Gollahalli enrolled at OU and majored in chemical engineering. He met his wife, Tonya, on the OU campus.
Gollahalli went on to law school at the University of Chicago and then to work for a law firm in Dallas, concentrating on intellectual property issues.
He seized the opportunity to return to OU to help build the state's technology-based economy when the university offered him a position as assistant general counsel in 2006.
"It was a time in my life that made sense, so we picked up the family and moved back," Gollahalli said. "I saw Oklahoma as being on the verge of breaking it big, and I wanted to be a part of it; I wanted to be a player in helping move that technology mission forward. I think we can fundamentally change our economy the next 10 to 15 years."
Today, Gollahalli is interim vice president of technology development and assistant general counsel for OU. He recently talked with The Oklahoman about his work in helping OU and the state build a technology-based economy. Here are excerpts from that conversation:
Q: How is Oklahoma really doing in building that so-called technology-based economy?
A: I think we are making progress. I think we have made more progress in the last 10 years than we have the whole time. We are starting to see the stars sort of aligning. We've got the government interested with things like OCAST, EDGE and the 100 Ideas project, really looking toward changing our economy to a technology-based economy. Simultaneously, you have changes at the major research universities with respect to intellectual property policies, with respect to spinouts. You are starting to see a cultural change. More people are accepting of technology as being the driving force. Are we there yet? No, but are we making progress? Yes.
Q: So in what area of technology are OU and Oklahoma going to hit it big?
A: If I predicted, I guarantee that I would be wrong. What you have to do is every day go out and do your best with every technology you have. Some of them will hit not because you are the smartest or the best but because the timing is right, the opportunities are right. All the stars have to align for a really blockbuster company. I would like to keep hitting a lot of singles; if I could get a home run every now and then, that would be great. But my goal on a daily basis is to improve the process to make sure we are doing the best we can for each company.
Q: I hear Oklahomans talk a lot about the challenges in finding management expertise for the state's early stage tech companies. OU has a lot of spin-off companies; is it a challenge for you, as well?
A: It absolutely is. Finding management talent is generally the critical piece to finding the money. The money follows the talent. While we may have a great invention or a great idea, really getting out in the marketplace with somebody who is experienced, who knows the market that we're trying to get into, who knows the players, who knows how to commercialize the technology and get it out into the market place, is crucial. The venture money really looks for the management team; that's where they invest.
Oftentimes the team is the most important thing. Generally it's better to go with an "A" team and a "B" idea than a "B" team and an "A" idea.
Q: You were named interim vice president for technology development at OU when Skip Porter resigned Jan. 1. What changes are you implementing in the university's technology development process?
A: What we are trying to do is become more integrated. The tech transfer office is part of a larger - what I would call - sea-change at the university. The university is trying to get more sophisticated about how it does research and goes after research opportunities. We've formed a research cabinet made up of high level university officials to help set direction. As part of that we have now working very closely together the vice president for research and the vice president for technology development to make sure that as the research flows in we're thinking about the commercialization at a much earlier stage.
Q: You said you sort of grew up on the OU campus. Were you born in Norman, as well?
A: I was born in Canada, along with my sister, when my father was getting his graduate degrees from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. He had an opportunity to come to Oklahoma, and we moved here (in 1976) to be part of the university. I'm Canadian by birth and became naturalized soon after I turned 18. Both of my parents are from India, southern India. They immigrated to Canada and then immigrated to the U.S. My extended family is still in India.
Q: What's your favorite piece of technology, and how do you use it?
A: My favorite piece of technology has to be my Palm Treo. It allows me to stay connected both by phone, e-mail, Internet, wherever I am. It has become essential to my daily functioning.
Q: What's the last movie you saw in a theater?
A: That's a hard question because since the baby came, we don't see very many movies in a theater. We spend a lot more time at Blockbuster than we do at the theater.
Q: If you had a choice between The Economist and Sports Illustrated, which would you pick up?
A: I'm actually a regular reader of The Economist, I must confess. I also happen to be an ESPN watcher, so ... (laughing).
Copyright 2007, The Oklahoma Publishing Company
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