A Legacy of Leadership: Kevin Lei

Emory's Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) has announced the retirement of Kevin Lei, Director of Faculty and Start-up Services. Lei has served Emory University for 25 years.

An alum of Georgia Tech and the Military Medical University of Shanghai, China, Kevin Lei joined Emory in 1997 as a Licensing Associate. Since then and before his final role, Lei has held the titles of Assistant Director, Associate Director, and the Director of VentureLab at Emory within the OTT. "I'm proud of being in a position that allows me to advance the university's intellectual property to a commercialized level," he says. "Technology Transfer helps drive the future of research at Emory, which, in turn, benefits the general public."

He credits his leadership style and understanding of Technology Transfer to the current Assoc. VP for Research and Executive Director, Todd Sherer.

"There were at least three things I learned from Todd." Lei says. "The first was his long-term vision. The second one was his people-management skills. He delegates and manages subordinates very well. Through him, I learned how to motivate my team members to give their very best."

The third item on his list was Sherer's example of navigating the challenges of technology transfer. "He is very professional, experienced, good at creatively coping with challenges, and we've all learned so much from him."

Todd Sherer reflects on Kevin Lei's time at Emory. "Kevin has truly set the bar for faculty service, he says. "He has worked tirelessly and always treats others with the utmost respect. He has been an incredible promoter for Emory technology and is well-respected by our faculty partners."

A critical aspect of Kevin's role was that of a Technology Scout, a staff member that identifies researchers with a novel technological idea (an invention) or a viable start-up concept and provides them with the guidance to make it a reality. As Emory's first Technology Scout, Lei states that, initially, a few leaders questioned the necessity of such a role. But with the support of  Sherer, Kevin Lei was able to foster a new sense of faculty support at Emory.

"After several years, the positive feedback from faculty was tremendous," he says. "This role was created to serve faculty better. Creating the technology scout role was a huge advancement for Emory, and we see the benefits of it to this day.

Emory's current Technology Scout and Lei's direct report is Michael Tanenbaum, Assistant Director of Faculty & Start-up Services. As part of a two-person team, Kevin's expertise has shaped Michael's understanding and appreciation for Technology Transfer.

"Kevin provides great service to the Emory community, fostering wonderful relationships and a collaborative environment," Tanenbaum says. "He is a great mentor. Kevin gave me the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of my role at a healthy pace and with helpful feedback.

Due to Kevin Lei's and his team's efforts, Emory currently boasts a rich portfolio of nearly 130 start-up companies across the fields of pharma, diagnostics, devices, software, and more.

"My main job here was to serve Emory's faculty," Lei says. "The interactions that I had with  faculty members were viewed as essential. My highest priority was earning the faculty's trust and ensuring their innovations aren’t unnoticed and go through an OTT process of professional assessment."