The True Story of a Start-Up Making Laser-Based Instrumentation:
A Case Study

Seminar by
Dr. Michael Webber
RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA

Abstract: In this presentation, Michael will discuss his personal experience at a start-up making laser-based gas-sensing instrumentation, beginning with the peak of the dot-com bubble in mid-2000 through today. The hurdles that were encountered while making the transition from scientific experiment to benchtop demonstration to protoype to product in the context of a changing economy and the terrorist attacks of 9/11 will be presented along with anecdotes and practical lessons learned. This talk should be an entertaining reminder of the value of the cloistered academic life and a handy case study for any enterprising scientists hoping to take the plunge by spinning off their technology into a successful company.

Bio: Michael Webber is an Associate Engineer at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, CA, where he conducts analysis and policy development for issues relevant to the national industrial base, energy & environment, national security, and homeland security. Before joining RAND, Michael was a Senior Scientist at Pranalytica, Inc., a small company in Santa Monica, CA making innovative laser-based gas-sensing instrumentation for homeland security, industrial and environmental monitoring applications. At Pranalytica, Michael was responsible for product development from the initial prototype through manufactured product line, quality control, identifying new applications, and developing business with government research sponsors and industrial customers. Michael’s educational background includes a B.A. with Honors (liberal arts) and B.S. with High Honors (Aerospace Engineering) from the University of Texas at Austin, and a M.S. (Mechanical Engineering) and Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering, Minor in Electrical Engineering) from Stanford University. His areas of technical expertise include thermosciences, combustion, energy systems, environmental emissions, instrumentation, lasers, photonics and spectroscopy. Michael has published more than a dozen peer-reviewed scientific articles, given more than a dozen lectures and invited talks in the U.S. and Europe, reviews manuscripts for four scientific journals, is a program committee member for an international meeting of the Optical Society of America, and is the inventor or co-inventor for five patent applications. Michael was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and now lives with his wife and children in Culver City, California.