Laura Smoliar

Executive Director, Taiwan Science & Technology Hub

2023 - Current

The Taiwan Science & Technology Hub is an international bridge for science and technology talent, located in the heart of Silicon Valley at Stanford University. The Hub organizes an annual symposium, sponsors postdoctoral fellows, and connects, enables, and empowers our bilateral community through events in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taiwan, and beyond. See more at https://taiwansthub.stanford.edu/.

Managing Director

2022

Board Member

2017

Nelumbo is commercializing a new platform of nano-structured materials.

Board Member (Past Chair)

2018

Founding Partner

2016

One of three founding partners, architect of hybrid fund structure that includes a sister philanthropic fund. The Berkeley Catalyst Fund (BCF) is focused on the vibrant startup ecosystem around UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC San Francisco, associated incubators and accelerators, and alumni throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Initiated in close collaboration with UC Berkeley’s College of Chemistry and the UC Berkeley Foundation, the fund is committed to sharing its returns with the College of Chemistry. The sector focus is biopharma, agriculture, medical device, clean air, clean water, energy storage, and sensors. The stage is primarily Seed and Series A. The Berkeley Catalyst Fund (BCF) has a hybrid structure, including a sister fund called the Berkeley Catalyst Philanthropic Fund (BCPF), which accepts donations. The BCPF is managed by the UC Berkeley Foundation.

Board Member

2018 - 2023

Managing Director

2014 - 2022

Our team pairs deep innovation leadership experience with cross-cultural understanding to enable mutual success in international business between the U.S.A. and Asia. We connect technical understanding with market and manufacturing know-how for commercialization success across international boundaries.

Member of the Executive Advisors Network (XAN)

2016 - 2018

As a member of the Executive Advisors Network for Columbia Technology Ventures, I worked with entrepreneurs and inventors at Columbia University to facilitate the transfer of research innovations from the lab to the market, as well as supporting start-up efforts. At the time, Columbia Technology Ventures, the technology transfer office of Columbia University, managed more than 350 invention disclosures from faculty, 100 license deals and 20 new start-ups each year. CTV currently has over 1200 patent assets available for licensing across research fields such as biopharma, medical devices, software, cleantech, semiconductors, and material science. To learn more about CTV and available inventions, please visit www.techventures.columbia.edu.

Consultant

2013 - 2014

Consulting clients currently include optics & lasers, life science, and contract manufacturing companies.

CEO

2009 - 2013

Engineering services firm specializing in outsourced product development of optics, lasers, and LED-based systems. Company sold to Enlumen Technologies.