Linda S. Plano has been communicating complex technologies to business people since she was a Research Scientist at a startup company while earning her PhD in Materials Science & Engineering from Stanford University (BS Physic, MIT). Since then, she has had roles up to CEO of a startup company and up to VP for New Business Development in more established companies.
In working intensively with over 1,000 innovators, Linda has had the opportunity to collaborate with inventors’ proposals and pitches for technologies ranging from life sciences (therapeutics, diagnostics, testing, devices, IT) to cleantech to robotics to SaaS platforms in every industry – fintech, edtech, insurtech, hospitality, retail, power management, health IT and many others.
Linda started her coaching work in 2005 with the launch of the Ignite Clean Energy Business Competition (now the Cleantech Open Northeast) and as the Associate Director of the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center, which has the mandate of helping any inventor at any nonprofit research institution in the Commonwealth to commercialize their technology. In 2010, she launched Plano & Simple so that she could focus on coaching and has since worked with individuals, accelerators and academic institutions across Europe, North America and parts of Asia.