My foremost objective will be to dramatically catalyze Industry- Academia-Government Collaboration; I will set up an initial task force to discuss this in great detail. : Chemistry touches all aspects of life: from our smart phone, the food we eat, the clothing we wear or medicines we take. Chemistry is an enormous scientific endeavor with practical applications that provides solutions to complex problems, improved quality of life, and extended life-expectancy. We must unite to continually provide economically feasible, environmentally friendly, and technologically advanced solutions. I commit to energizing the ACS ecosystem by establishing vibrant foundations for academic, industry and government collaborations, and enabling entrepreneurship to thrive. I will work to ensure that chemistry-based solutions are at the forefront of industries’ problems rather than an afterthought. As an entrepreneur-chemist, I developed breakthrough technologies with sophisticated vibrant collaboration with academic institutions, government and faculty. Noteworthy was the development of technology with the sterling assistance of graduate students and post-docs. At Empiriko, our in-vitro chemosynthetic liver technology mirrors the structure, function, and in-vivo metabolism of liver enzymes (cytochromes P450), to predict human metabolism patterns and profiles. This sterically protected and electronically activated metalloporphyrin platform generates quantities of metabolites needed for toxicologic, pathologic, histopathologic, or genotoxic testing to accelerate drug discovery and development. It offers unique complementary technology to present-day methods while reducing overall costs and necessity of animal experimentation. To successfully build and scale, I established partnerships with Northeastern University and Harvard University. In collaboration with MIT and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Empiriko developed a personalized diagnostics platform for drug and disease home monitoring. I successfully replicated the model at THINQ Pharmaceuticals / Ayurvidya Healthcare Innovations. Technological innovation accelerates economic growth when research talent from academia is paired with government, industry expertise and investment. The combined resources have a multiplier effect, transferring innovative technologies from laboratory and mind to the market. My contributions to ACS include entrepreneurship, career counseling, symposia organizer, speaker, moderator and more. I will expand on these as President.

Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Global Collaboration have been pivotally important in transitioning chemistry-based ideas from mind to market, from concept to commercialization, and for  many relevant chemical entities from bench to bedside and from bedside to bench. Many countries companies and scientists have placed a high premium on the best practices in business establishments allied with entrepreneurship. As a seasoned entrepreneur from academia, industry and one who has also collaborated with government I will encourage a journey, with trials and tribulations and finally successes that benefit the Chemical Enterprise, create jobs, and provide a new ray of hope for young and old, shy, and bold.

Throughout my professional life, I researched, worked, taught, in the USA, UK, Europe and India to establish innovative businesses. I enthusiastically promote innovation, and communication to educate, ennoble, and entertain. I assist scientists, young, old, shy, and bold. I will organize a summit of world leaders of chemistry-based societies to collect perspectives and to chart future directions of chemistry. Symposia will be organized in the USA, UK, Europe, and India., to enable ACS members, from Alaska to Australia, to form bonds of friendship from “C to shining C”.  My aim is to elevate ACS to new heights in the international scientific community by enhancing productive collaborations between government, academia, and industry in our international societies. We enjoy credibility, trust, and must be a singular resource and a beacon of hope for technical discoveries, and progression of ideas. I am committed to working with members on pathways to ameliorate- eradicate negative public perceptions towards Chemistry and chemists. We must be an inclusive unifying community of scholars with a persuasive collective voice of encouragement, experience, expertise, insightful rationale, inspiration, optimism, and wisdom.  Worthy goals include refining education, accreditation, tackling unemployment, defining entrepreneurial initiatives. I have designed significant programs in entrepreneurship education and stimulation: I am dedicated to promoting Entrepreneurship through requisite training and mentorship. Our teamwork will offer a vision, perchance to dream, and motivation to explore new vistas and ventures to enhance our global presence and the public image of chemistry. I am ready for the challenge of ensuring that our dreams reach fruition.

I am currently helping many universities establish key partnerships and faculty-faculty, student exchanges and faculty sabbaticals with the industry-universities. My stellar record of achievement in collaborating, training, inspiring, mentoring scientists to the highest level of proficiency and professionalism has received laurels.  I am  an elected fellow in prestigious academic societies all over the world and have demonstrated skills in management of academic collaborations, global development of new chemical entities. My service on the Scientific Advisory Boards of Corporations and Foundations, teaching, and cultural ambassadorship at numerous academic institutions around the world would ensure positive contributions. I have coached  scientists in professional matters (writing winning resumes, grant applications) and have helped hundreds of scientists get positions as research associates, pre- and post-doctoral Fellowships, recognition, and awards in the USA,  UK and Europe. I taught a GIAN course at the University of Mumbai that drew enthusiastic students from all over Asia  This course on Drug Discovery and Development was extraordinarily well received. With superb convening power, I have been instrumental in organizing international symposia. Most noteworthy is the Nobel Scholars program at the University of Illinois. I am  experienced in many areas of Development including Process Chemistry, Development, Industrial Chemistry and Good Laboratory Practices  and have  established strategic partnerships with chemistry -based companies and MOUs with academic institutions conducted training and taught courses in academic/industrial laboratories. I lead  by example and inspiration. I  encourage scholars to design, develop and carry research projects to fruition

Oliver Goldsmith once penned the memorable words about a village preacher who was “more skilled to raise the wretched than to rise.” These words could be well applied to many people in our profession.
Our ACS membership is replete with scholars representing education, research, development in academia-industry -government. Within each sub-discipline we also have a very wide representation of professionals. The ACS membership is considerably enriched by the stimulating contributions of professionals. In recent years industry has not been as well represented in our society. We need to ensure a cohesive approach and well-knit plan. My foremost objective will be to dramatically catalyze Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration. A challenge would be to establish Commercial & Industry Partnerships and showcase chemical startups driven by commercialization of university research via partnerships with industry and investors. Need to educate chemists about financing options for startups and specific technologies resulting from university technology transfer. I recommend having a special Entrepreneurship Day at meetings to foster collaboration and connections amongst the scientific communities, educators, entrepreneurs, and distinguished scholars across the diaspora in North America and the globe. We can weave a web of VCs, angel investors and funding agencies (globally)
I could contribute to
1. Helping entrepreneurs create jobs by facilitating more affordable access to key resources like information, expertise, important services for startups [HR, finance, etc.], and mentorship.
2. Improving the business environment for startups by increasing advocacy of relevant policies at the federal and state levels.
3. Partnering with academic institutions to promote awareness of career options that involve entrepreneurship.
4. Publicizing the challenges and successes of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in the chemical enterprise.
5. Organizing themed conferences (we have considerable experience in this-descriptions of specific conferences organized by us are attached): a theme of the conference could be “Advancing Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Innovate Now- Launch ~ Leverage ~ Lead”. The focus will be on disruptive innovation, advanced technology, and integrated collaborative networks for R&D and commercialization in the globalized economy.

Non-Ph.D. chemists play a pivotal role in our scientific, discovery and development endeavors. My foremost objective will be to dramatically catalyze Industry- Academia-Government Collaboration. The traditional chemistry curriculum, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, is mainly focused on preparing students for their career as a medical professional or industrial chemist. This includes the necessary course work for preparing laboratory capable chemists who can secure meaningful employment in an industry or government laboratory or undertake graduate studies. This approach has been successful for many years. As time has moved forward and technological advances are occurring at a lightening pace, revisions to this paradigm are beginning to take hold. One is now hearing the term “non-laboratory” positions for chemists; those that may involve only a minimal amount of laboratory work.
There are several widely recognized positions that chemists hold that can be thought of as “non-laboratory”. These include patent law, scientific writing, sales and marketing, and chemical sector business analysis, to mention a few. Non-Ph.D.’s in ACS membership are well qualified for these. After all, Chemistry education teaches one how to think creatively and critically to solve problems. One area which appears to be lacking is that of chemical entrepreneurship. There are examples of companies being built from the research efforts of faculty members. There are also companies that have been started by those who may have been affected by a downsizing or merger and acquisition. The scenario that is seen much less is a company that was started by an early career chemist, a person with a true entrepreneurial spirit.
Chemical entrepreneurship as a legitimate and viable career option for chemists that needs to be introduced early in the career of a chemist. There are those students who are incredibly good, and dedicated, chemists but have the desire to do something other than strict laboratory work. They have ideas, see the bigger picture, and see a need in society that can be filled. If students are made aware of this as a viable career option they can be mentored as to what types of courses, in addition to chemistry, that they need to take. Topics such as business plans, marketing and communications strategies, business operations and management, and avenues for securing capital are all part of what takes ideas from the mind to the bench, to the market. Students desiring this type of career path can be directed toward internship and mentoring opportunities that would allow them to explore this firsthand. Certain aspects of the chemistry curriculum could be adapted to allow students to explore entrepreneurship. These are all aspects that can be included in the education of chemists, but they need to know that this is an option earlier in their careers, not later.
The goal here is to design ways of introducing students to chemical entrepreneurship. This will be done by additions to existing curricula, outreach, and mentoring. An overview would consist of a workshop where the basic concepts of entrepreneurship are covered. This would be followed by testimonials from successful entrepreneurs as to what it takes to become one. Universities like the University of Illinois have Dolphin Tank competitions that allow budding entrepreneurs to pitch their business idea to real-world venture capitalists, angel investors and other representatives of funding agencies for real-time feedback as to whether their idea has business potential. The feedback could be utilized to confirm the business potential of their ideas, provide constructive feedback to make a legitimate business idea more marketable to investors and funding sources, or to determine that entrepreneurship is not for them. I firmly believe that with leadership and mentorship non-Ph.D. chemists will play increasingly pivotal roles in our Chemical Enterprise.

Motivating individuals to obtain maximal output is a skills set I imbibed in four decades of experiences, interactions and learnings from academicians, researchers, and society. Effective communication facilitated my links across with scientists, faculty, and entrepreneurs. The ability to listen and understand different needs and viewpoints of a team is what I adapted in experiential learning. It will be privileged to use these skills in expanding the reach of younger chemists far and wide. As preached and practiced in philosophy, knowledge is wealth that increases by sharing, I will bring to the table all that I know have learnt and my eagerness to learn more. I organized, led national, international meetings, symposia, conferences and multiple cocurricular, and extracurricular events that enriched the participants and organizers. I fervently believe that communities representing diversity across the world will spark innovation, expand database of beneficiaries, and attract newer talents. My place on ACS Governance will enable me to bridge the East–West dichotomy facilitating access of science to and from the intellectual masses.

For too long, entrepreneurship has been underutilized as a legitimate career path. In our ever-changing economy, it is now clear that entrepreneurship as a viable career path for the younger chemists should be re-explored in a clear, stepwise fashion. My hope is that my proposal allows adventuresome chemists with a passion for science and with an ambitious vision a way to succeed in making their vision a reality.

I was aware of the ACS even in my undergraduate days in India. I arrived in the USA for graduate studies in 1975. During graduate and post-doctoral work, industrial career, and entrepreneurial endeavors I was the beneficiary of counsel, guidance, and wisdom of chemists in the ACS ecosystem. I am now running for election as President-elect. To borrow the magic words of Patrick Henry, “I have but one life to give in the service of Chemistry.” I pledge my best as President-Elect to a society I love, treasure, and cherish. My wife, Veena is a biochemist and my son Rajeev, an organic chemist. Chemistry runs in our family- “The Chemistry is Right.”

In ACS you are assured of “chemraderie” as we together establish functional, knowledge networks in academia, government, and industry. We enjoy credibility, trust, and are a singular resource for technical discoveries, and progression of ideas from mind to marketplace. ACS is an inclusive and welcoming community. I wish to ameliorate and eradicate negative public perceptions towards us. We must be a unifying community of scholars, a persuasive voice of insightful rationale, optimism, encouragement, inspiration.
Refining education, tackling unemployment, are areas of interest. Colleagues at all degree levels and professional endeavors benefit from programs in entrepreneurship education, careers mentoring .
Come and join us!. We will gain refreshingly new insights and perspectives from the collective wisdom of the assembled network of collaborators. Our teamwork offers vision, perchance to dream. and motivation to explore new vistas and ventures.