GRAND RAPIDS ? Mary Sue Hoffman is one of four Technology Business Consultants on staff at the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center whose job is to help small technology businesses grow.

Hoffman became the first TBC at the MI-SBTDC in August 2001. She specializes in intellectual property protection, model contracts and agreements, and access to alternative financing.

TBCs are responsible to State Director Carol Lopucki with direct communication links through the 12 Michigan Regional Directors. Like Hoffman, all consultants hold a Master?s Degree in Business Administration or the equivalent, have five or more years of business experience and two or more years experience in a technology-related field. Their expertise reflects Michigan’s technology initiatives and needs in the following areas:

Intellectual Property

Basics of patenting/trademarks/copyrights; Licensing basics

Management Team Assessment

Management Team strengths and weaknesses

Financing Alternatives

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR); Small Business & Technology Transfer (STTR); Venture Capital; Angel Capital

Commercialization Strategies

New product development/commercialization strategies; Strategic and business planning; Technology marketing; Licensing strategies

Networking and Resource Identification

National and statewide resources of Michigan SBTDC partners

TBC Hoffman joined the MI-SBTDC in August 2001 as the first of four full-time technology business consultants. She specializes in intellectual property protection, model contracts and agreements, and access to alternative financing. She received her B.A. in Business Administration from Michigan State University and J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Hoffman began her career in 1987 as a Tax Attorney with PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Continuing her practice in tax, she joined Allegheny Technologies, Inc. in 1989. In 1992, she was promoted to Tax Counsel where she successfully argued before state tax tribunals and concluded several audits with the Internal Revenue Service. In 1994, she was promoted to Director of Employee Relations to initiate changes in the management-employee relationship. Managing a staff of twenty human resource professionals, her responsibilities encompassed employee relations, training and development, recruiting, compensation, and employee communication for over 1,600 employees at multiple locations.

In 1997, she was promoted to General Manager of Human Resources with responsibility for creating best practices in human resources at multiple locations for more than 5,000 employees. During this time, she received a certificate in Strategic Human Resources Management from Harvard University. In 1999, Hoffman joined Duquesne University as adjunct faculty and a Business Consultant with the Chrysler Corporation Small Business Development Center where she provided counsel to entrepreneurs in start-up and existing businesses

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Each month, we?ll feature a different TBC in these updates exclusive to Mitechnews.Com.

The MI-SBTDC has a systemic referral process by which regional directors refer TBCs on an as needed basis. To learn more, click on MI-SBTDC.Org