Podcast The Academic Adventures Podcast by Converge Episodes

Explore every episode of the podcast The Academic Adventures Podcast

Dive into the complete episode list for The Academic Adventures Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

	Title	Pub. Date	Duration
	“How do we, as a nation, commercialise the innovation that happens in our universities.” with Polly Purvis	27 May 2025	00:28:40
Polly is Chair of Converge and the Digital Xtra Fund as well as being a board member of Edinburgh Science. This follows a long career in banking, economic development and digital technology. Polly has an honorary doctorate from the University of Abertay and an OBE for services to industry. Polly and Sarah discuss: Why she has always enjoyed working at the leading edge of innovation The challenges universities and academics face when commercialising research How Converge supports academic entrepreneurs across all of Scotland’s universities What Scotland might learn from looking to other countries Connect with Polly on LinkedIn or BlueSky Visit the Converge website See the comparison of European universities DeepTech spinout value that Polly mentions. Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky, working in partnership with Ross Tuffee and The Connect-Ed Network. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky. This season of Academic Adventures is supported by the Scottish Funding Council.
	“We need bolder strategies and greater ambition.” with Mark Zwinderman	13 May 2025	00:31:26
Mark Zwinderman is a strategic advisor who specialises in helping high-growth technology companies. He is CEO of SAS Environmental Services (which started as a university spinout), runs the Moonshot Factory programme at the Higgs Centre for Innovation and is a commercial champion at the University of Strathclyde. Mark shares his thoughts on: Why people and business culture matter more than the technology or product Longer-term support and mentoring for founders Where Scotland currently excels, but could do even better with bolder and more ambitious strategies How to recruit and better support more commercial champions Connect with Mark on LinkedIn Visit the Moonshot Factory website Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky, working in partnership with Ross Tuffee and The Connect-Ed Network. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky. This season of Academic Adventures is supported by the Scottish Funding Council.
	‘It's not who you know, it's who knows you’ with John Storm	16 Apr 2024	00:27:51
John Storm is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen Business School, as well as being an independent consultant. He lived and worked in China for 10 years and continues to work with companies all over the world. John shares how he uses this business experience to support the next generation of entrepreneurs including: Why he often relates more to his students than his academic colleagues Finding the synergies between his teaching and business roles How bankruptcy taught him the importance of trust and integrity That success means being able to say no The importance of relationships and reputation for entrepreneurs Find out more about John’s work Connect with John on LinkedIn Read about some of his different ventures Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky. Proudly supported by the Scottish Ecosystem Fund 2023-24.
	'Not every academic wants to start their own company' with Catriona Liddle	09 Apr 2024	00:26:10
Catriona Liddle is Head of the Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. Before this Catriona spent over 20 years as a product developer in the food industry. In this episode Catriona shares the journey to developing palm oil substitute Palm-Alt and what she has learned about collaborations between academia and industry including: The challenges of industry collaboration during COVID Why she cares more about the research process than commercialisation Playing to her strengths and getting support for her weaknesses Supporting the next generation of food and drink innovators via the THRIVE Programme Find out more about Catriona’s work Connect with Catriona on LinkedIn The Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation The Palm-Alt project The THRIVE Programme for food and drink entrepreneurs Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky. Proudly supported by the Scottish Ecosystem Fund 2023-24.
	I’ve learned more from my failures than from my successes - Andy Porter	02 Apr 2024	00:31:11
Professor Andy Porter is a part-time academic and director of the Scottish Biologics Facility at the University of Aberdeen. He also holds exec and non-exec positions in several life science and drinks businesses in Scotland. In this episode Andy shares the highs and lows of 20 years in academic entrepreneurship from his first big venture Haptogen to the portfolio career he has today, including: Why his first business venture was more about preventing brain drain than making money How a Royal Society of Edinburgh Commercialisation Fellowship changed his life The experiences and failures that have made him more calm in a crisis Why he still finds emerging science more exciting than anything else Find out about Andy’s various academic and business ventures - · Scottish Biologics Facility at the University of Aberdeen · Therapeutic drugs company Elasmogen · Diagnostics company Microplate Dx · Microbiology company NCIMB · Cultivated meat company Roslin Technologies · Aberdeen cocktail bar Orchid · Porter’s Gin distillery · Cocktail retailer White Box Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn. This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky. Proudly supported by the Scottish Ecosystem Fund 2023-24.
	Learn fast, fail fast with Dr Genevieve Patenaude	26 Mar 2024	00:28:12
Dr Genevieve Patenaude is an environmental scientist (formerly University of Edinburgh) and CEO of environmental mapping company Earth Blox. In this episode Genevieve shares how she evolved from academic to entrepreneur and what she has learned along the way including: Why she always wanted to be an entrepreneur and why Earth Blox was the right business at the right time The importance building an agile team that can learn fast, fail fast and pivot Surrounding herself with experts and taking advantage of all the support on offer Creating a workplace culture that embraces family and flexibility Connect with Genevieve on LinkedIn Find out about Earth Blox Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky. It was funded by the Scottish Ecosystem Fund 2023-24.
	Why taking the first step is a victory with Dr Marc Reid	19 Mar 2024	00:35:00
Dr Marc Reid is a chemist, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, podcast host and author based at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. In this episode Marc shares the story of his first business venture, Pre-Site Safety, and what he learned from it including: The deeply personal mission behind Pre-Site Safety and why he is ultimately grateful that it didn’t work out How important conversations and customers are to a budding venture Why you’ll never be able to map the road ahead unless you take that first step Connect with Marc on LinkedIn, X or visit his website. Find out about Marc’s latest venture Kineticolor Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky and is proudly supported by the Scottish Ecosystem Fund 2023-24.
	The Academic Adventures Podcast Trailer	12 Mar 2024	00:06:16
This podcast is all about people who have embraced the opportunity to combine their academic work with entrepreneurial ventures. This is a short introduction to the series. It includes a taster of some of the upcoming interviews, the story and the people behind the podcast, who we hope will listen and what we hope they will get out of it. Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn. [This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky. It was funded by the Scottish Ecosystem Fund 2023-24.]
	“If the barriers aren’t broken down, we’re missing out on a lot of talent and potential.” with Diana Gormley	29 Apr 2025	00:26:27
Diana Gormley is the Founder of business consulting firm Danu Solutions Ltd, as well as being an Entrepreneur in Residence at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. Diana explains why she wants to break down barriers and get more people involved in entrepreneurship including: The Women in Business course that helped her transition from engineering to running her own company Making entrepreneurial concepts and language accessible and relevant How universities can make good use of their Entrepreneurs in Residence Why she thinks university staff need more access to support and opportunities Connect with Diana on LinkedIn or via email Find out more about Danu Solutions Ltd Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky, working in partnership with Ross Tuffee and The Connect-Ed Network. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky. This season of Academic Adventures is supported by the Scottish Funding Council.
	“I’m able to identify pitfalls and bottlenecks.” with Christopher Leburn	15 Apr 2025	00:31:15
Christopher Leburn is the Technology Exploitation Director for the Photonics & Quantum Accelerator (PQA) programme based at the University of Strathclyde, but working across Scotland’s central belt. He focuses on supporting and mentoring academics to boost research commercialisation. Christopher shares his vision for filling the spin-out pipeline with exciting opportunities including: Why Scotland’s central belt is perfectly placed to translate more photonics research into innovation Getting academics to think more like entrepreneurs How he champions great ideas and helps to smooth the path to commercialisation Joining the dots from research to real jobs through place-based partnerships Connect with Christopher on LinkedIn or X Visit the Photonics & Quantum Accelerator website and follow the programme on LinkedIn or X @PhotonicsQA Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky, working in partnership with Ross Tuffee and The Connect-Ed Network. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky. This season of Academic Adventures is supported by the Scottish Funding Council.
	“I was often the only woman in the room, and I wanted to do something about that” with Gillian Fleming	07 Mar 2025	00:28:34
Gillian Fleming is Co-Founder and Managing Director of women-led angel investment network Mint Ventures. She is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Stirling. Gillian shares the rewards and challenges of being an Entrepreneur in Residence including Why supporting women-led businesses is so important to her How working in university commercialisation got her interested in investing Her personal connection to Stirling which motivates her to give back The rewards of being trusted with people’s ideas and aspirations Connect to Gillian via LinkedIn Visit the Mint Ventures website Follow Mint Ventures on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or X (@MintVentures) Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky, working in partnership with Ross Tuffee and The Connect-Ed Network. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky. This season of Academic Adventures is supported by the Scottish Funding Council.
	“You always have to be looking for different ways of making it happen” with Emily Doolittle	21 May 2024	00:29:33
Emily Doolittle is a lecturer and research fellow at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. She is also an independent composer, working on commissions and personal projects alongside her academic work. Emily shares how she combines these different roles including: Why she identifies as stubborn rather than entrepreneurial The ways that her academic and freelance work are intertwined How coming to the UK has allowed her to have a more varied career Her goal of getting 100 rejections a year Hear some of Emily’s compositions on her website Connect to Emily via her Royal Conservatoire profile Find out about Emily’s interdisciplinary collaborations via SHARE Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn
	‘If you’re not feeling insecure, you’re not learning’ with Dr Kavi Jagadamma	14 May 2024	00:26:40
Kavi Jagadamma is a senior lecturer in physiotherapy at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. He is also one of four directors at Health Design Collective, a social enterprise which co-creates shoes for people with long-term health conditions. Kavi shares the company’s journey to date including: The huge value of mentoring and support How applying for enterprise funding differs from research funding Celebrating small wins and gradual progress Redefining creativity and entrepreneurship Connect with Kavi on LinkedIn or X Find out about Health Design Collective on their website, Facebook or X Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky. Proudly supported by the Scottish Ecosystem Fund 2023-24.
	‘Make sure you are selling a technology that the world needs’ with Prof Duncan Graham and Prof Karen Faulds	07 May 2024	00:30:09
Duncan Graham and Karen Faulds are both chemistry professors at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. They were part of the team which founded the diagnostics spin-out company D3 Technologies in 2007. Duncan and Karen share what they learned from both starting and closing the company including: Their long, slow journey to try and make D3 Technologies a viable business The importance of talking to potential customers to make sure they actually want the product Why they are only now considering a new spin-out opportunity How university support for spin-outs has improved since their first attempt Connect with Duncan on X Connect with Karen on X Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky. Proudly supported by the Scottish Ecosystem Fund 2023-24.
	‘It's a lot more than just the product’ with Anne Muir	30 Apr 2024	00:26:50
Anne Muir is Director of Portfolio at EOS, an organisation that invests in university spin-out companies. Prior to that she was Head of IP and Commercialisation at the University of Dundee. Anne talks about what she has learned from a long career in technology transfer and business development including: The art and science of successful commercialization Why everyone needs sales training Getting satisfaction from helping develop talented entrepreneurs Encouraging academics to take advantage of the support on offer Connect with Anne on LinkedIn Find out more about EOS Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky. Proudly supported by the Scottish Ecosystem Fund 2023-24.
	‘You just have to be willing to walk that path’ with Dr Anton Puzorjov	23 Apr 2024	00:35:42
Anton is the founder of Quas Drinks, a company he set up in 2021 whilst completing a PhD in synthetic biology at the University of Edinburgh. A serial entrepreneur, he established his first venture while still a Masters’ student but closed the business in 2019. Anton shares what he has learned from his journey including: How his entrepreneurial dreams were inspired by an ex-girlfriend’s mum When he realised that his first business One Cherry wasn’t viable Taking advantage of all the support, funding, events, and competitions on offer Treating everything as a learning opportunity Find out more about Anton’s work - Connect with Anton on LinkedIn Find out about Quas Drinks Follow the Academic Adventures podcast on LinkedIn This podcast was a collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland, Converge and Sarah McLusky. The podcast team includes Orla Kelly, Adam Kosterka, Jen Black and Sarah McLusky and is proudly supported by the Scottish Ecosystem Fund 2023-24.

About us Privacy Policy