Calvin Goforth, PhD

Calvin Goforth, PhD
Calvin Goforth, PhD, VIC Founder and Chief Executive Officer, has extensive experience in start-up company development in founder, investor, board member, and executive roles. His experience encompasses intellectual property assessment, building strong development teams, raising private investment and government funding, and bringing products to market. He received a BS in Aerospace Engineering with Highest Honors from the University of Texas at Austin.
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Recent Posts

SAFE vs. Convertible Notes: Which is a Better Choice for Early-Stage Investments?

Experienced early-stage investors are familiar with convertible note investments, which have evolved slightly but have been around in largely the same form for more than two decades. Convertible note investments start...

Letter from the CEO

It has been a year and ten months since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Despite the continuing pandemic, VIC’s business has largely returned to normal albeit with increased remote work, more...

University Technology Licensing Part 2: Assessing the Opportunities and Negotiating Licenses

Part 2: Technology Transfer and License Terms As was described in Part I of this article [1], VIC has a systematic and thorough technology assessment process. We also have extensive experience negotiating licenses for...

University Technology Licensing: Assessing the Opportunities and Negotiating Licenses

Part 1: Opportunity Sourcing and Assessment The U.S. invests more than $120 billion in federally sponsored research funding at universities and national labs. Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) are unique entities...

Building Life Science Startups Beyond Traditional Venture Capital Hubs

Innovation is Geographically Distributed; Venture Capital Activity is Not The powerful combination of venture capital and innovation is critical to maintaining the global competitiveness of the U.S. While innovation is...

Zero Federal Capital Gains Taxes on High-Return Investments

With a new administration comes new perspectives and likely changes in tax policy. President Biden has proposed doubling the rate that wealthy Americans pay on investment capital gains up to 43.4%, a topic that has been...

Protecting Early Investors in Capital-Intensive Life Science Companies

Angel investors often invest at the seed stage of a company's development. The typically smaller round sizes and lower valuations allow early individual investors to gain a meaningful stake in a given company. However,...

A Letter from our CEO

When I wrote my last “letter from the CEO” in January 2020, I did not foresee the tumultuous year ahead. For so many, it’s been a tragic and difficult year on a personal level. We have all been impacted by the pandemic...

VIC Investor Network Introduces a Secondary Market for Members

Provides VIN Members Early Liquidity Options FAYETTEVILLE, AR. DECEMBER 14, 2020- The VIC Investor Network (“VIN”) makes investments into companies based on technologies that can have substantial impact on human health...

VIC Foundry: An Incubator for High Impact Life Science Technologies

What is VIC Foundry? VIC Foundry is one element of the VIC innovation ecosystem. It develops technologies sourced from top research institutions in the U.S. with the potential to have substantial impact and commercial...

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Updates
VIC Tech Announces New Class of Fellows
Insight
Our Life Science and Healthcare Future
White Paper
Portfolio Diversification in Times of Market Volatility
Interview
Inside the Office of Technology Commercialization at the University of Kentucky with Holly Clark, PhD, Senior Commercialization Manager
Insight
Seven Reasons Venture Capital-Stage Companies Should Become Part of Your Investment Portfolio
White Paper
Investing in Medical Devices & Diagnostics – Industry Trends and Investor Activity
News
Solenic Medical, Inc. Announces $5.1M Series A Funding Round Led by Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc.
Interview
VIC Fellows Spotlight: Matthew Leming, PhD
From The Corner Office
From the Corner Office: Michael Artinger, PhD – CEO of Solaris Vaccines, Inc.