Quality Management Standard for Medical Devices


xCAT™ ENT

 
Zell Lurie Institute Annual Report

Zell Lurie Institute Fall 2006 Annual Report
Strategies and Synergy: Action-Based Learning

Zell Lurie Institute action-based learning programs immerse Ross School students in entrepreneurial environments at University of Michigan spinouts, early stage technology companies and venture capital firms.

Through Marcel Gani internships and entrepreneurial or international MAP (multidisciplinary action project) assignments, for example, students are able to apply business fundamentals from the classroom to real-world entrepreneurial situations.

At the same time, Ross students assist entrepreneurs by researching and developing sound business strategies that strengthen the underpinnings of young companies and support their growth. This synergy has helped to advance the companies profiled here while affording Ross students a valuable opportunity to test the entrepreneurial waters.

Predrag Sukovic, Xoran Technologies

Xoran Technologies has emerged as an innovative leader over the past five years in the medical-imaging landscape and has set the gold standard for point-of-care CT scanning. The firm, which was spun out of the University of Michigan in 2001 by Predrag Sukovic, then a 2002 Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering, and his academic advisor, Neal Clinthorne, a senior research scientist in the Department of Radiology at the School of Medicine, has blossomed into a robust commercial enterprise with more than 40 highly skilled, customer-focused employees and a team of nationally recognized medical, scientific and business advisors.

“Working directly with the Zell Lurie Institute has benefited Xoran by providing us with young, ambitious students who are eager to apply what they have learned in their MBA program in a real-world context,” says company spokesperson Rohini Rebello-D’Souza.

A team of MBA students in an entrepreneurial-studies course assisted Sukovic in writing a preliminary business plan for Xoran, and a $20,000 Dare to Dream grant award from the Zell Lurie Institute enabled the startup to bridge a gap in funding and enlarge its staff. Savvy entrepreneurial-minded summer interns brought a fresh perspective to the company, and the ongoing support of the Institute made the action based learning process a worthwhile, advantageous effort.

In 2002, Marcel Gani intern Mark Wenger worked directly with Sukovic, now company president, on strategic planning and finance.

“Mark got experience in an entrepreneurial setting by drafting a business plan that included financial analysis and a general marketing strategy,” explains Rebello-D’Souza. “Through his ideas, Xoran was able to gain greater insight into its future in the medical-device industry.”

The following year, intern Manish Singhal conducted market research and customer analysis to help Xoran refine its marketing plans and forge a path to future opportunity.

“By immersing himself in the research and planning process at Xoran, Manish ultimately learned what it takes to start and maintain a successful business,” Rebello-D’Souza remarks.

She says Xoran’s “pioneering spirit and meticulous work ethic” were responsible for transforming the young company into a technological leader.

“Our dynamic employees and our passionate commitment to customer service and patient care define our company’s culture,” she says. “We aspire to continue our excellence in everything we do.”