innovationCAFE Dallas: Master Commercialization and R&D Funding
Schedule
Wed Oct 14 2026 at 10:00 am to 12:30 pm
UTC-05:00Location
Hilton Anatole | Dallas, TX
About this Event
innovationCAFE Dallas: Master Commercialization and R&D Funding
Join us for the innovationCAFE Dallas session, designed for corporate leaders at the center of one of the world's largest HQ hubs.
For many large corporations, the R&D department is a significant cost center. The "Valley of Death"—the gap between a brilliant idea in the lab and a profitable product on the market—is where billions in investment disappear. This session is not an academic debate; it's a focused strategy workshop on how to finally turn your innovation pipeline into a profit engine.
The Focus: Bridging the "Valley of Death"
This session moves past theory to focus on the single most critical pillar for corporate HQs: Commercialization. We will dissect the financial and structural models needed to fund innovation and guarantee its path to market.
- Keynote Address: Hear from Cherie Jones, an expert in R&D tax and corporate finance, on Funding the Valley of Death. Cherie will provide a clear playbook for structuring R&D to maximize financial incentives (like tax credits) and build a robust business case that secures capital for the entire journey from lab to launch.
- The Workshop: The session transitions into an executive problem-solving workshop, centered on a critical question facing every Dallas-based executive:
"We have the R&D budget. Why are we failing to get to market, and what specific financial and structural levers (like R&D tax, Patent Box policies) can we pull now to fix it?"
Led by Adam Rogers and featuring Damian J. Smyth, this participatory dialogue will focus on actionable corporate finance and policy solutions.
The innovationCAFE Model
This high-impact, 2.5-hour event is built on the CAFE principle of innovation:
- Collaborate
- Ask
- Flow
- Evolve
Gain crucial financial strategies, network with C-suite peers, and collaborate on solutions over quality coffee. Your insights will directly contribute to a key policy paper submitted to Government, ensuring the voice of corporate Texas informs national economic strategy.
Location: Hilton Anatole Dallas
Speakers: Cherie Jones, Adam Rogers, Damian J. Smyth
Duration: 2.5 hours
Action: Gain the financial framework to turn R&D from a cost center into a profit engine.
Where is it happening?
Hilton Anatole, 2201 North Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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