And now, Louisville startup 听has licensed the technology from UofL and is working to get it to market.听

The inventor here, , studies organizational culture and applied behavioral economics as an associate professor at the UofL College of 成人直播 and Human Development (CEHD). His is the first licensed technology out of CEHD.听

Shuck said organizations are more productive and, often, more profitable when their employees are engaged in their workplace. Engaged employees also have a better overall workplace experience. However, his research suggests there is a more than 60% drop off in levels of engagement in the first six months of an employee鈥檚 tenure.

鈥淕lobally, employee engagement remains a critical, and sought-after competitive advantage for businesses and organizations of all sizes,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is the differentiator between market share, customer experience and quality. Everyone wants more of it.鈥�

His software, the Employee Engagement Scale (EES), helps companies to monitor that engagement, and hopefully improve it, through brief, easy-to-use surveys that gauge how employees think and feel about their work.听

The EES will be a central part of system for businesses that provides a sort of 鈥渧irtual colleague鈥� 鈥� one that keeps track of who and what staff are communicating while analyzing collaboration. CEO听Charley Miller said the “colleague”听could help leaders in the company better understand their employees and make smart decisions on how to improve the work environment.听听听

鈥淥ne of the key aspects of a good colleague is that they are great listeners,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淒r. Shuck’s IP enables us to ensure our virtual colleague is great listener when it comes to understanding how to ascertain employee engagement.鈥澨�

Not only is Shuck鈥檚 technology the first out of CEHD to be licensed to a company, but it鈥檚 the first license of the UofL Office of Research and Innovation鈥檚 Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, or EIR, program.听

Miller was one of the program鈥檚 first EIRs, to help guide UofL research-backed technologies to market in collaboration with the . After Miller鈥檚 term ended, he launched Unitonomy around Shuck鈥檚 technology.听

鈥淪ometimes all it takes is getting the right mix of people 鈥� researchers, entrepreneurs, community members 鈥� in the same room,鈥� said Will Metcalf, executive director of , who launched the EIR program. 鈥淭his is case-in-point, and we鈥檙e so excited to see what grows of this partnership between Charley and UofL.鈥澨�

Funding for the EIRs comes from the , a public-private partnership led by UofL and backed by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development to grow Louisville鈥檚 entrepreneurship ecosystem.

The EIRs, under the UofL (EVPRI), will provide guidance on product development, business planning and other activities to accelerate the commercialization of university inventions. UofL鈥檚 EIRs are:

• Josh Nickols, PhD, MBA, a seasoned biotechnology entrepreneur and venture adviser with experience in commercializing technologies born at higher education institutions;
• Jeff Cummins, MBA, a finance and business development executive with experience in start-up and fast-growth companies;
• Charley Miller, MPS, a technology startup founder, product manager and game designer with a focus on systems and user journey.

UofL ranks as one of only 120 U.S. 鈥淩esearch 1鈥� universities with 鈥渧ery high research activity,鈥� according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher 成人直播. The EIRs will amplify UofL鈥檚 existing efforts aimed at getting technologies born from that research to market, which include a 鈥渟uperfecta鈥� of .

鈥淯ofL research has produced groundbreaking innovations that have impacted a great number of industries and could impact so many more,鈥� said UofL President听Neeli Bendapudi. 鈥淏y pairing those innovations with seasoned, tested entrepreneurs, we can accelerate their journey from idea to the marketplace, generating new products and companies and making the world a better place.鈥�

Each EIR will serve a six-month term, beginning in April, and will work with the and researchers. More information on the EIRs is available .听

鈥淯ofL is full of potential game-changing technologies,鈥� Nickols said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to work with faculty and staff at UofL to drive those innovations toward market.鈥�

Funding for the EIRs comes from the , a public-private partnership, led by UofL and backed by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, to grow Louisville鈥檚 entrepreneurship ecosystem.