Catalyzing Innovation at Texas State University

Texas State University is up to $183 million in research expenditures, and invention disclosures have tripled in the past two years. Dr. Matt Sorenson, the university's first Director of Venture Development, breaks down what happens after a researcher files a patent — and who actually owns it.

Justin McKenzie sits down with Dr. Sorenson in San Marcos to talk through Star Park, the BobCatalyst Innovation Accelerator Program, and the $30,000 proof-of-concept grants that fund prototypes and pilot testing before a technology is ready for a commercial partner. Doctor Sorenson also explains why the Board of Regents owns anything invented with Texas State resources — and why inventors still share in the revenue if it reaches the market.

Also covered: the National Academy of Inventors chapter launching at Texas State this September, and the story of Donovan Brown, a Texas State engineering student building flood-response drones out of lab space at Star Park after the July 2025 floods.

If you're a Texas State alum, a founder building out of a university lab, or a researcher wondering what happens to your patent after you file it, this one walks through exactly how a public university turns a lab discovery into a company.

0:00 – Why a university can't take tech to market alone
0:56 – Sorenson's path from UT Austin to Texas State
2:20 – What a Director of Venture Development does day to day
3:14 – $183M in research spending, 3x jump in invention disclosures
5:06 – The range of research: AI, concrete tech, healthcare apps
6:10 – BobCatalyst: customer discovery training and the $30K grants
9:22 – Who owns your invention, and how you still get paid
11:54 – Why Sorenson picked Texas State over bigger programs
15:25 – Texas Venture Gala, SXSW, and the Bobcat network
18:01 – What's coming this fall at Star Park
21:00 – Kelly Damphousse's leadership and Bobcat culture
22:25 – Donovan Brown's flood-response drone startup

The Building Texas Show is hosted by Justin McKenzie, covering the founders, mayors, and innovators building the Texas economy.

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