Christian Slough joined UNM Rainforest Innovations (UNMRI) as an innovation intern during his final semester of earning his Master of Business Administration at the University of New Mexico. As an innovation intern, he conducted in-depth prior art research and market analysis, identified potential commercial partners for local technology startups, and developed non-confidential briefs to position the university’s technologies for external licensing and partnerships.
Working at UNM Rainforest Innovations opened his eyes to the world of technology transfer and statewide economic development, where he began to envision his career path.
“My internship showed me that a career in technology and innovation is achievable,” says Slough. “Before spending time with tech entrepreneurs, I felt like the words ‘startup’ and ‘innovation’ were outside of my skill set. What I learned at UNMRI is that business development and market research skills are transferable anywhere. The fundamentals of understanding ecosystems, stakeholders, and how companies position themselves in the marketplace are valuable in any industry.”
Christian Slough, former UNM Rainforest Innovation Intern;
“The UNMRI team was extremely supportive, teaching me what questions to ask about technology, introducing me to entrepreneurs in the New Mexico startup ecosystem, and giving all interns time to participate in workshops on technology transfer and presentation competitions. It has definitely changed my life.”
After earning his MBA and completing an internship at UNMRI, Slough and his partner had planned to serve in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. However, those plans quickly changed due to unforeseen circumstances as the COVID-19 pandemic spread rapidly around the world in spring 2020. Instead, he chose to give back to his local community, spending a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Albuquerque’s Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement, helping to grow and coordinate the volunteer ecosystem.
“At the same time, my partner and I were working on our venture, launching a medical device startup in the spring 2020 semester. After winning the CTSC Health Hackathon in spring 2020, we enrolled in the UNMRI Accelerator Program, where we were introduced to an amazing mentor (Stu Rose),” Slough said. “Through the accelerator program introduced me to Build With Robots (BWR) and I ended up there after completing a year of work with AmeriCorps. I spent three years at BWR as a business development intern, eventually being promoted to business development manager. I recently accepted a position as an entrepreneurial coordinator for the New Mexico Economic Development Department’s Office of Strategy, Science, and Technology.”
New Mexico EDD’s Office of Strategy, Science, and Technology (OSST) was established to connect New Mexico’s innovation infrastructure to commercial markets and also incorporates a wide range of strategic initiatives, including entrepreneurial support and federal funding opportunities, to help attract technology-based industries in and to New Mexico.
“The UNMRI team was extremely supportive, guiding me on what questions to ask about the technology, introducing me to entrepreneurs in the New Mexico startup ecosystem, and giving all interns time to participate in workshops on tech transfer and presentation competitions. It has definitely changed my life.” – Christian Slough, former UNM Rainforest Innovation Intern
As OSST’s new Entrepreneurship Coordinator, Slough will be responsible for a variety of duties related to our entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“I’m just starting in this role, but I’m responsible for helping entrepreneurs and early-stage companies launch and scale,” Slough said. “This ranges from providing technical support, strengthening policies and programs that support entrepreneurship, partnering with research institutions and universities, and identifying federal grant opportunities. The goal of my role is to expand the entrepreneurial activity taking place in New Mexico, diversify our economy and create more opportunity for New Mexicans.”
When asked what he was most proud of in his career so far, he replied:
“Two of the proudest moments in my career have been proving to myself that a career in tech isn’t just for engineers, PhDs or Yale and Harvard graduates,” Slough said. “This is a serious stigma that New Mexico faces in our talent pipeline. We have incredible talent in our state, and letting students know about the jobs here and the skills and pathways to get there is critical to retaining and growing that talent.”
“And second, sharing my career path. Similar to the above, I have spoken to students from K-12 to graduate students all across New Mexico to share what UNMRI does here. I am proud to share that I grew up with parents who ran a successful paintless dent repair business, that I attended public schools, and that I was born and raised in New Mexico. All of these experiences prepared me for a career in technology. If I could do it, so can so many other New Mexicans entering the workforce today.”
UNMRI is extremely proud of Slough’s accomplishments to date and wishes her the best in her new role as Entrepreneurship Coordinator for the New Mexico Department of Education’s Office of Strategy, Science and Technology.
If you are a student and would like to know more about internship opportunities, please visit UNMRI.
