Technology is Jeff Macon's career focus, but what some people may not know is that for over five years he lived in Taiwan, where he was a teacher, an editor and a writer. He returned to the Central Valley in 2008 and completed Fresno State's eMBA program. Since then, he's been putting his skills to use.
Jeff graduated from the University of San Francisco with a B.S. in Business Administration, then worked for technology companies in the Silicon Valley. He started working for Fresno State in July of 2012.
"Prior to working at Fresno State, I worked for Decipher, now FocusVision, which is a local software and market research company," he said.
Jeff started working at Fresno State as a manager for the Technology Commercialization Program at the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
"These efforts evolved into an Innovate Fresno State (IFS) program where technical assistance was provided to innovators and entrepreneurs in the Central Valley, from which five ventures were selected annually to pitch to investors at the Central Valley Venture Forum," he said.
Currently, he also works as a program manager for Fresno State's BlueTechValley (BTV) out of the California Water Institute, which includes the International Center for Water Technology, the Center for Irrigation Technology, and the WET (Water, Energy, and Technology) Center.
BlueTechValley is a program sponsored by the California Energy Commission to bring water, energy, and agriculture technology ventures that reduce electricity costs to market.
"I've been interested in innovation and entrepreneurship since I was a child, as I was able to see family members start and grow businesses," he said. "I love working with innovators, entrepreneurs, and related partners to assist ventures to successfully enter markets. It's amazing to see how many innovations are being developed in the Central Valley to solve problems in sectors including, but not limited to, water, energy, and agriculture."
He is responsible for the screening and vetting processes used to determine the innovators and entrepreneurs that will work with the BlueTechValley and the Central Valley Venture Forum. Also, he's responsible for developing regional assets mapping to be used to connect innovators and entrepreneurs to the resources that will help their ventures get to market.
The BlueTechValley is a multi-year program for the California Energy Commission. BTV is led by Fresno State's California Water Institute and includes partners such as Fresno State's Office of Community and Economic Development and the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, as well as CSUs from Bakersfield, Monterey Bay, Humboldt, Chico, and Sacramento and UCs such as Davis and Berkeley.
"The goal of BTV is to support the development of water, energy, and agriculture technology ventures that will provide benefits to California electric rate payers, primarily in terms of reducing electricity costs," he said.
Jeff connects innovators and entrepreneurs to the resources and partners needed to bring their ventures to market.
"One example is a Fresno State alum who received venture funding and is now the CEO of a local business that employs others and solves problems for restaurants," he said.
Jeff works with Dr. David Zoldoske and Helle Petersen to support the WET Center's efforts to incubate agriculture technology ventures.
"This work is important because it helps solve problems in the Central Valley and beyond, including maximizing water efficiency and minimizing energy costs," he said.
In addition to his other responsibilities, Jeff has been involved with the Fresno4Biz partnership, which includes 12 local organizations that provide assistance to community businesses, entrepreneurs, and innovators. He was also a member of Fresno State's Staff Assembly Executive Committee and supported Red Fridays, Pancake Days, and other events.
When not at Fresno State, Jeff exercises and jogs to stay healthy and relaxed. He also follows sports — largely American sports such as football, basketball, and baseball.
"I enjoy listening to podcasts on politics, culture, sports, entertainment, business, and other topics," he said.
Jeff has three children, two daughters and one son.
"My two older children attend University High School on Fresno State's campus," he said. "My younger child attends a local elementary school."
|
