USC Innovation Coast Conference Announces Grand Prize Winner By James Kasim

Introduction• James Kasim, currently managing director of strategic

initiatives, launched his career in corporate finance after graduating from the University of California Marshall School of Business. In addition to his work in private equity, James Kasim was involved with his alma mater as an adjunct professor for three years.

Located near one of the busiest technological centers in the nation, the USC Marshall School of Business has an extensive tradition of connecting the core values of business leadership with innovative technologies through events such as the inaugural “Innovation Coast” conference, hosted at the Center for Global Innovation.

Grand Prize Winner• Sponsored by the Lord Foundation, Ernst & Young,

Edwards Lifesciences, Haynes and Boone, and IBM, the Innovation Coast brought together nearly 100 entrepreneurs and early-stage companies to showcase innovative consumer products and services. The competition winners were announced this past May.

First-place and $25,000 in grant funding went to Disease Diagnostic Group, a pre-revenue medical device company focused on developing cost-effective diagnostic technology for highly infectious diseases.

Conclusion

•Its flagship Rapid Assessment of Malaria (RAM) device utilizes inexpensive magnetic and laser technology to detect malaria in less than a minute at a fraction of the cost of what current diagnostic methods cost. In addition to placing first at the Innovation Coast Conference, the company has also been featured in national news outlets including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and CNN.