A copy of the lecture delivered at the AEA Annual Conference 2010 in San Antonio, Texas on 13 November.
Abstract: Consulting to big business for sixteen years, I have spoken to many people with new innovative ideas for products, services, new markets and complete innovations that were never commercialized. Over the past three years during the course of helping entrepreneurs and inventors to find seed capital I witnessed many good ideas that are far too difficult to get off the ground. Ideas like processing condensate to produce cleaner fuel, an add-on to car engines that increases fuel efficiency by up to 35%, producing near clean emissions and a new energy device capable of supplying energy to households at negligible pollution levels. All of these at last look were still struggling to get off the ground. Big business has a role to play in implementing employee generated ideas and providing a route to market for entrepreneurs and inventors. To accomplish this end business needs to change their culture and behavior.