A Celebration of Innovation, UF’s 10th annual startup showcase, took place at the Hilton Hotel on March 8, 2016. A Celebration of Innovation highlighted many startup companies commercializing the latest life science, medical device and cutting-edge technologies generated as a result of the more than $700 million in research conducted annually at UF. As part of this event, UF BME Industry Partner AxoGen was featured in a panel discussion “Making a Difference: The Innovation Life Cycle” that described the steps to successfully take a product from concept to the clinic. Dr. Schmidt, Pruitt Family Professor and Department Chair of UF BME, presented in the panel as one of the inventors of the technology that led to the development of AxoGen’s Avance Nerve Graft.