Joe Graben, in addition to providing consulting services through Ask Graben!, works in the University of Southern Mississippi’s Office of Research and Economic Development serving as Director of the USM Business and Innovation Assistance Center (USM/BIAC).

In this capacity he helps promote and support research, development and commercialization partnerships between the University, private industry and the federal government. A key program he implements under the USM/BIAC to carry this out is the Mississippi Federal and State (MS-FAST) Partnership Program providing support to Mississippi companies competing in the federal SBIR-STTR programs.  

His experience includes grants administration, assisting faculty and companies in developing proposals and budgets to federal R&D and technology development programs, licensing of federal patents, development of dual-use partnerships, business plan development, technology commercialization, identifying and assisting companies in obtaining venture capital and angel funding, and obtaining technical assistance from federal labs.

He holds an MBA from the University of Southern Mississippi, a BBA in Business Management from Mississippi State University and received continuing education at the National Technology Transfer Center - Wheeling Jesuit University in Intellectual Property Management, Technology Transfer, and Information Resources.