MILWAUKEE – After 15 years of significant work to advance high-tech businesses in Wisconsin, Associate Director Dave Linz is retiring this month from the Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC).
Linz assisted over 500 Wisconsin entrepreneurs to develop ideas and technologies into fundable businesses that have obtained over $64 million in capital since 2010.
During his tenure, Linz steered the CTC to be an education-focused organization and led the development of milestone-based courses (SBIR Ready, SBIR Advance) to support entrepreneurs before and after earning federal Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) awards.
Dave earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering and a master’s in nuclear engineering from the University of Arizona as well as an MBA from Webster University. Before joining CTC (formerly the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Networks) in 2005, he held management roles at GE Nuclear and the Gas Research Institute and served as vice president of marketing and business development at OLI Systems.
“CTC has a strong team, and I expect great things as they expand and create new programs to serve Wisconsin businesses,” Linz said.
CTC will carry forward Linz’s vision of providing entrepreneurial and SBIR education to Wisconsin researchers and small businesses. With more than $3.5 billion in available, non-dilutive federal SBIR funding, opportunities for Wisconsin innovators continue to grow. “The CTC wants to see Wisconsin small businesses win more funding from contracting agencies like the Department of Energy and Department of Defense, which have funded innovations in healthcare, agriculture and more,” said Idella Yamben, CTC business development consultant.
CTC is expanding its workforce and broadening its impact by assisting more businesses to commercialize new technology. Toward these goals, the CTC has hired Brian Walsh as a consultant.
“Brian both complements and adds new experience to the current CTC team. We’ve taken advantage of an opportunity to bring new experience on board to advance assistance for our clients,” said Margaret Ramey, outreach specialist.
Walsh was a key employee at a Wisconsin-based biotech equipment company – eventually purchasing, running and growing it to a successful exit. “This recent entrepreneurial experience is extremely valuable for CTC clients who wish to follow a similar path,” said Todd Strother, senior SBIR consultant.
Walsh’s professional background includes helping inventors from Wisconsin universities take their ideas to market through technology transfer activities and independently coaching startups and other small companies in optimizing their business models. In his role at CTC, Walsh will be based in the Milwaukee region and take over some of the responsibilities performed by Dave Linz.
About the Center for Technology Commercialization
The Center for Technology Commercialization is a program unit within the University of Wisconsin System’s Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship. CTC provides one-on-one expert consulting to early-stage emerging technology businesses throughout Wisconsin and supports clients to win federal non-dilutive funding. CTC has collaborated in acquiring more than $270 million in federal and other funding for clients. Learn more at www.wwwtest.wisconsinctc.org; follow @WisconsinCTC on Twitter.