Three finalists were named for the position of director of Discovery to Product, a new partnership between the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, according to a Tuesday university press release.
The initiative, more commonly known as D2P, aims to build on a long history of collaboration between the university and WARF. The ultimate goal is to create a streamlined pathway for UW-Madison-inspired innovation and for technology products to move to the market, according to the program’s website.
According to the website, one of D2P’s goals is to help boost Wisconsin’s economy by turning “ideas and discovery into companies and products.”
The three candidates for director, John Biondi, William J. Checovich and Kirk A. Reinbold, have all worked as executives in some capacity, the release said.
Biondi has been an executive and manager of six startup technology companies, ranging from the production of medical devices to advanced materials, according to the release. He raised nearly $60 million for these companies and has been a member of Wisconsin Governor’s Business Council since 2008.
Checovich has experience in various areas, including startup company foundation, technology scouting and business development, according to the release. His experience spans from the private sector to the UW-Madison campus where he was a former director and entrepreneur in residence of the Coulter Foundation Program in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Reinbold’s background includes work in both corporate and academic managements, as well as business development, according to the release. His areas of expertise include prototype development, entrepreneurship and he holds six patents.
All three candidates will visit campus for interviews in late February or early March. The new D2P director will be announced later this spring.
