For nearly two decades, Tom Furst was an executive leader of the most prolific innovation engine on the planet. He was CFO/COO of Silicon Valley based SRI International from 1996 to 2014, and played a leadership role in the creation of SRI’s powerful business model - perform leading edge R&D, and then commercialize the resulting innovations by creating start-ups and through licensing. SRI’s disruptive leading edge innovations include Siri, Intuitive Surgical, and Nuance Communication.

Tom is driven by the belief that the value of the un-exploited technologies trapped in our research universities and not-for-profit research organizations could, if harnessed as innovations, power our economy for a generation. His truly unique skills lie in the leadership and management of those special organizations in ways that ignite innovation; that recognize and build on their unique missions and characters, that balance their research and commercialization goals, and that also incorporate any clinical and educational missions. The best solutions align mission & goals, measurement & reward, recruiting & retention, staff communication, and all other key management processes.