UW-Madison’s Discovery to Product office has a new director, according to a university release Tuesday.
Andy Richards, the former interim director of D2P and Chief of Staff to the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, was selected to lead the office.
D2P supports and mentors faculty and student entrepreneurs who want to move their technologies and innovations into the marketplace. The office collaborates with UW-Madison, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and other partners both on and off campus. It has been integral in launching successful startups ranging from cell phone apps to 3D printing companies, according to the release.
Richards officially began his new role April 1. Prior to his work at UW-Madison, Richards was a senior special assistant to the president for strategic initiatives and chief of staff for the president of the University of Wisconsin System, according to the release. He has a master’s degree in business administration from UW-Milwaukee, as well as a master’s degree in public policy and administration from UW–Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs.
“The D2P director is integral to growing and nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit across campus and in the broader community,” Norman Drinkwater, interim vice chancellor for research and graduate education, said in the release. “With Andy’s leadership at D2P, we hope to stretch the boundaries of what is possible for innovators at UW–Madison and guide them to success that not only benefits our faculty, staff and students, but also puts The Wisconsin Idea into practice.”
The office has collaborated with numerous members of the UW-Madison community to help in the marketing, fundraising, and development of products such as smartphone apps and 3D printing technology, nontechnical components important in bringing an idea or innovation to market.
“There is no shortage of innovative ideas at UW–Madison, but the playbook for commercialization success of those ideas isn’t always straightforward,” Richards said in the release. “D2P, with the expertise of its mentors and its connections across campus and in the community, is in a great position to help innovators at UW–Madison navigate a course, take calculated risks and, ultimately, fulfill their dreams.”
