Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday announced the appointment of Shintaro Kaido as its new director of Technology Commercialization and New Ventures. In this leadership role, Kaido will spearhead efforts to move technologies developed at Stevens from the laboratory into the marketplace, significantly expanding the university’s innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) ecosystem.
Kaido was selected after an extensive national search and brings with him a reputation as a thought leader in venture capital and academic technology transfer. He previously served as Vice Provost for Innovation at Drexel University, an R1 research institution, and has held several high-profile advisory and board positions.
“Shintaro brings to Stevens both vision and deep expertise,” Ed Synakowski, Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, said. “He has been at the forefront of innovation strategy nationally, leading tech transfer and entrepreneur support initiatives at the highest levels. His appointment reflects Stevens’ strong commitment to empowering our talented faculty, staff and students to create societal impact based on Stevens’ research.”
Accelerating discovery to market Impact
The appointment is a crucial step in supporting one of the four key strategic priorities of the university’s plan, Stevens 2032: Inspired by Humanity, Powered by Technology. Kaido’s primary mission will be to serve as a critical bridge between Stevens’ promising research and the business community, ensuring that university innovations achieve real-world impact through commercialization.
His priorities as director include:
- Modernizing Stevens’ technology transfer operations.
- Introducing best practices for innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Accelerating research translation from initial discovery to market application.
The core functions of his office encompass intellectual property protection, the execution of licensing agreements, connecting Stevens’ innovation to industry needs, and providing support for faculty, staff, and students in their entrepreneurial endeavors.
“I am honored to join Stevens at such an important time in its history,” Kaido said. “Stevens’ faculty and researchers are creating innovations with the power to solve pressing societal challenges. My goal is to strengthen the bridge between discovery and impact by supporting our innovators, deepening industry engagement, and ensuring that Stevens’ contributions reach and benefit communities worldwide.”
Kaido’s extensive background includes serving as a member of the Leadership Council at Activate, which supports startups in sustainability and climate change, and as a member of the highly selective Kauffman Fellows global fellowship of venture capital professionals. He holds a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from UNC at Chapel Hill.
