Ken Nisbet recently retired as Associate Vice President of U-M Tech Transfer where he had strategic and operational responsibilities for all technology transfer activities at the University of Michigan. Ken and his team have created several University programs to accelerate technology commercialization and economic development, including the Venture Center, the Catalyst Resource Network, the Mentors-in-Residence program and TechStart internships. Ken has been active in statewide economic development and created the Tech Transfer Talent Network to assist other state universities.
Prior to coming to the University of Michigan, Ken had over twenty years of experience in the commercial sector within engineering, finance, marketing and management roles at Ford Motor Company, Digital Equipment Corporation (now HP) and Nortel. Ken also was a co-founder and president of Memorybank, Incorporated, a storage systems provider, and was also a director responsible for business start-ups at Trinova’s (now Eaton) Corporate Technology Laboratory in Ann Arbor.
Ken is active in community activities, including past and current leadership positions within Ann Arbor SPARK, New Enterprise Forum, Glacier Hills Foundation, Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest, the IT Zone and Wireless Washtenaw, as well as regional and national organizations.