Mike Taylor

Director, Venture Creation

Mike brings a wealth of experience in translating new, disruptive ideas into sustained value at the intersection of enterprises, universities, and startups. He specializes in cultivating innovation ecosystems to develop and commercialize high-tech, high-growth technologies in West Michigan and beyond.

Before joining the MSU Research Foundation, Mike served as an Innovation Entrepreneur at Nike's Technology Innovation Office. He also held multiple roles at Steelcase in research, strategy, and innovation, where he co-founded the Material Innovation team and the Digital MakerSpace. His background includes complex systems research with the Santa Fe Institute and automotive manufacturing experience with Bosch and Autocam. He is a design thinking facilitator and coach, with experience from the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology and IDEO.

Mike holds an Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused on innovation from Western Michigan University, as well as Master of Science (MS) and Bachelor or Science (BS) degrees in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Michigan Technological University.