Tom Furst is a renowned executive leader whose expertise lies in fostering innovation, board governance, business model creation, and commercialization. He has been a CFO/COO at SRI International in the Silicon Valley for almost two decades, where he played a critical role in the creation of SRI's dynamic business model- generate sophisticated R&D and commercialize the outcomes by incorporating start-ups and licensing agreements. Tom's unique abilities to lead and manage such organizations that ignite innovation have made him a highly sought-after speaker and consultant in the entrepreneurship sphere.

He is dedicated to harnessing unexploited technologies in our research universities and non-profits by turning them into profitable innovations, which in turn can fuel our economy's growth for many generations to come. Tom's speaking and training focus on how to innovate, which helps his clients develop a disciplined innovation process that can be documented, taught and repeated.

As a keynote speaker and trainer, Tom delivers substantial value to his clients by providing advisory and consulting services, serving as a board member and EIR, and interim CFO. Before joining SRI, Tom also held senior-level positions at Booz Allen Hamilton, PRC (now Northrop Grumman), and HRB Singer (now Raytheon). Tom has studied BS Economics at Villanova University and earned an MBA from The College of William and Mary, which has furthered his knowledge and expertise.