Matthew Wagner was named founding executive director of Center for Advanced Technology & Innovation (CATI) in June 2001. He is responsible for managing this regional partnership initiative that incorporates project-based education; technology transfer and incubator programs. As the founding Executive Director, Matt has successfully led CATI to securing nearly $45 million in intellectual property donations and joint ventures from global companies such as Kraft Foods, Boeing, ISP, Caterpillar and S.C. Johnson. CATI has also successfully launched several new companies based on its own intellectual property, including Yokit, RmSys and SRPM. As a result of this success, CATI was named the 2006 International Economic Development Council's award winner for Technology-Based Economic Development. In that same year the State of Delaware awarded CATI with a contract to replicate its unique technology transfer program by managing 255 donated patents from Dupont and Hercules Corporation.
Matthew has a Master of Science Degree in Urban Studies - Specialization in Urban Development from University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (UWM), and recently gained dissertator status as part of his Ph.D. work in urban development at UWM.