Troy, N.Y. — Michael Tentnowski has been appointed as director of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Incubator, one of the first university-based incubators in the country. Tentnowski has had more than a decade of experience in small business and entrepreneurship development in the academic and business arena around the country.

“Entrepreneurship is ingrained in our culture, and our ground-breaking Incubator Program has been an integral part of our success. Rensselaer continues to build on our extraordinary history of fostering discovery and innovation, moving ideas from the lab to the global marketplace of the 21st century,” said Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson. “Michael Tentnowski will lead the effort at Rensselaer to nurture new technology ventures as a means of commercializing discovery and invention, particularly that which comes out of our new and enhanced research thrusts, thereby providing economic growth to the region and beyond.  He brings a broad spectrum of experience, from technology transfer to management, counseling start-ups to venture capital. He understands markets for technology and has demonstrated the ability to work with entrepreneurs to move technology into the marketplace. His expertise will benefit the Incubator, the Institute, and the community.  We welcome him to Rensselaer.”

Most recently, Tentnowski served as executive director of the Physical Science Institute (PSI), responsible for incubating technology companies through early stages of development, commercializing intellectual property primarily emerging from the Physical Science Laboratory at New Mexico State University, and focusing on entrepreneurship and economic development in southern New Mexico.

From 1993 to 1996, he was the coordinator of business development programs in the Economic Development Assistance Center (EDAC) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he worked with small business development centers throughout Virginia, focusing on economic growth through small business and entrepreneurship development. While at EDAC, Tentnowski co-authored The Virginia Entrepreneur's Guide, a “how-to” book on starting and managing a business in the Commonwealth.

Tentnowski has been involved in the start-up of two successful businesses, in real estate and in personnel management. 

Tentnowski began his academic career at Radford University’s Business Center in Radford, Va., where he served as the training and development director from 1996 to 2000. During his tenure, to enhance students’ understanding of business development, Tentnowski provided educational and technical business assistance through classroom instruction, workshops, seminars, and individual counseling.

In 2000 and 2001, Tentnowski served as the vice president of international mining and industrial exchange in Charleston, W.V. From 2001 to 2004 he served as president of the Dan River Business Development Center, a business incubator in Danville, Va., where he increased occupancy from near zero to 87 percent in two years.

Tentnowski received his bachelor’s degree in accounting, and an MBA from the University of Montana, Missoula.

Contact: Jessica Otitigbe
Phone: (518) 276-6050
E-mail: otitij@rpi.edu