Paul Reeder, Executive Director

As the Executive Director of the Center for Innovation Strategies, Paul’s mission is to partner with key university stakeholders to establish a unified, overarching innovation collaboration strategy that maximizes value creation for Ohio State. His commercialization experience and industry relationships have uniquely prepared him to lead CIS. The Ohio State University Center for Innovation Strategies is an official academic center of The Ohio State University housed at the Fisher College of Business. The center facilitates innovation-based learning and experiences that will impact the global economy by assisting in new company formation and the development of new products and services within existing businesses.

In his previous position as Director of Operations and Collaboration Strategy in the Office of Research, Industry Liaison Office, Paul will work closely with his ILO colleagues, Office of Research leaders, college deans, and internal partners involved in business collaboration to assemble, expand, and improve accessibility of core university capability in support of external engagement.

Previously, Paul was the Director of Ideation and Product Development at the Technology Commercialization Office, Paul worked closely with researchers and Medical Center staff on the creation and development of commercial inventions. The Ideation process was established within the TCO to support university inventors across the colleges to mature early stage ideas, accelerate the marketability and patentability of their inventions and to increase the value of the licensing opportunity for the university.

Before joining Ohio State in 2012, Paul founded Design Axis, a consulting firm specializing in product development and strategic innovation. Previously, he was the Vice President of Business Development at the Ellies Design Group and a hardware designer with Hewlett Packard. In 1994, Paul formed Zura Sports, a manufacturer of consumer products. Paul’s experience across diversified areas of innovation and product development has provided him with a unique perspective of the business world, which drive his goal to extend the reach of innovation from user centric design to the creation of compelling business models.