Rice names Associate Vice President for Industry and New Ventures

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Rice University’s Office of Innovation has named Brad Burke as associate vice president for industry and new ventures. This new role creates alignment with initiatives in the Office of Innovation and enables the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship to further Rice’s industry relationships and accelerate the scaling of Rice startups.

Burke joins the Office of Innovation to support new technologies created by Rice faculty, students and alumni, leveraging the alliance’s extensive experience building industry partnerships and supporting startups with access to mentorship, funding, pilots and customers. In addition to supporting Rice-affiliated technology company growth, Burke will lead the strategy and development of new and existing corporate collaborations, community partnerships and marketing strategy for the Office of Innovation. His responsibilities will extend to the Ion, driving programming to enhance its position as a premier hub for startup activity in Houston.

In addition to his appointment as associate vice president, Burke will continue to serve as executive director of the Rice Alliance, leading flagship programs with the alliance team.

“The Rice Alliance has played a key role over the past two decades in building Rice’s reputation as a leading institution for innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Rice Chief Innovation Officer and Vice President for Innovation Paul Cherukuri. “We are thrilled to have Brad Burke join the Office of Innovation to support our faculty and students in commercializing their inventions.”

Over the past two decades, Burke has led and grown the Rice Alliance to its key role in the global university innovation ecosystem reaching rank of No. 1 university incubator in 2013 and ’14, and contributing to Rice and the Jones Graduate School of Business’ rise as global leading entrepreneurship programs (No. 1 graduate entrepreneurship program for five years in a row). Since inception, more than 3,355 startups have participated in Rice Alliance programs and raised more than $25.8 billion in funding.

Previously, Burke founded and managed the Houston office of Viant Corporation, a premier internet consulting firm, that went public via IPO in 1999, before being acquired in 2002. Prior to Viant, Burke was a principal with CSC Index, the former management consulting division of Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC). Before CSC, Burke held executive management positions with Exxon. He received his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management as an Austin Scholar and his Bachelor of Science from Vanderbilt University.