Andrea Kates
Andrea Kates, Entrepreneur in Residence, MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship, Author From Stuck to Scale, Former Tech CEO
Andrea Kates addresses the question: Why don’t the best ideas become the best businesses? A Silicon Valley-based innovation strategist and former tech CEO, Andrea is author of the award-winning 2025 book, From Stuck to Scale, the new playbook for achieving tech commercialization and business growth. She pioneered the application of the lean startup methods for corporations – pinpointing exactly where innovation gets stuck – and committed to replacing the “fail fast” innovation mindset with a proven process to overcome barriers to growth and scale.
Globally, she advises large enterprises (Cisco, Ford US + China, KK Wind, 3M), innovative organizations (Mayo Clinic, Stanford Center for Responsible Digital Leadership), governments (US National Science Foundation, IT Park Uzbekistan, Copenhagen Fintech, Dubai 2020), nonprofits (NextMedHealth, Arthritis Society Canada) and accelerators (Fujitsu Open Innovation Gateway, Shimizu Novare Innovation Hub) to drive impact for their stakeholders, customers, investors, partners, and communities.
At the core of Andrea’s expertise is building breakthrough commercialization of innovation, based on a 5-step From Stuck to Scale model: Envision, Expand, Build, Engage and Activate. In advanced manufacturing, AI, robotics, and technology transformation, the power lies in getting people on board and leading ecosystems (not ego-systems.)
Previously, she was the CEO of the Silicon Valley SaaS company that pioneered the application of the lean startup process with more than 13,000 corporate teams, university-based tech innovators, entrepreneurs and R&D labs funded by the US Government I-Corps. In that position, she helped to establish the gold standard for commercialization.
A dynamic thought leader, Andrea is in high demand globally as a speaker and has delivered keynotes at some of the world’s most prestigious conferences, including the TED main stage, Business Ecosystem Alliance, Aspen Ideas Festival, the Edison Awards, National Association of Manufacturers, Rueda de Innovación (Colombia), Nordic Fintech, OpenFinance Mexico, and the CXO Forum in Tokyo. Andrea is Senior Fellow with The Conference Board, serves on the Editorial Board for Research Technology Management journal, and is a Technical Advisor to RUFORM Africa, a consortium of 175 leading universities in 40 African countries.
Connect with her at [email protected].
For downloadable tools and resources visit andreakates.com