MICHAEL D. POISEL,
Director of PCI Ventures



PLEASE SAVE THE DATE:   Thursday August 20, 2020, Noon central 

The Wharton Club of Houston is thrilled to host Michael Poisel, Director of PCI Ventures, as our featured faculty speaker.  Wharton Club of Houston past Club president and current board member Fred Wolgel, will moderate this event on Thursday, August 20 at noon (CT).  This event is a must for all entrepreneurs and investors interested in learning more about PCI Ventures!  There is no charge to participate, but please register in advance at the link below.  The Zoom details will be sent to you in a separate email after you register. 

PCI Ventures (PCIV) at the University of Pennsylvania is dedicated to supporting technology commercialization within the Penn community. Since 2010, PCIV has worked with over 200 faculty and staff members to form and launch new companies based on selected inventions and innovative technologies.

By connecting local entrepreneurs, investors and partners with Penn inventors, PCIV adds a powerful platform for a larger entrepreneurial ecosystem in greater Philadelphia and beyond.

MORE ABOUT MICHAEL POISEL
 

Since joining the University of Pennsylvania in 2009, Michael has been building entrepreneurial programs for the university. He currently manages PCI Ventures, which includes UPstart, AppitUP, DevelUPmed and UPadvisors.

The mission of UPSTART is to provide Penn faculty and staff with the means and support to launch businesses based on their promising research. Through the creation of the companies, UPSTART focuses the faculty member on applied research and building the commercial value of the technology to their benefit as well as the university and society in general. After the company is formed, UPSTART continues to assist in the development of the business by providing several additional entrepreneurial services including Addressable Market Analysis, Product Strategy Development, Fund Raising Assistance, Commercialization Grant Preparation and Management Team Recruitment. Example companies include, Carisma Therapeutics, Linnaeus Therapeutics, Exyn Technologies, and Ghost Robotics.

In the past nine years, UPSTART has initiated over 200 company projects of which many are now operating businesses.

Prior to Penn, Michael made investments in enterprise software and business services for NewSpring Capital, Apax Partners and GE Capital spanning more than ten years in private equity. He began his career in manufacturing operations for General Electric/Lockheed Martin and participated in the successful completion of several commercial and government satellite programs.

Michael graduated with honors in Mechanical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, holds an M.S. in Systems Engineering from The Moore School of Engineering of the University of Pennsylvania, and has an M.B.A. in finance and entrepreneurial management from The Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania.