• Short Biography
• NSF Biographical Sketch
• CV/Resume

Dan Kunitz joined the University of Maryland in 2019 as faculty in the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) in the Clark School of Engineering. Dan is co-PI and Director of the NSF-funded Mid-Atlantic I-Corps Hub, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship programs for university researchers. Dan is also PI and Director of the EDA-funded Maryland Innovation Extension, supporting researchers and technology entrepreneurs from a broad range of partners and non-R1 institutions throughout Maryland. In 2023, he also helped launch the new E.A. Fernandez IDEA Factory at UMD as a Senior Advisor. Dan has been involved in several task forces and workgroups to connect the innovation ecosystem on campus and throughout the region, and has served as a senator in the UMD Faculty Senate.

Dan is a lead instructor in NSF’s National I-Corps program, and has taught evidence-based entrepreneurship programs for researchers throughout the region as well as nationally and internationally. Before joining UMD, Dan was in a similar role at The George Washington University as Director of I-Corps Programs for the NSF I-Corps Node and as co-PI of GW’s NSF I-Corps Site. He also served as Chairman of the Washington DC Economic Partnership's AccelerateDC program, has been a Senior Advisor to NSF’s National Innovation Network, serves as a member of NSF’s Hub Council, and is former chair of NSF’s National Innovation Network Curriculum Committee.

In his professional activities outside of UMD, Dan supports technology startups in many capacities as mentor, advisor, board member, and investor. He is also particularly active in supporting the Phase Shift programs at the Department of Energy to help researchers and technology entrepreneurs to launch and scale energy-related startups. Dan started his career as a media and technology executive and entrepreneur, and was involved in the creation and management of several successful web, media, and education start-ups.