Gert is a digital shaper and innovation thought leader renowned for creating business incubators and innovation programs. Currently, he serves as a lecturer in Entrepreneurship & Innovation at UC Berkeley and selected Swiss universities. He earned his MBA from SMU Cox Business School in Dallas, TX, followed by post-graduate courses at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the Zurich University of Teacher Education. Gert holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from HWZ University in Zurich. As the founder of USA Launching Pad, he helps foreign companies accelerate and de-risk their US expansion while generating leads and building sales. He has advised on innovation programs and new business building to Fortune 500 corporations, regional governments, and academic institutions. He co-founded the SuperPublic smart city innovation center initiated between the City of San Francisco and UC Berkeley. With extensive international business leadership experience, Gert has also held roles such as CEO of Bluelion Incubator, a high-tech startup incubator jointly founded by the City of Zurich, ETH University and corporate partners; Vice President of Sales for Purple Labs SA in France; and Director at Nokia, where he led the team that created the world’s first app store.