Ken Morse

Ken Morse leads the MIT effort to train leaders to bring innovative concepts and new technologies to market, and build successful high tech startup businesses. Based at the MIT Sloan School of Management, the MIT Entrepreneurship Center has the mandate to inspire and nurture the leaders who will be the next generation of High Tech Entrepreneurs and to foster research and collaboration, Institute- wide. Participation in the student-run $100K Entrepreneurship Competition, as well as enrollment in New Enterprises and the Entrepreneurship Laboratory Courses, is open to students from Engineering, Science, and Management, encouraging multidisciplinary teamwork.

The MIT Entrepreneurship Center has helped to create the Global Venture Creation Network, which includes collaborations with Cambridge Enterprise [part of the University of Cambridge (UK)], and the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The MIT Entrepreneurship Center helped establish the Corporate Venturing Consortium (CVC) of which Morse serves as the Secretary. This dynamic group enables leading firms to share best practices and communicates the benefits of Corporate Venturing to top management.

Morse joined MIT in 1996 after 25 years as a serial entrepreneur helping launch six high-tech ventures. His batting average is 83%: of these six companies, five did well and one was a total disaster.

Between 1982 and 1996, Morse held a number of strategic positions in a venture-backed startup, Aspen Technology, Inc., which commercialized process modeling software originally developed at MIT. He initially crafted the company's global strategy and secured early customers in Europe and Asia. As a member of AspenTech's Board of Directors from 1986 until 1995, he focused on AspenTech's entry into new global markets, including high value applications of their enterprise software. From 1992 to 1996, he resided in Brussels as AspenTech's Managing Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) where he opened and managed new offices in France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and South Africa, as well as integrating the various European businesses acquired by AspenTech.

After a highly successful initial public offering (IPO) in October 1994, AspenTech (AZPN) quickly grew to 1600+ employees worldwide, with revenues exceeding $150 million. Ken then moved to MIT to "give back" to the next generation of entrepreneurs.