Summary
Tom Hopper is a director-level innovation leader with 12+ years of experience bridging systems, data, and people to translate technical insight into strategic business outcomes. He has led cross-functional and global teams from concept to commercialization, generating multi-million euro revenue gains, millions in cost savings, and recurring operating improvements through Lean Six Sigma and DFSS programs. Based in Michigan, he currently directs a university innovation hub supporting ~250 companies annually while also advising startups as a principal consultant. Tom combines deep product development and systems engineering roots with hands-on entrepreneurship coaching, enabling founders to move from idea validation to market launch using evidence-based management. He is notable for institutionalizing stage-gate innovation systems and developing training that scaled across global organizations—an indicator of his talent for turning process rigor into cultural change.
12 years of coding experience
28 years of employment as a software developer
Bachelor's Degree, Physics, Mathematics, Bachelor's Degree, Physics, Mathematics at Alma College
Master's Degree, Product Development, Master's Degree, Product Development at University of Detroit Mercy
English, German