Gottfried joins KIC as Startup Advisor in Residence

December 14, 2025   |   Anna Lardinois, Startup Storyteller

The Kenosha Innovation Center (KIC) has appointed strategic advisor and longtime startup mentor Glenn Gottfried as its new Startup Advisor in Residence. Gottfried brings decades of leadership, scaling experience, and founder support to one of southeastern Wisconsin’s fastest growing innovation hubs.

Gottfried, who has guided multiple companies through growth and exits across public and private markets, will spend two days a week providing hands-on advising, pitch preparation, go-to-market support, and strategic guidance to early-stage founders. The program is partially funded through a WEDC grant.

A role built to accelerate early-stage companies

Gottfried’s expertise allows him to offer a variety of support to early-stage companies, including:

• one-on-one guidance on business models and early product development

• pitch reviews and investor readiness support

• help with financial planning, go-to-market strategies, and operational structure

• connections to mentors, industry partners, and regional resources

• workshops and lunch-and-learn sessions offered through the Center’s new Founder Fuel program

Office hours are held Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lunch and learn

The newly launched program includes a lunch-and-learn series called Founder Fuel. Gottfried hopes the event brings more entrepreneurs into the building. The December 17 session is the first in the series and will focus on helping founders strengthen their pitches ahead of future fundraising.

Gottfried chose Kenosha

Gottfried is well-known in both the Chicago and Milwaukee startup ecosystems, and he says shifting his focus to Kenosha was intentional. After attending the KIC’s grand opening, he felt an immediate pull toward the community.

“Life is short, and I want to have more impact,” he said. “I came to the realization that I wanted to put more energy into Kenosha. Anything that helps this community develop faster and accelerate is what I am trying to do.”

Before 2010, Gottfried led several companies through public-to-private and private-to-public transactions, guiding them from early growth to successful exits.

After selling a Phoenix-based company that year, he returned home and told his wife, Gayle, that he planned to focus on “actualizing the dreams of other entrepreneurs.” Her response, “I trust you,” helped set the course for his next chapter.

Gottfried says this work aligns with what he has always valued. “Through my career, I tried to elevate the people who worked for me. My job was to nurture them so they could be better.”

Kelly Armstrong, president of the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood (KIN), added that his broad skill set is exactly what the KIC needs at this stage. “When Glenn walked in, we realized the talent he brings to the table. He already is a tremendous resource to our startups.”

An evolving resource for a growing region

Gottfried will serve as Startup Advisor in Residence through January, with the potential for continued programming based on demand. Armstrong said the KIC is already evaluating long-term options.

“I could see a potential where we rotate that around so that we bring different skill sets and different expertise to the table. That makes a lot of sense,” she said. “We are a startup and that is the beauty of being a startup. You get to create as you go, listen to what people need, and meet the market with a solution.”

As for what comes next, both Armstrong and Gottfried expect more success stories ahead. “This is the never-ending story,” Gottfried said. “There will be future stories of achievement.”

To learn more about the Startup Advisor in Residence program, click here. To register for the Founder Fuel lunch-and-learn event on Wednesday, December 17 at noon, click here.