CEO
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation | Madison
Erik Iverson leads the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, the designated patenting and licensing organization for University of Wisconsin-Madison research. In his role, Iverson oversees the performance of technology transfer operations and WARF’s investment portfolio. WARF has invested directly in more than 50 startups with UW-Madison technology over the past two decades. WARF Ventures, a $110 million venture capital fund created by the foundation, is currently working with more than 30 portfolio companies.
WARF provides an annual base grant to UW-Madison to support research programs. In 2023, it gave a base grant of $67.8 million, and its total support for the university and affiliates amounted to $134.1 million.
Prior to joining WARF, Iverson was president, business and operations, of the Infectious Disease Research Institute, a nonprofit global health organization in Seattle, and served as the first attorney dedicated to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s global health and agricultural programs.
He was also a founder and board member of Afrigen Biologics & Vaccines, a biotech company based in Cape Town, South Africa.
Education: Bachelor’s, Gustavus Adolphus College; J.D., University of North Dakota School of Law; master’s, New York University School of Law
2022 Wisconsin 275 Profile
Emerging Industries | Startups
CEO
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
Madison
Erik Iverson provides the vision and overall leadership for the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, the designated patenting and licensing organization for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s research. Previously, he held leadership positions with the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Health Program. He also was a founder and board member of Afrigen Biologics & Vaccines, a biotech company based in Cape Town, South Africa.
Education: Bachelor’s, Gustavus Adolphus College; J.D., University of North Dakota School of Law; master of laws in taxation, New York University School of Law
Career advice: “Bad customers drive away good. Whether you’re providing products or services, high-maintenance, difficult customers will consume an inordinate amount of time and energy, which will leave you with less time and energy to support and work with good customers.”
First car: “A red Caprice Classic Chevrolet station wagon, which my mother handed down to me in high school. I drove it for two years, putting a massive number of miles on it as a pizza delivery guy.”
Toughest business challenge you’ve ever faced: “Establishing Afrigen Biologics & Vaccines in South Africa, which was the first vaccine biotechnology startup company on the continent of Africa.”
First job: “I had a paper route for a few years starting when I was 10 years old. I learned to be responsible to get my job done, interact with each customer individually, and that my father would drive me on my route at 5 a.m. Sunday mornings only if it fell below 50.”
