Your Technology Transfer recruiting team
We partner with your team and organization to find highly innovative individuals who will add exceptional value to your organization. Our clients include Universities, Academic Research Institutions, Medical Research Institutes, and Independent Research Institutes. Contact us today and let us help grow your innovation team.

Glen Gardner
President
Glen Gardner is the President of Gardner Innovation Search Partners. An avid bicyclist, Tiny Home Mogul and past Olympic volunteer, when Glen’s not cultivating talent for your organization, you can find him on the mountain bike trail in the summer, spring, and fall, and the ski slopes during the winter. Glen has his Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering Technology from Thomas Edison State College and is a Navy veteran.
Glen focuses his recruiting on finding the right fit for your team’s needs. He’s been in the recruiting business for over 24 years, and his number one priority is matching organizations with outstanding, talented team members who truly embody your mission, vision, and values. And he’s built a team of expert recruiters to do just that.

Lisa Rooney
Partner
Lisa Rooney has been a Recruiter for over 10 years and was a leader in tech transfer and innovation prior to that. For 16 years, she served in a leadership role for several tech transfer offices, including The Ohio State University, Ohio University, and University of South Carolina. She’s managed teams of all sizes and understands the importance of finding the right candidates to keep your office thriving and innovating to your fullest potential. As soon as you talk to Lisa, you’ll know her passion, expertise, and enthusiasm for this field. Lisa loves hiking and exploring the mountains of New Mexico. She is also a volunteer with the Sierra Club and American Red Cross. Lisa has her J.D. from Capital Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from The Ohio State University.

David Winwood
Strategic Advisor
David Winwood is past president of AUTM and has served in several leadership roles throughout his long and successful career in technology transfer and innovation. He currently serves as the Interim Associate Vice President at Wake Forest Innovations. Dave was Associate Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Commercialization at The Ohio State University; Associate Vice Chancellor for Technology Development and Innovation as well as Associate Director of the Office of Technology Transfer and Industry Research at North Carolina State University; Senior Associate Vice President, Economic Development and Innovation Alliances at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and CEO of the UAB Research Foundation; Associate Executive Director and Chief Business Development Officer of Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center; and most recently, he has been serving as the Interim Executive Director of the LSU Innovation Park. Dave is an avid fan of many genres of music and an enthusiastic but still amateur player of several guitars scattered around his office. He enjoys travel and hopes to add more to the list of 31 countries he has visited.
He joined Gardner Innovation Search Partners as a Partner in 2021 because he wants to help develop the next generation of leaders in our field and assist your organization in finding the very best talent. He is a Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP) and has his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Chemistry, Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, and a Master of Arts focused on business, innovation and globalization issues.

Tom Sweetman
Recruiter
Tom Sweetman has has over twenty years of recruiting experience, including the last five in Retained Executive Search. Most recently served as a Principal Recruiter for a boutique firm focusing on Finance, Operations, and Technology roles for early-stage VC-backed companies. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Tom is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. In his free time, Tom enjoys traveling and the occasional round of golf when not cheering on his teenage children at meets and games.

Suzanne Hagmann
Operations Manager
Suzanne is the newest member of the Gardner Innovation Search Partners team. She has 16+ years of experience in Human Resources, Recruiting, and Business Management. Suzanne has an MBA and a Bachelor of Business degree in Marketing from The George Washington University. Based in CT, she can often be found on the golf course with her husband and son who is a tournament player and ski racer. They are ardent fans of The New York Rangers and volunteers for the local St. Baldrick’s Fundraiser.

Karin Warner
Recruiter
Karin Warner is an expert in the recruiting field with over 22 years of experience. Karin works with candidates to make sure they are putting their best foot forward, and that Gardner Innovation Search Partners continues to connect with the very best professionals in our field. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and German from Hiram College. Karin spent 10 years living in Germany and Belgium and she is also an award-winning photographer. She has a West Highland Terrier named Brodie and she spent the Covid lock down studying digital painting.

Kelsey Kerstetter
Marketing Coordinator
Kelsey Kerstetter is our Marketing Coordinator and expert resume writer. She has her degree in English from Ohio Wesleyan University and her career coaching certificate through NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers). She has over 7 years’ experience working in a university setting. In addition to our marketing efforts, she is in charge of candidate outreach, updating the website, and putting together your job postings to attract top talent. She loves to run 5K races and has even completed a few triathlons!