Aaron Hagar

Aaron Hagar is a senior leader in technology-based economic development and innovation finance with over twenty years of experience spanning biomedical research, healthcare, public policy, and startup ecosystem building. He spent thirteen years working at the state level to support entrepreneurs and startups in Wisconsin, most recently serving for over eight years as Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). At WEDC, he led a team of professionals focused on increasing the funding, training, and ecosystem resources available to startup and emerging growth companies across the state. Prior to joining WEDC's predecessor agency, the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, in 2010, Hagar worked as an economic development consultant in Minneapolis, where he collaborated with a coalition of government, business, and community groups to develop policy recommendations supporting community revitalization goals.

In September 2025, Hagar joined SSTI (State Science & Technology Institute) as Vice President for Innovation Finance, transitioning from state-level work in Wisconsin to a national role. At SSTI, he is responsible for expanding the organization's community of practice, new product development, and educational and consulting services. His work involves helping innovation finance practitioners across the country establish best practices, providing technical assistance and benchmarking data, troubleshooting operational challenges, and supporting initiatives such as EDA Build to Scale grant winners and university entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Hagar's Wisconsin experience provided him with exposure to diverse economic landscapes, from Madison -- recognized as a prominent tech hub -- to smaller communities with emerging growth potential, and larger metropolitan areas with deep manufacturing heritage. This breadth of experience across urban, suburban, and rural innovation ecosystems has made him particularly well-suited for his national advisory role at SSTI, where member organizations face similarly varied challenges and opportunities.

Aaron Hagar's investment philosophy is rooted in public-private collaboration to catalyze early-stage innovation. His focus areas include:

At WEDC, he championed the idea that engaging with innovative startups means creating multiple access points along the development continuum, applying accelerator methodologies to both tech startups and more traditional industries.

• Early-stage technology startups with scalable growth prospects, particularly in Wisconsin and the broader Midwest
• Technology commercialization bridging the gap between research and market-ready products
• Innovation-based economic development using data-driven strategies and publicly supported finance programs
• Sector interests spanning biomedical research, healthcare IT, advanced manufacturing, and materials innovation
• Ecosystem building through seed accelerator programs, grant matching, and mentorship networks
• Public-private capital formation using state and federal programs to unlock private investment in startups