Biography

Steve Ciesinski is an experienced technology operator and advisor known for turning advanced research into market-shaping products, ventures, and global partnerships. As the former President of SRI International—the $500M R&D institute behind breakthroughs like Siri, the computer mouse, telerobotic medical devices, and natural-language speech technologies—Mr.Ciesinski led teams that transformed deep technology into commercial platforms while helping launch multiple venture-backed companies each year. 

He previously held senior leadership positions at Applied Materials, Octel Communications, and Resumix, managing P&L, guiding global expansion, product innovation, and scaling across diverse technology markets. 

Mr.Ciesinski is the founder of Vencrest Partners, investing in international companies applying AI/ML, robotics, advanced materials, and other deep-tech solutions to business and societal challenges. He serves on multiple boards and continues to mentor entrepreneurs worldwide as a longtime lecturer at Stanford ‘s Graduate School of Business.

Mr.Ciesinski holds a BSEE and AB from Union College, and an MBA from Stanford University.