Leading technology companies through growth, crisis and change.
Fractional CEO and CTO leadership for PE- and VC-backed companies, established manufacturers and startups, from a CEO, CTO and co-founder who has taken technology from the lab to the factory floor and kept it running.
Six Ways We Move Your Program Forward
Fractional CEO & CTO Leadership
Part-time or interim executive leadership: strategy, technology roadmap, team building and board-ready answers, without a full-time hire.
Learn More →2Technical Due Diligence
An independent read on whether a technology, team and plan will survive production, for investors, acquirers and partners.
Learn More →3Equipment, Controls & Scale-Up
Move a process from pilot to production: equipment specification, controls and automation, vendor selection, installation, ramp and yield learning.
Learn More →4Government Funding Strategy
Shape and write competitive DOE, NSF and SBIR proposals, informed by time on the funding side as an NSF Program Director.
Learn More →5Commercialization & Partnerships
Business development, customer discovery, go-to-market, licensing and strategic partnerships for new and mature technologies.
Learn More →6Crisis, Restructuring & Transition
Steer a business through disruption or change: cost and cash discipline, operational restructuring, and clean, well-managed transitions.
Learn More →Deep Domain Expertise Across Critical Technology Sectors
Hands-on experience from the most demanding technology environments — from national labs and Fortune 500 operations to VC- and PE-backed scale-ups and deep-tech startups.
Built on Technical Depth. Proven in the Field.
PhD in Materials Science
National-lab and Fortune 500 roots. Deep technical credibility across semiconductor substrates, advanced materials, and energy systems — not a generalist opinion.
Lab to Factory Floor
Taken technology from early-stage research through pilot, scale-up, and full production. Understands every phase of the commercialization journey from the inside.
Government Funding Expertise
Former NSF Program Director. Shapes and writes competitive DOE, NSF, and SBIR proposals informed by time on the funding side of the table.
Crisis & Restructuring
Steers businesses through disruption or change: cost and cash discipline, operational restructuring, and clean, well-managed transitions.
Whether it's facilities, equipment, processes or people — we'll get it in line.
Rick Schwerdtfeger, Ph.D. brings fractional executive leadership and deep technical expertise to VC- and PE-backed companies, established manufacturers, and startups navigating growth, crisis, or change.
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