Ian Johnston is the Vice President of Tech Translation and Ecosystem Development at The Engine, where he leads translational programs to support aspiring Tough Tech entrepreneurs and drives efforts to strengthen and scale innovation ecosystems. Ian runs Blueprint, a national Tough Tech translational boot camp designed for PhDs, postdocs, and researchers to explore the commercial potential of their breakthrough Tough Tech research. Blueprint has supported over 600 startup teams and more than 1,300 participants, resulting in nearly 50 scaling startups that have collectively raised over $400 million in follow-on funding.

Ian also leads Whiteboard, a program tailored to principal investigators (PIs) that offers strategic education and resources for those evaluating the commercialization path. In addition, Ian plays a central role in the NSF Builder Platform, an NSF-funded extension of The Engine. The Builder Platform supports the nine NSF Regional Innovation Engines—collaborative hubs driving sector-specific innovation and economic development across the U.S.—by equipping regional ecosystem builders with critical tools, programming, and capacity-building support.

Prior to his current role, Ian worked at Engine Ventures as a Senior Investment Associate and at Putnam Associates as a Life Sciences Consultant. He also served at the Penn Center for Innovation, evaluating emerging technologies for their patentability and market viability. Ian holds a PhD in Cardiovascular and Hematologic Pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania and a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Rutgers University.