Joe DiNunzio

Master of Business Administration, Stanford University, 1988
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Harvard University, 1984

Research Expertise
Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Strategy, Operations

Joe DiNunzio is the executive director of the UC Davis Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where he collaborates with faculty, graduate students and staff in support of the commercialization of more than $1 billion in annual university research. He also serves as an assistant professor (adjunct) at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, where he teaches MBA and Ph.D. students and develops case studies showcasing #AggieInnovators.

In addition, Joe is the founder and CEO of Pet Allies, a startup that delivers behavior care at scale, combining veterinary experts and AI to support millions of pet families. He also serves as president of Fido Management, a strategic consulting firm that partners with corporate and early-stage clients to drive business, product and market development.

DiNunzio’s entrepreneurial leadership includes roles as:

• Founding CFO of Project Archer, an augmented reality studio within Walmart’s innovation division
• Founding CFO and board member of Harebrained Schemes, an independent game development studio
• Chair and founding CEO of 42 Entertainment, a pioneer in digital advertising and alternate reality gaming
• Founding CEO of Z.com, a venture-backed digital media studio and network

His corporate career highlights include:

• Senior vice president of new product development at Walt Disney Imagineering, leading global initiatives in theme parks and digital media
• Principal at Booz Allen Hamilton, managing client engagements in marketing, operations and organizational design
• Brand management at Procter & Gamble

DiNunzio holds an A.B. in psychology from Harvard University and an MBA from Stanford University. He serves as a trustee for the DJUSD Board of Education.