Oakland, CA (June 13, 2025) — The National Laboratory for Education Transformation (www.NLET.org), a California R & D nonprofit, today announced the appointment of Richard Curtin, Managing Partner at Silicon Catalyst (www.SiliconCatalyst.com) as a Senior Advisor for the NLET Semiconductor Industry and AI Sector workgroup.
Curtin brings decades of strategic leadership and deep industry knowledge in the semiconductor ecosystem. Silicon Catalyst is the world’s only incubator focused exclusively on semiconductor solutions. Curtin has been instrumental in shaping early-stage startup acceleration, driving go-to-market strategies, and fostering global partnerships with industry leaders.
NLET sees an important role to develop job-ready candidates for the US semiconductor industry’s workforce, in support of CHIPS Act initiatives and programs, and to dramatically increase the number of AI developers utilizing superior U.S. chips. The appointment of Richard Curtin as Senior Advisor for NLET’s Semiconductor and AI sector work will leverage his technical and business experience, along with his extensive network of contacts developed over 40 years in the semiconductor industry.
“We’re honored to welcome Richard to our Advisory team and working group,” said Gordon Freedman, founder and President of NLET. “Richard’s unique perspective and track record of innovation and execution in the semiconductor space will be a tremendous asset as we expand our work in California, Arizona and New Mexico to support workforce development for the semiconductor industry.
NLET supports two cutting edge AI solutions companies that join, in one system, users looking for work, courses, programs and training tuned for the real-time job market, and employers in need of very specific talent pipelines.
As an Advisor, Curtin will guide NLET in initiatives that bridge education, entrepreneurship, and industry needs—ensuring that emerging talent and small businesses are aligned with the evolving demands of the semiconductor supply chain, educational support and the broader electronics industry ecosystem.
“I’m excited to join NLET at a time when the semiconductor industry is experiencing dynamic growth and unprecedented national focus,” said Curtin. “The work NLET is doing to develop and connect talent pipelines with advanced technology industries is both timely and essential, and I look forward to contributing to its mission. Further, fueling the certification and training of AI professionals is an added benefit to create demand for the industry.”
This collaboration underscores NLET’s commitment to engaging industry, veterans and experts to help drive its national agenda for leadership in education, technology, and industry transformation.
###
About NLET
NLET is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization focused on accelerating innovation and workforce development through strategic partnerships with education institutions, industry, and government. NLET designs and deploys programs and best in class technology that connect emerging talent with high-demand sectors such as semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, and AI.
About Silicon Catalyst “it’s about what’s next®”
Silicon Catalyst is the only incubator + accelerator focused on the Global Semiconductor Industry including Chips, Chiplets, Materials, IP and Silicon fabrication-based Photonics, MEMS, Sensors, Life Science and Quantum. More than 1,500 startup companies worldwide have engaged with Silicon Catalyst and the company has admitted over 150 exciting companies. With a world-class network of mentors to advise startups, Silicon Catalyst is helping new semiconductor companies address the challenges in moving from idea to realization. The incubator + accelerator supplies startups with access to design tools, silicon devices, networking, and a path to funding, banking and marketing acumen to successfully launch and grow their company’s novel technology solutions. Over the past ten years, the Silicon Catalyst model has been proven to dramatically accelerate a startup’s trajectory while at the same time de-risking the equation for investors.
Media Contact: Gordon Freedman, gordon.freedman@nlet.org