The Nucleus Institute Appoints Dylan Doty as Director of Nucleus Grow
Veteran, West Point graduate, and innovation ecosystem leader to head Utah's longest-standing deep tech commercialization program.
The Nucleus Institute has appointed Dylan Doty as Director of Nucleus Grow, the organization's initiative helping Utah entrepreneurs and startups access non-dilutive federal funding and commercialization support.
Doty brings extensive experience within Utah's innovation ecosystem, having led the state's federal FAST program and worked across the full spectrum of deep technology commercialization — from proposal development and investment readiness to university spinouts and federal partnerships. A West Point graduate, Army veteran, and master's graduate in Political Science from the University of Utah, his graduate research focused on federal R&D funding and Utah's innovation economy.
Nucleus Grow has supported Utah's innovation ecosystem for more than 15 years, helping companies compete for federal SBIR and STTR funding opportunities and navigate commercialization, mentorship, and strategic growth. Originally known as the Utah SBIR/STTR Assistance Center under the leadership of Mary Cardon, and later operating as the Utah Innovation Center under Linda Cabrales, the program has helped Utah companies secure hundreds of millions of dollars in federal innovation funding across aerospace, defense, energy, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and other emerging sectors.
"Utah's innovation ecosystem is at a pivotal moment," said Doty. "Continued growth will require intentional collaboration and long-term support for the deep technology companies solving real-world problems. I'm grateful for the opportunity to build on the strong foundation of Nucleus Grow while helping align our work with the broader Nucleus mission."
"Dylan represents exactly the kind of leader Nucleus Grow needs at this stage. His deep roots in Utah's ecosystem, combined with his background in policy and federal funding, make him uniquely positioned to take this program — and the companies it serves — to the next level." — Jefferson Moss, CEO, The Nucleus Institute
Under Doty's leadership, Nucleus Grow will deepen support for Utah founders pursuing non-dilutive funding, strengthen commercialization infrastructure, and expand university and industry partnerships as a central part of Nucleus's strategy to make Utah a national model for deep tech innovation.