On July 10, Gene Wright ’79, ’87 will lead “AI for Innovators,” an educational session at MSOE’s Summer in the City annual reunion. As assistant professor in the Rader School of Business and the Pieper Power Endowed Chair of Servant Leadership, Gene is helping alumni explore one of today’s most transformative technologies. But his interest in innovation didn’t begin with artificial intelligence.

It was shaped over decades as an entrepreneur, inventor, educator and lifelong learner—roles that all trace back to his time at MSOE. Originally from Milwaukee, Gene’s connection to MSOE began at home. His father had taken some classes at MSOE and always spoke fondly of what he had learned there. When it came time to choose a college, Gene’s high school guidance counselor suggested he apply. Though he was accepted at several schools, Gene ultimately chose the place his father held in such high regard.

In 1975, Gene enrolled in a two-part program that fostered his passion for technology. By 1977, he earned his technician’s degree in electrical power engineering technology. “If you went on, you got an EET, but I switched to industrial management. I chose to go into the business side because I liked it more.” Gene earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial management in 1979.

As a first-generation college student, Gene put himself through school by working nights, living in his parents’ basement and commuting to campus. He found campus community as a member of the Delta Phi Zeta fraternity, and to this day fondly remembers the campus’s legendary St. Patrick’s Day traditions.

Gene’s first job after graduation was as an applications engineer at Rural Transformer and Equipment Company (RTE). He later became a market manager, specializing in new products. “I was a problem-solver. Because of my engineering background, I traveled and helped salespeople to understand and explain why a new product worked or didn’t work.”

The entrepreneurial itch took hold in 1984 when a colleague approached Gene about striking out on their own. Gene left RTE to co-found Combined Technologies, Inc. in Brookfield, Wisconsin. “I had two partners. I came up with a number of concepts, and they would design and manufacture them. Then I would get them specified and hire a sales rep to maintain that business.”

Gene left Combined Technologies, Inc. and joined Brady Corporation as a national sales manager, where he acquired multiple patents. A notable project he had with Brady Corporation was developing its first commercial website in 1994, one of the largest companies in the state to do so at the time. His corporate career continued to skyrocket, culminating in the co-founding of Netconcepts, LLC. It was one of the country's first SEO companies and the most successful of the eight ventures he founded throughout his career.

Amid his busy corporate life, Gene returned to MSOE to pursue a master’s degree in engineering management. There, he took an entrepreneurship course taught by Dr. Kimbel Nap ’71, ’72, a professor who would become both a mentor and a close friend.

The lessons Gene learned in Nap’s classroom would shape his professional philosophy for decades to come. “Kimbel would say, ‘Engineering without business is really nothing. You have to have both,’” Gene recalls. “In starting businesses and eventually in my own teaching, I wanted to be just like him.”

What began as a student-faculty relationship evolved into a lasting friendship that continued until Nap’s passing in 2012.

Gene earned his master’s degree in engineering management in 1987 and stepped into the classroom as an adjunct professor the following year. Today, he serves as an assistant professor in the Rader School of Business, where he continues to pass along the lessons that shaped his own career. In 2025, he channeled his years of experience with the Wisconsin Servant Leadership (WISL) organization into a new role as the Pieper Power Endowed Chair of Servant-Leadership.

Beyond teaching, Gene has remained deeply engaged with his alma mater. He served on the MSOE Corporate Board and spent more than four decades on the Alumni Association Board. Today, Gene continues to give back through mentorship, leadership and lifelong learning. A familiar presence at alumni events, he frequently presents during MSOE’s Summer in the City reunion weekend. This year, his session, “AI for Innovators,” explores the philosophy of artificial intelligence and how it can be used as a tool for creativity and problem-solving—a fitting topic for someone whose career has been defined by innovation.

For Gene, sharing these ideas with fellow alumni is another way to stay connected to the institution that helped shape his path. More than 50 years after first arriving on campus, he is still learning, still teaching and still finding new ways to solve problems. “The only thing that AI can’t do is come up with an original idea,” he says. “It’s a great tool that can help us, and that’s innovation.”