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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker Announces New Members to Serve on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Group of 27 Nationally-Recognized Private Sector, Nonprofit, and Academic Leaders to Advise Commerce Secretary on Expanding Entrepreneurship, Promoting American Innovation

Contact: Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
Wednesday, October 8, 2014


WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced the 27 individuals who have been selected to serve on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE). The Council will operate as an independent entity within the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE), which is housed within the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). NACIE members will advise the Secretary of Commerce on issues related to accelerating innovation, expanding entrepreneurship, and developing a globally competitive workforce.

“Through our ‘Open for Business Agenda,’ the Commerce Department has prioritized supporting entrepreneurs and helping foster innovation, which are key drivers of America’s global competitiveness,” said Secretary Pritzker. “The new NACIE members are a diverse and dynamic group of successful entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors, as well as leaders from nonprofit organizations and academia. I appreciate their willingness to serve our nation on these important issues, and I look forward to working with the Council to advance innovation and cultivate a skilled workforce for today’s 21st century jobs.”

Secretary Pritzker appointed the following individuals to serve as NACIE members:

  • Luis Arbulu, Director, Samsung Open Innovation Center
  • Robert Atkinson, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
  • Brian Balasia, Founder & CEO, Digerati, Inc.
  • Barbara Bry, COO, Blackbird Ventures
  • Michael Burcham, President and CEO, The Nashville Entrepreneur Center (Co-chair)
  • Lou Anne Bynum, Founder, Long Beach Community College, Office of College Advancement
  • Greg Cangialosi, CEO, MissionTix.com, LLC
  • Steve Case, Chairman & CEO, Revolution
  • James Clements, President, Clemson University (Co-chair)
  • Fred Dedrick, Executive Director, National Fund for Workforce Solutions
  • Christine Furstoss, Technical Director & Senior Executive, General Electric Company, Manufacturing & Materials
  • William Generett, President & CEO Urban Innovation21
  • Julie Goonewardene, President, University of Kansas, KU Innovation and Collaboration
  • Kelly Grier, Vice Chair, Talent, Ernst & Young
  • Mary Ann Guerra, CEO, BioAccel
  • Robert Hohman, Co-Founder & CEO, Glassdoor, Inc.
  • Lila Ibrahim, Chief Business Officer at Coursera and Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
  • Tiffany Karp, Executive Director, Global Center for Medical Innovation
  • David Kenney, President & Executive Director, Oregon Best
  • Chauncy Lennon, Senior Program Director, Workforce Initiatives, JP Morgan Chase
  • Marie Lynch, President & CEO, Skills for Chicagoland's Future (Co-chair)
  • Sethuraman Panchanathan, Senior Vice President, Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development (OKED)
  • Laura Powers, Co-Founder & Executive Director, CODE2040
  • Eric Severson, Senior VP, Global Talent Solutions, Gap Inc.
  • Rohit Shukla, Founder & CEO, Larta Institute
  • Amy Stursberg, Executive Director, Blackstone Charitable Foundation
  • Stephen Tang, President, CEO & Director, University City Science Center

NACIE’s overarching focus is recommending transformational policies to the Secretary that will help U.S. communities, businesses, and the workforce become more globally competitive. NACIE members, who will serve a two year term, were chosen based on their ability to carry out the objectives of the Council. All of the appointees have demonstrated expertise and experience in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce skills. In reviewing the applications, the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship sought individuals who have been nationally recognized leaders in a variety of fields in order to create a balanced point of view, including a representation of different demographics, organization size, industry sector, and geographic regions.

NACIE’s work will be organized into subcommittees around three main focus areas: entrepreneurship, innovation, and job-driven skills training. The full Council will convene four times each year beginning with the first meeting in December 2014.

To learn more about NACIE, visit http://www.eda.gov/nacie/members/