WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced the appointment of Joseph Kapp, Co-Founder and Board Member of LGBT Technology Partnership & Institute to serve on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE). Joseph joins 29 private sector, nonprofit, and academic newly appointed leaders to serve on NACIE and was selected from a pool of more than 200 accomplished applicants. The council members will offer recommendations for policies and programs designed to make U.S. communities, businesses, and the workforce more globally competitive.
“The members of NACIE provide important counsel to the Department of Commerce on the types of federal policies that will support entrepreneurship, innovation, and job-driven workforce training, all of which are critical to American competitiveness,” said Secretary Pritzker. “As ‘America’s Innovation Agency,’ we value the expertise of our private sector partners and appreciate the opportunity to incorporate their views into our policymaking process.”
"We are extremely proud to see LGBT Tech’s co-founder and board member selected to join NACIE.” said Christopher Wood, Executive Director, LGBT Tech “His demonstrated commitment to the LGBTQ community along with an unwavering drive will ensure that those who identify as LGBTQ have the same entrepreneurial opportunities as everyone else and will bring a much needed perspective to NACIE. I know he will serve the LGBTQ community well as he advises the Department of Commerce over the next two years.”
Established in 2010, NACIE operates as an independent entity managed through the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which is housed in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.
NACIE members, who will each serve a two-year term, have demonstrated expertise and experience in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, and employer-driven talent development. In reviewing applications, the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship sought a diverse group of nationally recognized leaders representing different demographics, organization size, industry sector, and geographic regions to provide a balanced viewpoint on these issues. NACIE will convene four times each year, with its inaugural meeting scheduled for October 2016.
Now in its third membership cycle, NACIE members appointed today — in addition to Joseph Kapp — are: • Rebecca O. Bagley – Vice Chancellor Economic Partnerships at University of Pittsburgh • Esther M. Baldwin – Director of Innovation at Intel • Brian J. Bartholomeusz – Executive Director, TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy at Stanford University • Heather Boesch – Director of Business Operations at IDEO • Trey Bowles – Cofounder at The Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA) and CEO at The Dallas Entrepreneur Center • Melissa L. Bradley (Co-chair) – Director, AU Center for Innovation in the Capital • Kathryn Finney – Founder and Managing Director at digitalundivided • Scott Frederick – Development Partner & Head of Federal at New Enterprise Associates • Kara Goldin – Founder & CEO at Hint Inc. • Julie K. Goonewardene* – Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Strategic Investment, University of Texas System • Orin Herskowitz – Executive Director, Vice President of Intellectual Property and Tech Transfer at Columbia Technology Ventures, Columbia University • Richard A. Johnson – Associate Vice President at Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation • David S. Kenney* – President & Executive Director at Oregon BEST • Pradeep K. Khosla – Chancellor at University of California, San Diego • Marie Trzupek Lynch* – CEO at Skills for Chicagoland’s Future • Mike Nemeth –Founder & CEO, S3 Planning • Andrew D. Reamer – Research Professor at George Washington University • Emily Reichert – CEO at Greentown Labs • Joseph L. Schocken – President at Broadmark Capital, LLC • Sue Griffith Smith – Vice President Technology and Applied Science at Ivy Tech Community College • Whitney S. Smith – Executive Director – Midwest, Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase • Tiffany M. Stevenson – Vice President, Talent Management & Development at Sephora USA, Inc. • Stephen S. Tang* (Co-chair) – President & CEO, University City Science Center • Eric J. Toone – Vice Provost & Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Duke University • Howard A. Tullman – CEO at 1871 and General Managing Partner at Chicago High Tech Investment Partners, LLC • Maribel Perez Wadsworth – Senior Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer at Gannett Company Inc. • Tiffany J. Wilson* – Executive Director at Global Center for Medical Innovation • Chad Womack – Director, STEM Initiatives at United Negro College Fund (UNCF) • Andrew Yang – Founder and CEO at Venture for America
To learn more about the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, visit www.eda.gov/oie/nacie/.
The LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender) Technology Partnership and Institute encourages the continued early adoption and use of cutting-edge, new and emerging technologies by providing information, education and strategic outreach for LGBT communities. We are a national, nonpartisan group of LGBT organizations, academics and high technology companies whose mission is to engage with critical technology and public policy leaders for strategic discussions at all levels. The Partnership empowers LGBT communities and individuals, and ensures that media, telecommunications and high technology issues of specific concern to LGBT communities are addressed in public policy conversations.
# # #
