I’ve Joined the Wayne State University Team

As of July 17, 2017, I have accepted a senior administrative position with Wayne State University  (WSU) in Detroit, Michigan. The position is Senior Counselor to the Provost for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In this role, I will provide guidance and overall strategic direction to the University in areas of innovation and entrepreneurship, and will administer initiatives designed to foster and enhance the campus-wide entrepreneurship ecosystem. This is a new position at Wayne State, and I will be responsible both to the university provost and the vice president of economic development.

I am excited about this new role at Wayne State because I am passionate about using the power of innovation and entrepreneurship to enhance the quality of life in cities. Wayne State’s urban location, together with its diverse student population, make it a unique and ideal place to identify important problems and foster the creation of sustainable, scalable solutions. I look forward to working with the talented students, faculty, and staff of Wayne State to facilitate a world-class environment of innovation and business creation.

I will continue to teach my course, “Urban-Focused Entrepreneurship,” at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The next edition of that course will begin on September 6, 2017. In addition, I also intend to continue in my volunteer role as board president of the Urban Entrepreneurship Initiative (UEI), the organization I founded in 2014. Due to my responsibilities at WSU, we will be adding resources to UEI so that we can continue to execute and enhance our Urban Entrepreneurship Symposium and other programs. We will have more announcements on this front shortly.

Those who know of my history and ongoing association with The University of Michigan may be surprised that I would engage in so important a role with Wayne State. While I cherish my Wolverine heritage, I relish this opportunity to advance the mission at Wayne State, which is Michigan’s only urban research university. I intend that our work at WSU will provide a platform for others to engage in the revitalization and well-being of Detroit and other cities, and in that sense my work there will definitely be a win-win.