Director of The Pennovation Center, 1776

Posted by 1776 on June 8, 2021

1776 fosters the growth of regional entrepreneurial ecosystems by providing individualized attention through focused programming, community engagement and access to a dynamic network of stakeholders. As a national leader in business incubation, we exist to create a world where anyone with the entrepreneurial drive can gain equal access to the resources needed to foster innovation and solve real world problems.

For the past 5 years, 1776 has partnered with the University of Pennsylvania to plan, manage and operate the Pennovation Center. The Pennovation Center is a business incubator that provides wet/dry lab space and acts as a hub for collaboration and the exchange of ideas for innovators from all disciplines. The Center is part of the 23-acre Pennovation Works campus, which is a distinctive blend of offices, labs, and production space developed by The University of Pennsylvania to support entrepreneurs and industry partners who are engaged in solving real-world problems and translating inventiveness into viable ventures.

Since its founding about five years ago, the Pennovation Works campus has grown into a vibrant community of innovators with over 70 private companies, 11 Penn research entities, several corporate collaborators and a wide range of University-supported incubation programs. With the addition of the Inventor Office Building, the Pennovation Lab, and planned new development, the Center’s role as the Pennovation Works community hub continues to evolve.

1776 has an exciting opportunity for a dynamic leader – Director of The Pennovation Center – to help us shape the future of Pennovation Center as the hub of the Pennovation Works campus and an important catalyst for innovation that blooms from the Philadelphia region and impacts the globe. The Center Director will help shape the strategy for the continued evolution of the 40,000+ sq ft Pennovation Center facility under the overall leadership and oversight of the Pennovation Works Managing Director. The Center Director will report directly to the President of 1776. The Center Director will lead the staff responsible for managing the Center, supervising a Campus Manager, Experience Manager, Lab Manager and other operations and support staff. The Pennovation Center staff provides day to day support to over 250 innovators from the university and the broader Philadelphia region.

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