GVSU selects Linda Chamberlain to lead its new Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

By Sharon Hanks

Grand Valley State University has tapped Linda Chamberlain, a director of a Grand Rapids technology incubator, to be the leader of its newly created Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.

Chamberlain, the executive director of the West Michigan Science & Technology Initiative for the past three years, began March 1 on focusing her energies on supporting the region's high-growth entrepreneurs.

"I'm very excited," Chamberlain says, adding that she welcomes "any sort of conversation" with the community regarding ideas to encourage new business and innovation in the region. "I think this is a wonderful opportunity for the community, Grand Valley, students, entrepreneurs and investors to continue our march for entrepreneurship."

In addition to work at WMSTI, for the past eight years Chamberlain has had her own consulting business, Inno Valuation, where she focuses on creating and validating business opportunities. Her career also includes leadership roles in research and product development at both blue-chip and start-up companies, including Shell Chemical in Texas, Allied Signal in New Jersey and Johnson Controls in Holland.

The new director grew up in Grand Rapids, graduated from the city's Creston High School and earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Purdue University. She completed her post-doctorate work at the University of California-Irvine.

Among her first goals are to help with the selection of an advisory board, introduce new programs focused on synchronizing resources, and complete a plan aimed at identifying new sources of capital. She will also work with the university's faculty and staff to develop additional academic programming for student entrepreneurs-in-training.

In the announcement released this week, GVSU President Thomas J. Haas says the Center will be "part think tank and part resource clearinghouse," with a goal of boosting entrepreneurship and innovation.

The Center will operate within GVSU's Seidman College of Business on the Pew Campus in downtown Grand Rapids.

Rick Cook, director of WMSTI's Venture Center, has been named interim executive director for WMSTI, an initiative located in GVSU's Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences along Medical Mile in Grand Rapids.

Sources: Linda Chamberlain, executive director of GVSU's Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Grand Rapids; Brian J. Bowe, GVSU's News & Information Services

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at [email protected]. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.