Team
The USM Launch Fund is a collaborative effort among 12 institution and 3 regional higher education centers.
Important members of the team are the Executive Committee, listed below:
- Johnetta Boseman Hardy, Executive Director, Entrepreneurship Innovation Center | Bowie State University
- Clarice Tate, Director, Special Projects | Coppin State University
- Stacy Wassell, Director, Summit Station at Innovation Park & Legacy Business Transition Program | Frostburg State University
- Michael Jensen, Executive Director of Entrepreneurship | Salisbury University
- Ardys Russakis, Director, Business Engagement and Operations | Towson University
- Henry Mortimer, Director, Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation | University of Baltimore
- Taylor DeBoer, Assistant Director, The Graduate Research Innovation District, the “Grid” | University of Maryland Baltimore
- Kevin Fulmer, Director, Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship | University of Maryland Baltimore County
- Nina Lamba, Assistant Director, IMET; Senior Manager, HarborLaunch | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
- Sammy Popat, UMD Innovation & EnTERPreneurship Ecosystem Catalyst | University of Maryland College Park
- Pamela Allison, Endowed Chair and Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurship and Program Innovation | University of Maryland Eastern Shore
- Camelia Fawzy, Faculty | University of Maryland Global Campus
The next Executive Committee Meetings are scheduled for Thu 8/29/2024 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM, Mon 10/14/2024 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM, and Mon 12/2/2024 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
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The operations and oversight for the fund are provided by the University System of Maryland: the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development (Dr. Michele Masucci), and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance (Ellen Herbst), which also include the following individuals:
- Lindsay Ryan, Executive Director of Economic Development — Maryland Launch Fund Managing Director
- Michael Ravenscroft, Maryland Momentum Fund Managing Director
- Eric Nicholson, USM Director of Business Operations
- Celeste Denson, USM Associate Vice Chancellor for Financial Affairs