Economic Impact Committee
The Economic Impact Committee (EIC) is focused on strengthening and supporting UMD's innovation, entrepreneurship, economic development and inclusive growth ecosystem.
Formed in 2017, the EIC convened quarterly meetings to bring together more than a dozen campus innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development directors to foster a more collaborative and integrated community.
Today, this inclusive group of more than fifty members includes stakeholders from across campus who are directly involved with leading and supporting innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic impact initiatives, as well as providing support to students, faculty, alumni, and members of the broader community.
Members meet monthly to learn from each other, share updates on ongoing and upcoming activities, and hear from colleagues and community partners about initiatives that may benefit and enhance the campus and community's collective ecosystem building efforts.
Scroll below to get to know and see the faces of the terrific members of the EIC. Or click here for a directory of the EIC member organizations. The EIC is organized by the Office of Innovation.
The formation of the EIC has led to several positive outcomes including:
- Creation of EIC Listserv
- Creation of UMD Entrepreneurship Events Shared Calendar
- Launch of the Innovation Gateway
- Enhanced I&E Ecosystem as demonstrated by:
- Greater Connectivity & Interactions across the ecosystem
- More Collaborations between I&E Units
- Hosting 2024 Deshpande Symposium
- Stronger Sense of Community
- Exchange of Best Practices
EIC Members
The EIC comprises of at least one representative from each of UMD's innovation and entrepreneurship programs and units, as well as several other colleagues who support or engage with the ecosystem.
Amir Ansari
Co-Founder and Inaugural Executive Director, xFoundry@UMD IDEA Factory
Mira Azarm
Innovation Instigator & Learning Experience Catalyst, Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Caroline Baker
Executive Director of Development, University Corporate Relations
Sarah Balcom
Principal Lecturer and Assistant Dean for Academic Programs, College of AGNR
Tanya Bansal
Director, Real Estate Development Program & Clinical Associate Professor
William Bentley
Mtech Director, UMD Robert E. Fischell Distinguished Chair of Engineering and the Inaugural Director of the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices
Wynne Briscoe
Senior Veterans Business Specialist, Mid-Atlantic Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC)
Jordan Broutman
Director of Development, University Corporate Relations
Lora Brown
Executive Director of Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Programs
Lottie Byram
Assistant Director of Community Programs, Dingman-Lamone Center for Entrepreneurship
Stephanie Cantor
Strategic Consultant, Center for Social Value Creation (CSVC)
Jainaba Ceesay
Project DIrector of the SSBCI Credit Repair and Financial Literacy SBOP Program, MD SBDC
Dean Chang
Chief Innovation Officer and Associate Vice President for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
Scott Christensen
Manager, Mtech Ventures and Chesapeake Bay Seed Capital Fund (CBSCF)
David Dahl
Associate Dean of Libraries, Digital Services and Technologies, UMD Libraries
Shannon Edward
Experiential Learning Manager for the Public Health Science program
Tina Edwards
Veterans Business Specialist, Mid-Atlantic Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC)
Erica Estrada-Liou
Director, Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Nima Farshchi
Director, Center for Social Value Creation (CSVC) & Executive Director of Office of Experiential Learning
Sara Yousefnejad Gallagher
Associate Director, Do Good Institute
Robert T. Grimm Jr.
Professor of the Practice; Levenson Family Chair in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership; Do Good Institute Director
Tanya Haro
Marketing and Programming Associate, Terrapin Development Company
Christina Hnatov
Learning Experience Catalyst, Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Michael Hoffmeyer
Managing Director, Dingman-Lamone Center of Entrepreneurship
Maria Johnson
Director of Corporate Partnership Development, Department of Computer Science and Program Director, Mokhtarzada Hatchery
Kristina Kramarczuk
Interim Associate Director, Computing Catalyst
Piotr Kulczakowicz
Director of Quantum Startup Foundry (QSF) at the University of Maryland (UMD)
Dan Kunitz
Mtech Ventures Director, Mid-Atlantic I-Corps Hub Director & Maryland Innovation Extension Director
Christine Kunkel
Director of Professional Programs, University of Maryland Alumni Association
Willow Lung-Amam
Director of Community Development, National Center for Smart Growth; Director; Small Business Anti-Displacement Network; and Associate Professor
Jacqueline Manger
Managing Director, Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets
Patrick Mendez, Ph.D.
Director of Capture Management, Division of Research
Sarah Miller
Vice President of Economic Development, Terrapin Development Company/Margrave Strategies
Ambi Narula
Communications and Program Specialist, Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices
Nick Ocasio
Community Manager, Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Sammy Popat
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Catalyst, Office of Innovation
Adam Porter
Co-Executive Director, University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC)
Allynn Powell
Director, University Career Center & The President's Promise
Caitlin Rudy
Program Manager, Industry Partnerships for Computing Catalyst
John Sawyer
Interim Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance; Director, Strategic Research Initiatives
Jamie Shanker-Passero
Program Manager, Small Business Anti-Displacement Network (SBAN)
Brooke Smith
Assistant Program Director, Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Stan Smith
Director of Venture Investments, UM Ventures and Dingman Center
Sheila Somashekhar
Director of the Purple Line Corridor Coalition (PLCC)
David Steele
Hub Coordinator, NSF I-Corps Mid-Atlantic Region & Program Manager, UMD I-Corps
James Stillwell
Faculty Director, Do Good Campus, DGI and Associate Clinical Professor
Tsegahiwot 'Tsega' Tadesse
Director of Venture Development, Dingman-Lamone Center of Entrepreneurship
Arthur Toole, III
Director, Maryland Business Opportunity Center (MBOC)
Ken Ulman
President, Terrapin Development Company and UMD Chief Strategy Officer for Economic Development
Eric D. Wachsman, Ph.D.
Director, Maryland Energy Innovation Institute; William L. Crentz Centennial Chair in Energy Research; Distinguished University Professor; Current Past-President, Electrochemical Society; National Academy of Inventors
Jamison Watson
Assistant Director for Research Development, Clark School of Engineering at USMSM MATRIX Lab
