Congratulations to my good friend Brian Balasia for being appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 8, 2014 Contact: Danny Samson 313.570.6264 U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker Appoints Brian Balasia to Serve on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced that Brian Balasia is one of the 27 individuals who have been selected to serve on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE). The Council will operate as an independent entity within the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE), which is housed within the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). NACIE members will advise the Secretary of Commerce on issues related to accelerating innovation, expanding entrepreneurship, and developing a globally competitive workforce. The council’s appointees consist of business leaders, investors, academics and other influencers of the innovation economy, such as former AOL CEO Steve Case and Clemson University President James Clements. The council was previously co-chaired by former University of Michigan President, Mary Sue Coleman. “Through our ‘Open for Business Agenda,’ the Commerce Department has prioritized supporting entrepreneurs and helping foster innovation, which are key drivers of America’s global competitiveness,” said Secretary Pritzker. “The new NACIE members are a diverse and dynamic group of successful entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors, as well as leaders from nonprofit organizations and academia. I appreciate their willingness to serve our nation on these important issues, and I look forward to working with the Council to advance innovation and cultivate a skilled workforce for today’s 21st century jobs.” Brian is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Digerati, a Detroit-based software development and process Improvement firm. Brian has extensive experience in the design and implementation of high-efficiency business systems. He maintains a hands-on approach to his role at Digerati and is a recognized expert in the disciplines of operations modeling, systems design, and product development. Under his leadership, Digerati has created a number of nationally recognized software solutions including InsYght and Classroom to Career. Brian is passionate about entrepreneurship and community development. He has focused his community involvement around entrepreneurship, innovation, and talent development with a heavy emphasis on broad inclusion. In this capacity, he regularly serves as an advisor to policy makers, academic institutions, and foundations. Brian is a 2011 German Marshall Foundation Marshall Memorial Fellow and is a previous recipient of the Detroit Free Press’s Dave Bing Leadership award. “I am honored to be selected to serve on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” said Brian Balasia. “I look forward to using my experiences gained from Digerati and contributing to policies that help foster a broadly accessible, national entrepreneurial ecosystem”. NACIE’s overarching focus is recommending transformational policies to the Secretary that will help U.S. communities, businesses, and the workforce become more globally competitive. NACIE members, who will serve a two year term, were chosen based on their ability to carry out the objectives of the Council. All of the appointees have demonstrated expertise and experience in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce skills. In reviewing the applications, the Secretary sought individuals who have been nationally recognized leaders in a variety of fields in order to create a balanced point of view, including a representation of different demographics, organization size, industry sector, and geographic regions. NACIE’s work will be organized into subcommittees around three main focus areas: entrepreneurship, innovation, and job-driven skills training. The full Council will convene four times each year beginning with the first meeting in December 2014. To learn more about NACIE, visit eda.gov/oie/nacie/.
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 10:27:05 +0000
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