Nancy Grden Appointed Interim Associate Vice President for ODU’s Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
September 30, 2019
Old Dominion University's Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE) recently appointed Nancy L. Grden to serve as interim associate vice president. Grden is also the founding executive director of ODU's Strome Entrepreneurial Center.
She fills the position previously held by Larry "Chip" Filer, who now serves as the Norfolk city manager.
IIE offers programs for entrepreneurship and economic development, including the Women's Business Center, Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC), Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), Regional/Rural Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development (REED), Business Scale-Up Programs (TempO), and the newly- announced Open Seas Technology Innovation Hub. Most recently, IEE announced a partnership with the Virginia Institute for Spaceflight and Autonomy (VISA) a research enterprise of the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC).
"I am honored and excited to serve in this role for ODU," said Grden. "Hampton Roads has great momentum now for economic development and entrepreneurship, and ODU's IIE is a leader in these efforts."
The Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship has three locations for additional programming and support for entrepreneurs: the new Bank Street Office in downtown Norfolk, the Strome Entrepreneurial Center on the ODU campus, and the ODU Innovation Center Norfolk, a partnership with the City of Norfolk to develop scalable technology partnerships between ODU and business/industry.
As part of ODU's commitment to foster economic growth in the region, President John Broderick recently announced the formation of the "ODU Economic Development Catalyst Task Force", co-chaired by Grden and Dubby Wynne, retired president and CEO of Landmark Communications and a state/regional leader for economic development advancement. The Task Force, which includes both community and ODU leaders, is focusing on two areas critical to the Hampton Roads growth and job creation - the tech talent/high demand talent pipeline and university IP commercialization/new business formations.
"IIE is uniquely situated to be a 'one-stop-shop' for the community - and for ODU students, faculty/staff, and alumni - all who are seeking resources and partnerships for new enterprises and programs," said Grden.
Grden has extensive leadership and background in entrepreneurship, innovation, development, and marketing across several business sectors and the public sector, with emphasis on healthcare. Among her many achievements, she co-founded and served as General Manager for Genomind, Inc., a neuroscience biotech company; was former EVP and chief marketing/development officer for Amerigroup (now Anthem), where she played a leadership role in its growth from a start-up to IPO and beyond. She founded the Amerigroup Public Policy Institute and the National Advisory Board to Improve Health Care for Seniors and People with Disabilities. She also served in executive development/marketing roles for predecessor banks to Bank of America. Her public sector experience includes policy/program roles with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Conference of State Legislatures in Washington, DC.
In Hampton Roads, she is Chair of the Board for 757 Angels and is an Executive Committee/Board Member for 757 Accelerate, The Norfolk Forum, Kempsville High School Entrepreneurship Academy, and Women in Venture, as well as the University of South Carolina Faber Entrepreneurial Center Advisory Board.
Last year, Grden received the "Trailblazer Award" from the Envision Lead Grow Foundation as the first partner for the organization's entrepreneurship camps and programs focused on middle school girls from economically disadvantaged communities. Grden holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina, an MBA from the University of South Carolina, and a BA in Economics from Bucknell University.
