West Virginia University Provost Joyce McConnell announced today that the former director of the WVU LaunchLab, Carrie White, has been named assistant vice president for entrepreneurship and innovation at the University. White was selected to fill this open position following a national search.
“This is a crucial time for fostering an entrepreneurial spirit at WVU and throughout West Virginia, and Carrie has exactly the combination of energy and expertise to help us do that,” McConnell said. “As we set our sights on moving West Virginia Forward through economic development, helping new and small business owners, inventors, innovators and creative thinkers is absolutely key to a brighter future for the state.”
Since she was named the director of the WVU LaunchLab in 2016, White has provided guidance and resources to more than 1800 students interested in starting their own businesses or innovations, developing new products or starting community-based enterprises. She has also advised WVU students at national pitch and business plan competitions, where they have collectively won close to $100,000 in funding. In 2017-18, White created a tremendously successful series of pitch competitions on campus, in which more than 65 students and teams competed, and, as a member of the IDEA Hub leadership team, hosted WVU’S first Demo Day to showcase university-wide innovation for the campus and community.
“I am so excited to continue the work that has been started in the IDEA Hub Ecosystem across campus,” White said. “With so many new and thriving Innovation Centers, the opportunity to make connections, share resources and identify needs will make the university more collaborative and able to address the future of our students so they can be successful innovators and contributors to our state’s economy.”
Prior to her work at WVU, White worked as a tenured professor of business law and entrepreneurship and directed the Center for Entrepreneurship at West Liberty University for twelve years. She also has real-world bona fides as an entrepreneurial expert, having taken on a variety of business-related projects and leadership roles throughout her career.
After obtaining her bachelors and masters degrees in business administration from Franciscan University, White owned and operated several small businesses in the Pittsburgh area. She earned her J.D. from Duquesne University College of Law in 1996 and her Ed. D. from West Virginia University in 2014.
The WVU Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship Applied Ecosystem encompasses a university-wide network of centers, offices and programs that fosters and supports innovation and entrepreneurship in WVU students, faculty and staff while engaging the statewide community.