2026 AURP Annual Conference

Day Three of Conference – Pegasus Park – Wednesday, September 30th

All meetings held at Pegasus Park (3000 Pegasus Park Dr. Dallas, TX 75207) – transportation will be provided AM/PM only

7:00am – 7:45am   |   Transportation from Virgin Hotel to Pegasus Park (See AURP Meeting App for Schedule)

7:00am – 8:00am   |   Registration Check-In

7:00am – 8:00am   |   MAIN STAGE BREAKFAST WITH NSF (12th Floor)
Start your morning with Erwin Gianchandani as we gain an inside look at how the NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate is helping move breakthrough research from the lab to the marketplace. This intimate fireside chat will explore the creation of TIP, highlight flagship programs like NSF ENGINES, and showcase opportunities supporting technology development and commercialization. Come enjoy breakfast and discover how your organization can tap into these programs to strengthen innovation and accelerate impact.  

Speaker:
Dr. Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, U.S. National Science Foundation

 

 

 

8:00am – 8:30am   |   WELCOMING REMARKS
Speakers:
David Snow, PhD, CLP, Patent Agent; Executive Director, Pegasus Park
Gina Ford, Chief Executive Officer, BioNTX
Linda McMahon, CEO, Dallas Economic Development Corporation

 

 

 

8:30am – 9:00am   |   PEGASUS PARK VISION
Discover the vision, partnerships and bold thinking behind Pegasus Park and its emergence as a dynamic hub for science, technology and entrepreneurship. Together these leaders who helped shape its transformation, will explore how strategic investment, adaptive reuse, placemaking and cross-sector collaboration can create a thriving community of innovation—and offer lessons for research parks and innovation districts everywhere. 

Speakers:
David Snow, PhD, CLP, Patent Agent; Executive Director, Pegasus Park 
Nicole Small, Chief Executive Officer, Lyda Hill Holdings 
Linda McMahon, Chief Executive Officer, Dallas Economic Development Corporation
Steve Davis, President, J. Small Investments 
Stephen Coulston, AIA, Managing Principal, Perkins&Will (Moderator)

 

 

 

9:00am – 9:15am   |   BRAIN HEALTH INSTITUTE
This thought-provoking keynote will introduce the concept of brain health and performance, exploring how our brains shape the way we think, create, connect, and innovate. Drawing on recent discoveries and work at the Brain Health Institute in Dallas, the session will examine how intentional habits can optimize brain performance and help us approach challenges with greater creativity and purpose. Attendees will be challenged to think differently about their own brain health and arrive ready to actively engage in a day of discovery at Pegasus Park.  

Speakers: 
Stephen White, JD, BS, Chief Operating Officer, Center for Brain Health, UT-Dallas

 

 

 

9:15am – 10:00am   |   REIMAGINING THE MODERN RESEARCH PARK
Convening leaders from renown innovation communities, Kendall Square, Research Triangle Park (RTP 3.0), and The Pearl, these pioneers will explore how three distinctly different innovation ecosystems are adapting to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving landscape. From unique perspectives on shifting funding priorities, how legacy institutions are retooling for the future, to the partnerships that are helping to drive their transformation, prepare to leave with practical strategies to strengthen and future-proof your own community of innovation. 

Speakers:
Beth O’Neill Maloney, Executive Director, Kendall Square Association
Chris Leary, AIA LEED AP Principal, S+T Practice Leader, HOK
Kevin Johnson, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Lead Architectural Designer, Ayers Saint Gross
Dennis Miller, Senior Vice President and Market Executive, Wexford Science & Technologies
Amber Wendland, AIA, AICP, Associate Principal, Ayers Saint Gross
Bennett Thompson, Vice President, Real Estate, Atrium Health
Scott Levitan, President & CEO, The Research Triangle Park Foundation (Moderator)

 

 

 

 

10:00am – 10:30am   |   Networking Break

10:30am – 11:00am   |   ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INNOVATIVE COMMUNITIES
What does the research tell us about the true economic value of innovation districts? Drawing on recent studies, data and thought leadership, Cullum Clark will examine how these communities contribute to regional growth, talent attraction, entrepreneurship and competitiveness—and what the evidence reveals about the strategies and investments that generate lasting economic impact.

Speaker:
Cullum Clark, Director, Economic Growth, George W. Bush Institute

 

 

 

11:00am – 11:30am   |   WASHINGTON D.C. UPDATE: THE OUTLOOK FOR RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDING
With federal priorities and funding landscapes continuing to evolve, what should universities and communities of innovation be watching in Washington? This session examines the outlook for federal research and economic development funding, emerging policy priorities, and the role of university government relations in positioning institutions and their partners to navigate change, advocate effectively and capture new opportunities.

Speaker:
To be announced
Brian Darmody, Past President, AURP; Chief Strategy Officer, AURP (Moderator)

 

 

 

11:30am – 1:45pm   |   AURP CELEBRATES: AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION (5 yrs Pegasus Park/40 yrs AURP/250 yrs USA)
Join honorees as we celebrate the visionaries shaping the future of innovation! Join AURP as we honor the outstanding leaders, organizations, and communities recognized with our 2026 Awards of Excellence. This year, we’ll celebrate innovation through three chapters of a story that defines AURP: 

• Why We Do It – celebrating the organizations creating meaningful impact through innovation.
• The Leaders Driving Impact - honors the individuals whose vision and leadership inspire progress across our communities.
• Where Discovery & Impact Happens - recognizes the research parks and innovation districts that bring people, ideas, and opportunity together to shape the future. 

2:00pm – 2:45pm   |   CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS

FROM KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY TO BRAIN ECONOMY: A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR RESEARCH PARK SUCCESS This panel reframes research parks from real estate-driven knowledge economies to brain economies centered on human and cognitive capital. Using Rowen and Research Triangle Park as case studies, it shows how brain health can be embedded through design, culture, technology, and governance across campuses and districts. Integrating architecture, policy, neuroscience, and data, the session offers a practical framework for measurable, scalable investments that enhance talent attraction, institutional performance, and resilient innovation ecosystems long-term value creation.
Speakers:
Zack Lofton, AICP, CNU A, Sr. Urban Planner, HKS
Stephen White, JD, BS, Chief Operating Officer, Center for Brain Health, UT-Dallas
Mason Ailstock, Past President, AURP; President, Higher Education Services, Centurion Foundation
Julie Hiromoto, WELL AP, LEED AP, Partner, Director of Integration, HKS (Moderator)

 

 

 

FINANCING INNOVATION: CONNECTING CAPITAL, COMMERCIALIZATION, AND COMMUNITY IMPACT
This session explores how innovative funding models are accelerating university research commercialization by connecting capital, industry, and community partners. Panelists will highlight strategies that align federal funding, private investment, accelerator programs, and public-private partnerships to move promising technologies from the lab to marketplace. Through practical examples, including the North Carolina’s NCInnovation model, attendees will learn how coordinated capital strategies can de-risk innovation, attract follow-on investment, and drive lasting regional economic impact.
Speakers:
Connor Sitton, Vice President, Capital Strategy, NobleReach Foundation
Tracy Poole, JD, Founding and Managing Partner, FortySix Capital
Chris Wright, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President of Innovation, University of Tulsa
Linda Hall, Executive Vice President, CFO, NCInnovation
Jacob Johnson, Founder, innovosource (Moderator)

 

 

 

QUANTUM COMPUTING: GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES AND WORKFORCE NEEDS
Quantum technologies are moving rapidly from research to real-world application—creating new opportunities for regions, institutions and industry. This session explores the emerging quantum economy, the talent and workforce needed to fuel its growth, and how universities, community colleges, industry and communities can work together to build the infrastructure and skills needed to compete in this fast-evolving sector.
Speakers:
Mayor Amir Omar, City of Richardson Texas
Brian Rashap, Quantum and Internet of Things Educator, Central New Mexico Community College
Brenden Mesch, Provost, Collin College Technical Campus
Dr. Sukumaran Nair, Vice Provost for Research and Chief Innovation Officer and Director for AT&T Center for Virtualization, Southern Methodist University
Victor Fishman, Executive Director, Texas Research Alliance (Moderator)

 

 

 

2:45pm – 3:00pm   |   Transition Break

3:00pm – 3:45pm   |   CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS

FROM CORPORATE RELATIONS TO REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS: REIMAGINING UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS FOR INNOVATION AND GROWTH
Strong university-industry partnerships are essential to advancing innovation and strengthening regional competitiveness. This session brings together insights from NACRO’s updated Corporate Relations Reimagined white paper and leading universities recognized with the 2025 APLU IEP Awards to explore how institutions can build holistic corporate engagement strategies while leveraging research parks and innovation districts as engines of economic growth. Attendees will gain practical frameworks for strengthening corporate partnership, activating university assets and measuring the impact of place-based innovation strategies to drive talent development, commercialization, and regional prosperity.
Speakers:
Tammy Eickhoff, Lead Director – Corporate & Foundation Relations @ Mayo Clinic and Network of Academic Corporate Relations Officer (NACRO), Co-President.
Lisa Tran, Senior Assistant Dean Executive Education & Strategic Partnerships, Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University
Chris Rhodes, Executive Director, University of Georgia Innovation District
Marc Gibson, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development, University of Tennessee
Alvaro J. Muñiz, Director for Economic Engagement, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (Moderator)

 

 

 

FINANCING STRATEGIES FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
This session will explore how universities and companies are working together to co-invest in facilities, leverage public-private partnerships, and navigate policy changes to support cutting-edge research and innovation growth across a wide range of institutions. Participants will gain insights in fundamental financing principles using a combination of qualitative and quantitative frameworks, risk-sharing strategies, and best practices for aligning infrastructure development with long-term research and workforce needs and examine how various investments can support sustainable research and innovation within their communities.
Speakers:
Kevin Byrne, MBA, Past President, AURP; President and CEO, The University Financing Foundation
David Tyndall, Founder and CEO, Collaborative Real Estate

 

 

 

UT DALLAS’S VISION FOR STUDENT SUCCESS, RESEARCH, AND EXTERNAL IMPACT
Under the leadership of new president Dr. Prabhas Moghe, UT Dallas is launching a bold strategic plan centered on three core pillars: Student Success; Academic and Research Convergence; and External Impact. Founded by Texas Instruments leaders to develop a skilled local engineering workforce, UT Dallas has a long tradition of aligning education with industry needs. This session will highlight how UT Dallas’s renewed focus on these priorities strengthens its impact and reaffirms its founding mission.
Speakers:
Dr. Robin Paige, Vice Provost for Academic Success and Innovation, UT Dallas
Dr. Joseph Pancrazio, Vice President for Research and Innovation, UT Dallas
Dr. Marc Christensen, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, UT Dallas
Dr. Brian Ten Eyck, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff, UT Dallas (Moderator)

 

 

 

3:45pm – 4:15pm   |   Networking Break

4:15pm – 5:00pm   |   CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS

EXPLORING HIGH-IMPACT UNIVERSITY INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM INVESTMENTS WITH DIGITAL TWIN MODELING
This session will demonstrate how a simulated “digital twin” of regional innovation ecosystems can guide programming and asset decisions for research parks and innovation districts. Utilizing an AURP member case study, the session will illustrate how calibrated models replicate historical growth, test alternatives future strategies, and reveal which types of university-linked programs, partnerships, and talent pipelines most strongly drive competitiveness, resilience, and long-run regional impact.
Speakers:
Jeff Seymour, President and CEO, Oklahoma City Innovation District
Joe Simkins, Principal and Project Director, TEConomy Partners
Deborah Cummings, Principal and Managing Director, TEConomy Partners (Moderator)

 

 

 

UNIVERSITIES AS THE NEW NETWORK EPICENTER: HOW RESEARCH PARKS CAN ANCHOR THE AI INFRASTRUCTURE ECONOMY
Artificial intelligence, advanced research, life sciences, defense innovation, and next-generation economic development will all depend on one increasingly scarce resource: low-latency, resilient, locally interconnected network infrastructure. This panel will explore why university research parks and innovation districts are uniquely positioned to become the new regional epicenters of digital infrastructure through the development of carrier-neutral Internet Exchange Point facilities. This session will provide a practical roadmap for research parks that want to position themselves not only as places where innovation happens, but as the physical places where the region’s digital economy connects.
Speakers:
Tonya Witherspoon, Consulting Director, Apprenti
Hunter Newby, Founder, Newby Adventures; Director, Social Incentive Marketing
Brent Legg, Executive Vice President Government Affairs, Connected Nation (Moderator)

 

 

 

DESIGNING INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS THAT SCALE
This panel brings together leaders representing three stages of ecosystem development: a mature, high-performing market, a newly activated innovation community, and a region actively designing its future strategy. Together, they will explore how innovation ecosystems are built, where they commonly break down, and what it takes to align stakeholders around measurable outcomes. The discussion will highlight the role of universities as anchor institutions, the importance of accelerator programming as connective infrastructure, and the strategies required to integrate capital, corporate engagement, and global partnerships. Attendees will walk away with actionable frameworks to design and scale innovation ecosystems that drive job creation, attract investment, and strengthen long-term regional competitiveness.
Speakers:
Jordan Peterson, Chief Operating Officer, Collaborative Real Estate
Jon McCarry, Executive Director, Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of North Texas
Shayna Hetzel, Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
Robert Pieroni, Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships & Business Development, gener8tor (Moderator)

 

 

 

5:15pm – 5:45pm   |   VISIONARY VOICES (12th Floor)
Drawing on the ideas, challenges and opportunities explored throughout the day, Tom Osha brings his unique perspective to what lies ahead for research parks and innovation districts. With decades of experience shaping communities of innovation plus insight through hosting The Commons Podcast, Tom will connect the day’s conversations to the bigger picture—sharing insights, lessons learned and a forward-looking vision for how these communities can evolve, remain relevant and drive greater impact in the years ahead. 

Speaker:
Thomas Osha, Executive Vice President, Wexford Science & Technology; Chair, Global Institute on Innovation Districts

 

 

 

5:45pm – 6:15pm   |   Transportation from Pegasus Park to Virgin Hotel (See AURP Meeting App for Schedule)

7:00pm   |   Small Group Dinners
Guests to sign-up online using the QR code below or by clicking HERE. All attendees welcome.
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All meetings held at Pegasus Park (3000 Pegasus Park Dr. Dallas, TX 75207) EXCEPT as noted ‘off property – transportation will be provided AM/PM only

As part of your conference registration, you will have the opportunity to select one of two exclusivehalf-day caucus experiences on the morning of October 1st. Choose the track that best aligns with your interests and engage in focused discussions with industry and innovation leaders.

7:00am – 10:00am   |   FACILITY TOUR (off property) 10:30am – 11:00am   |   Break  11:00am – 11:30am   |   EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS, INCLUDING STATE BIO HUBS Texas, like other large states, house many cities with their own bio clusters. Learn how North Texas and Houston work individually and within the overall Texas bio ecosystem for practices to employ in your state or region. Speakers: Gina Ford, CEO, BioNTX Verena Kallhoff, PhD, MBA, Senior Director, Global Life Sciences, Greater Houston Partnership       11:30am – 12:00pm   |   FROM SILOS TO SYSTEMS: ACCELERATING INNOVATION TO IMPACT THROUGH ONE HEALTH INNOVATION DISTRICT Targeted at research park leaders and biotech professionals, this session unveils the Purdue-Elanco One Health Innovation District (OHID) model. Attendees explore how integrating human, animal, and plant health sectors accelerates discovery-to-commercialization. Speakers: Timothy Bettington, Executive Vice President, Center of Stra, Elanco Jacob Denecke, Senior Director, Strategic Facility Initiatives, Purdue University Kaethe Beck, AVP of Strategic Impact in the Life Sciences, Purdue University Christy Wright, CEO, AgriNovus (Moderator)     12:00pm – 12:30pm   |   FOUNDATIONS THAT SCALE: INNOVATION CAMPUSES AND BIOMANUFACTURING GROWTH High-growth biomanufacturing clusters require foundations that can scale with industry demand. This session highlights how K-State Olathe Innovation Campus and KC BioHub use an innovation campus model to anchor and attract CROs and CDMOs, support biotech expansion across human and animal health, and build a nimble and scalable biomanufacturing workforce. Attendees will gain practical insights into how shared facilities, applied training, and cross-sector collaboration can be implemented by research parks in diverse regions.  Speakers: Melissa Roberts Chapman, President and Regional Innovation Officer, KC BioHub Spencer Chestnut, Manager, Biologics Strategy Deployment Catalent, Pharma Solutions Ben Wolfe, Dean and CEO, Kansas State University Olathe Innovation Campus (Moderator)

7:00am – 10:00am   |   FACILITY TOUR (off property) 10:00am – 10:15am   |   Break  10:15am – 10:30am   |   SESSION REMARKS Emcee: Marcel Johnson, Sr. Vice President, Talent & Technology Scouting & Identification, Port San Antonio Siva Vanapali, CEO and Co-Founder, NemaLife       10:30am – 11:15am   |   ADVANCING AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS: FROM RESEARCH TO OPERATIONS Speakers: Kara Hill, Director of Strategic Projects, Port San Antonio  Scott Snyder, VP Research & Economic Development, University of North Dakota  Albert Bejarano, Acting Associate Director, Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies, Autonomy Research Institute, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi Michelle Duquette, Founder and CEO, 3 MAD Air (Moderator)     11:15am – 12:00pm   |   HUBS FOR AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE INNOVATION Central Texas is positioned to lead aerospace and defense innovation as the industry shifts toward AI, cybersecurity, and digital engineering. Anchored by Austin, San Antonio, and San Marcos, the region combines venture-driven innovation, national security infrastructure, and growing research capacity. The Starburst Innovation Corridor Defense Accelerator connects startups, universities, and federal partners to accelerate dual-use technologies advancing mission impact, commercialization, and sustained economic growth. Speakers: Bart Bohn, Starburst, Head of US Accelerator Harold Strong, Past President, AURP; Starburst, Senior Advisor (Moderator)       12:00pm – 12:30pm   |   MEDCO– A SOLUTIONS PROVIDER FOR SUPPORT LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL SECURITY OBJECTIVES This session will inform attendees on new operating models amenable to co-investment by the government and private market actors. Highlighting public-private partnership organizations that are structured to find solutions for long-term self-viability and success.  Speaker: Thomas Sadowski, Executive Director, Maryland Economic Development Corporation

12:30pm – 1:30pm   |   NETWORKING LUNCH & INSTALLATION OF 2027 BOARD OF DIRECTORS (All Registrants Welcome)
Don’t just attend…engage! Pick a table topic or create your own conversation on the issues that matter most to your organization. Pull up a chair and exchange real ideas with fellow innovators shaping what’s next. Or during this interactive lunch, small group tours of BioLabs Pegasus Park will be available. 

AURP PRESIDENT ELECT: Jeff Smith, MBA, Director, Research Parks, Michigan State University Research Foundation

 

 

 

1:30pm – 2:15pm   |   MAIN STAGE: THE INNOVATION LEADERSHIP PLAYBOOK: PERSPECTIVES FROM CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICERS (12th Floor)
University innovation leaders will come together to explore how innovation, economic development and strategic partnerships are emerging into a new era. Explore how these roles are structured and evolving within technology transfer, startup growth and how they are shaping their innovation ecosystems. 

Speakers:
Craig Arnold, Chief Innovation Officer, Princeton University
Daniel Hommes, MD, PhD, Chief Innovation Officer, Innovation Hub, UT Southwestern
Ian McClure, JD, LL.M., Vice President for Innovation, UK HealthCare; Associate Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Impact, UL Research
Scott Shrake, Associate Vice President for Economic Development and Strategic Partnerships, Colorado State University
Kevin Byrne, MBA, Past President, AURP; President and CEO, The University Financing Foundation (Moderator)

 

 

 

2:15pm – 2:30pm   |   Transition Break

2:30pm – 3:15pm   |   CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS

ALIGNING THE INNOVATION VALUE CHAIN: HOW RESEARCH, CAPITAL & REAL ESTATE CONVERGE
This panel brings together three leaders representing the full innovation district value chain: municipal economic development (Dallas EDC), innovation campus operations (Pegasus Park), and research enterprise leadership (University of Utah). Moderated by Julie Huls, the discussion examines how federal funding signals, research strengths, and commercialization intelligence can be translated into real estate and tenant strategy – ensuring innovation districts are built on validated research pipelines rather than speculative development.
Speakers:
David Snow, Executive Director, Pegasus Park
Linda McMahon, CEO, Dallas Economic Development Corporation
Dr. Erin Rothwell, Senior Vice President of Research, University of Utah
Julie Huls, Founder, InovaSignal.ai (Moderator)

 

 

 

HOW VPRS ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF UNIVERSITY RESEARCH IN THE FACE OF AI TRANSFORMATION
As AI transforms research administration and discovery across disciplines, VPRs and senior research leaders are rethinking how universities build competitive, responsible research enterprises. This session examines how leaders are adapting operations, supporting researchers, and positioning institutions for an AI-enabled future. Attendees will gain practical insights into evolving priorities, challenges, and opportunities shaping the next era of university research and institutional strategy nationwide.
Speakers:
Marian McCord, Senior Vice President of Research and Knowledge Enterprise, Merrimack College
Jordan Peterson, Chief Operating Officer, Collaborative Real Estate (Moderator)

 

 

 

CREATING OPPORTUNITY: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS EDUCATION AND INNOVATION PARTNERS
Discussing programs and initiatives from representatives from the Dallas area and Purdue University. Want to hire and retain employees. Training programs. Jeremy and Josh currently coming up with an outline. Community college partnerships with industry and emergency industry talent pipelines and leads to workforce talent.
Speakers:
Logan Ardrey, Assistant Director, National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing, Texas A&M University
Madeline Burillo-Hopkins, Vice Chancellor of Workforce, Dallas College
Josh Curry, Director of Workforce and Operations, Purdue University
Jeremy Slater, Vice President, Real Estate and Partnerships, Purdue Research Foundation (Moderator)

 

 

 

3:15pm – 3:45pm   |   Networking Break

3:45pm – 4:30pm   |   CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS

FROM CLOSURE TO CLUSTER: ANCHORING INNOVATION AFTER ECONOMIC DISRUPTION
Economic disruption is often framed as decline – plant closures, institutional failures, and abandoned land. Yet across the United States, universities, cities and regional leaders have repeatedly transformed these moments of loss into opportunities, seeding research parks and innovation districts that anchor new economic futures. This session will highlight lessons learned and adapting in the face of sudden dislocation.
Speakers:
Tracy Shickel, At-Large Officer, AURP; Associate Vice President, Corporate Engagement, University of Delaware
Marcel Johnson, Board Member, AURP; Senior Vice President, Talent & Technology Scouting & Identification, Port San Antonio
Brian Darmody, Past President, AURP; Chief Strategy Officer, AURP (Moderator)

 

 

 

HIGH-IMPACT AREAS OF INNOVATION: CASE STUDIES AND TOOLKITS
AOIs worldwide strive for impacts and financial sustainability, but relatively few achieve dramatic growth and become regional engines of prosperity. Come learn from leading global case studies of systematic development, along with a toolkit for achieving rapid economic growth and profound quality-of-place. Featuring insights from world-leading transformation program, MIT REAP; the Singapore’s One North; and the renowned South-by-Southwest Festival.
Speakers:
Kavan O’Connor, Associate Director, MIT Sloan School of Business, REAP Program
One North Science Park, Singapore Government (to be announced)
Hugh Forrest, CEO, Gather and Grow
Larry Peterson, Executive Director, Texas Foundation for Innovative Communities (Moderator)

 

 

 

WINNING THROUGH SPECIALIZATION: SECTOR STRATEGIES FOR HIGH-GROWTH INNOVATION DISTRICTS AND RESEARCH PARKS
Specialization can be a powerful catalyst for growth. This session explores how research parks and innovation districts can leverage regional strengths, industry clusters and targeted sector strategies to differentiate their communities, attract investment and talent, and accelerate economic impact. Learn how a focused approach can transform existing assets into a competitive advantage for long-term growth.
Speakers:
Brendan Sullivan, Director of Strategy, CIC Captains of Innovation
Laura O’Blenis, Board Member, AURP; President & CEO, Stiletto: Make a Point
Carrie Allen, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, CIC Captains of Innovation (Moderator)

 

 

 

4:30pm – 4:45pm   |   Transition Break

4:45pm – 5:15pm   |   VISIONARY VOICES: FIRESIDE CHAT (12th Floor)
In this forward-looking fireside chat, industry and economic development perspectives come together to explore what’s next for research parks and innovation districts. Mark Bruso and Beth Bowman will share insights on the forces reshaping these communities—from evolving market and real estate dynamics to changing industry needs, partnerships and regional competitiveness—and what leaders should be thinking about today to position their communities for tomorrow. 

Speakers:
Mark Bruso, Senior Research Director, JLL 
Beth Bowman, IOM, CCE, President & CEO, Greater Irving-Las Colinas, Chamber of Commerce (Moderator)
Additional speakers to be announced

 

 

 

5:15pm – 5:30pm   |   CLOSING REMARKS (12th Floor)

AURP PRESIDENT ELECT: Jeff Smith, MBA, Director, Research Parks, Michigan State University Research Foundation

 

 

 

5:30pm – 6:00pm   |   Transportation from Pegasus Park to Virgin Hotel (See AURP Meeting App for Schedule)

6:30pm   |   Small Group Dinners
Guests to sign-up online using the QR code below or by clicking HERE. All attendees welcome.