Panel: The Impact of Corporate Startups on a Region’s Economic Development (Pittsburgh as an Example)
Ilana Diamond, Managing Director of Hardware and AlphaLab Gear at Innovation Works
Ilana leads a team that helps physical product startups make rapid progress through the early stages of product and customer development.
Before joining Innovation Works, Ilana grew and led tech companies from startup to exit — building management teams, raising venture capital, and managing mergers and acquisitions from both sides of the table (buyer and seller). Earlier in her career, as a management consultant for PwC, Ilana provided strategy advice, turnaround assistance, and merger and acquisition support to Fortune 500, middle-market, and growing companies.
Ilana has also served in leadership roles on boards of private companies and not-for-profit organizations, including the International Consumer Technology Association (organizer of the Consumer Electronics Show), the Pittsburgh Technology Council, Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh, and Propel Charter Schools. She holds a B.A. in Biological Sciences and Economics and an MBA, both from Northwestern University.
Rebecca Lucore, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility at Covestro
(bio coming shortly)
Sean Luther, Executive Director, InnovatePGH
(bio coming shortly)
Chris Martin, Director R+D Intelligent and Secure IoT at Bosch
(bio coming shortly)
Moderator: Sue Cohen Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh - Katz School of Business
(bio coming shortly)
Moderator: Lou Musante, Founder, Echo Strategies
Lou is a serial entrepreneur and research designer who spent the 1970’s and early 1980’s working in large global corporations. Started his first company in 1984 and has launched and helped start dozens of others. His background is in chemistry with a master’s in information science. Areas of focus: Digital Transformations & Work Process Automation, Methods for Measuring and Influencing Subjective Well-Being, Human-Centered Product Design, Transformational Innovation Strategy & Corporate Entrepreneurship.
Lou lectures at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Melon University. He has been an advisor to the Corporate Startup Lab at CMU since inception.
Lou enjoys hanging out with his wife and five daughters, helping corporate entrepreneurs learn new tricks and walking on the streets in large cities and in the woods.