GIC Session 4: Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Discussion

VIDEO September 25, 2015

Speaker / Author

Terry Brewer

President, Brewer Science

Terry Brewer, Ph.D., is president of Brewer Science, the company he founded in Rolla, Missouri, in 1981 to commercialize his invention of anti-reflective coatings (ARC® materials). With a strong focus on the global marketplace, Brewer Science creates, develops and manufactures specialty materials, equipment, and process solutions for applications in semiconductors, advanced packaging/3-D ICs, MEMS, sensors, displays, LEDs and printed electronics. The company's in-depth knowledge and expertise in materials science, chemistry, physics, optics, modeling and process integration distinguish it from all other material suppliers worldwide. Under the leadership of Dr. Brewer, Brewer Science has grown to be an international company with offices located ... Read More

Michael Drury

Chief Economist, McVean Trading & Investments

Michael Drury is the chief economist for McVean Trading & Investments, LLC. He joined the firm in 1992, after serving for five years as senior economist with Allen Sinai at Shearson Lehman Brothers and its successor firms. Michael began his career in New York in 1982 as senior economist at A. Gary Shilling and Company. He received his B.S. in economics from the Georgia Institute of Technology and did his graduate work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Michael assesses macroeconomic developments around the world to help develop hedging strategies using futures markets in interest rates, currencies and industrial materials. He travels ... Read More

Ginger Imster

Executive Director, Arch Grants

Ginger Imster, CFRE, has over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Currently, Ginger is the executive director of Arch Grants, a nonprofit that awards $50,000 equity-free grants to for-profit startups that headquarter in St. Louis. Arch Grants sponsors a year-round Global Startup Competition which leverages entrepreneurship and philanthropy to attract and retain talent in St. Louis. Arch Grants has awarded $3.6 million to 65 startups since 2012. Over 90 percent of those businesses are still active, and 88 percent of the businesses that are still active remain in St. Louis. Arch Grants Recipients have gone on to create over 275 jobs, generate ... Read More

Leslie Lynn Smith

President, EPIcenter

Leslie Lynn Smith serves as president of EPIcenter and vice president of Memphis Bioworks Foundation. EPIcenter is a collaborative, community-wide strategic initiative that helps entrepreneurs conceive, launch, and scale businesses in the Memphis region by coordinating resources from the community’s accelerators, incubators, mentors, investors, networking programs and technical assistance programs. Leslie is the former president and CEO of TechTown Detroit, a business accelerator and incubator that provides a powerful connection to a broad network of resources, catalyzing entire communities of entrepreneurs. At TechTown, Leslie led the transformation of Detroit’s economy with innovative business modeling and cutting-edge economic development programs. Previously, ... Read More