Later today we will announce the selection of Bob Creeden, founder and managing partner of Partners Innovation Fund (PIF) at Partners Healthcare (PHS) in Boston, as the first executive director of the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network. After a highly competitive national search, we are excited that Bob has agreed to lead this effort. The Blackstone Network is positioned to help North Carolina’s Research Triangle region emerge as one of the top entrepreneurial hubs in the country, and we look forward to working with you and Bob to make that possible.
Along with the consortium’s university partners – Duke University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – and the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, Bob will help identify and harness the talent and experience of area entrepreneurs who will scour the region for the most promising startup teams on and off campuses. These successful entrepreneurs will work intensively with selected startups to build the next generation of important companies for North Carolina. The program is designed to create jobs, attract millions in seed, startup and expansion capital, and generate considerable revenue for the state.
The Blackstone Network is funded by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, which is directing resources to grow entrepreneurial activities in key regions of the country to catalyze the growth of successful businesses and industries.
Bob’s experience in identifying and commercializing early-stage technologies in Boston, an area second only to Silicon Valley in its density of start-up companies and venture capital, and his ability to bring extensive new networks set him apart from other applicants. We will organize an opportunity for Bob to meet North Carolina’s talented entrepreneurial community later this fall. In the meantime please visit our website at blackstoneentrepreneursnetwork.org for more information.
Working together for North Carolina,
The Consortium Steering Committee