Former Director of Innovation Ecosystem (now known as EI2 Global) in the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2)
Lynne Henkiel is the former director of the Innovation Ecosystems team at the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2). She has been involved in developing EI²’s Innovative Ecosystems development practices, aiding communities to develop their entrepreneur base through research and education. She has also been the developer for the incubation assessments tool, and she has been instrumental in developing the Georgia Tech Soft Landings program for international companies looking to grow and expand into the U.S. market. Her early career at Georgia Tech focused on commercializing innovations from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Stennis Space Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center. Within her responsibilities of working with startup companies that licensed NASA technology, she worked in partnership with startup entrepreneurs to overcome many of the early pitfalls of starting a technology business. She also managed the dual-use industry partnerships for NASA Marshall involving both large and startup businesses.
She also served as a professor of practice teaching a U.S. Expansion Practicum at the Scheller College of Business, partnering MBA students with successful Georgia Tech alumni for their business expansion initiatives. Finally, she is a popular speaker on innovation practices for communities looking to expand their economic goals through startup companies and entrepreneurs. Lynne serves on the boards of the Technology Association of Georgia International Society, and the International Business Innovation Association. Lynne holds an M.S. in the Management of Technology from the University of Miami, Florida, and she had an extensive career in finance with IBM prior to joining Georgia Tech.
In 2023, Lynne Henkiel retired after 22 years of service to Georgia Tech.