New CNVE director aims to grow entrepreneurship across Texas A&M

Blake Petty, the former Assistant Vice President for Research at Texas A&M University, has been named the new director for the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship (CNVE) at Mays Business School. As director, Blake assumes responsibility for Startup Aggieland along with the student accelerator’s oversight board and the full repertoire of programs at CNVE.

Blake received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Texas A&M University, and for 14 years he has worked in administrative positions at the university and A&M System, including a 10-year stint in the Texas A&M University System’s Office of Technology Commercialization.

As Assistant Vice President for Research, Blake coordinated all Innovation, Industry Relations and Business Development initiatives at Texas A&M, and facilitated commercialization and entrepreneurship opportunities for the campus’ nearly 3,000 faculty researchers. Blake has been a driving force behind solidifying entrepreneurship and industry partnerships, and has been a vital asset to the innovation ecosystem at Texas A&M.

Blake also brings with him extensive experience in business incubator management and economic development, having directed operations of the Texas A&M Research Park and Bioscience Business Accelerator. It was in this role that Blake was able to secure space and funding support to allow Startup Aggieland to establish operations in the Research Park in 2012. Blake has a great deal of experience in directing the economic development impact of university activities, and he is professionally certified under the National Business Incubators Association’s Incubator Management Program.

CNVE, a part of Mays Business School’s Department of Management, provides encouragement, education, networking and assistance to entrepreneurially minded students, faculty and Texas businesses. Since its launch in 1999, the center has enhanced student education through campus speakers, competitions, programs, work experiences and financial support. Blake has been a major contributor to the growth and development of CNVE and its programs in the following roles:

• Serving as a member of CNVE’s advisory council
• Serving as a moderator and CNVE representative at Aggie Entrepreneurship Saturday
• Mentoring for 3 Day Startup, Startup Aggieland and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities
• Judging competitions such as Raymond Ideas Challenge and MBA Venture Challenge
• Serving as a founding partner in the launch and development of Startup Aggieland

Blake’s overarching goal for CNVE is to strategically align and enhance entrepreneurship initiatives across the Texas A&M campus, while ensuring the sustainability of CNVE’s entrepreneurial programs and further establishing CNVE as the hub for entrepreneurial activities. He believes that the CNVE can offer every Aggie the opportunity to explore entrepreneurship in an experiential learning environment, and thereby unleash the true potential of Texas A&M University’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to inspire, innovate, connect and act to make our world a better place.

ABOUT MAYS BUSINESS SCHOOL

Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School educates more than 5,600 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management. Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the country for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and for faculty research. The mission of Mays Business School is creating knowledge and developing ethical leaders for a global society.

ABOUT CNVE

The Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship, a part of Mays Business School’s Department of Management, provides encouragement, education, networking and assistance to entrepreneurially-minded students, faculty and Texas businesses. Since its launch in 1999, the center has enhanced student education through campus speakers, competitions and programs, work experiences and financial support. For more information about CNVE, visit: http://cnve.tamu.edu/