Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Koorndyk
Hi Scott, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in the great State of Michigan (Grand Rapids), and was drawn to Dayton by the University of Dayton School of Law, and more specifically, UD’s focus on law and technology. While in law school, I was an intern at LexisNexis – which became my corporate home for more than 15 years. While at LexisNexis, I enjoyed roles in product development and marketing, but thrived in a M&A role, where I was fortunate to lead the integration of newly-acquired companies into the LexisNexis family. I left LexisNexis to lead a local technology company, and to build technology companies of my own. Through the power of networking, I accepted a role as an Executive in Residence with the Dayton Development Coalition, and then as Vice President of Technology Commercialization. Ultimately, I became the COO of the Coalition, with responsibility for all economic development programs. My time at the Coalition was incredibly rewarding – but I felt a strong pull back to entrepreneurs and technology commercialization – and became the President of the Entrepreneurs’ Center (EC) in 2015. The EC is a modern venture development organization focused on increasing progress and prosperity through entrepreneurship. Since joining the EC, the organization’s revenue has grown by more than 800%, and our staff has grown by more than 500%.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No corporate journey is ever completely smooth, so there certainly were struggles along the way:
1) Leadership Changes: unless you are at the top of an organizational chart, you report to someone else – and in all likelihood, even then you report to others! I’ve been faced with leadership changes that resulted in strategic and tactical decisions that impacted my ability to lead as I might have liked. But those changes are things you simply have to work through – or leave the organization. Over my career, I’ve done more of the former than the later!
2) Economic Conditions: For the last 15 years, I’ve enjoyed my role in economic development – but sometimes, economic conditions can add challenges to our work. This is especially true for small businesses. That’s why we work so hard to support those businesses in a way that transcends the headwinds they face.
3) Regional/Local Confidence: while the Dayton Region increasingly believes in itself and our collective power to drive progress and prosperity, that hasn’t always been the case. Over the years, we’ve faced challenges as a community, and sometimes we take the external criticism or perspectives far too seriously. I’ve worked hard to attract and grow businesses in this community, and believe that the Region is the very best place to take an entrepreneurial leap!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The EC is a modern venture development organization that focuses on driving progress and prosperity through entrepreneurship. We support more than 900 entrepreneurs across the US, with most of that total within our local community. We lead four major initiatives that are changing the future of the Region for the better:
1) The Entrepreneurial Services Provider (ESP) Program: in partnership with the State of Ohio and the Third Frontier Commission, the EC supports more than 100 regional technology companies as they bring their ideas to market. We deploy almost $12M per year in support to entrepreneurs, through an incredible staff, a team of entrepreneurs in residence, and through grants that fund services to our startups. In the 2017 – 2024 period, the EC has driven more than $1B in total economic impact to the Region;
2) The Small Business Development Center (SBDC): in partnership with the Small Business Administration at both the Federal and State level, the EC leads a regional SBDC, which supports more than 600 companies each year. These companies are “main street” companies like restaurants, service companies, and manufacturing companies that drive the local economy.
3) The Technology Acceleration Program (TAP): in partnership with the US Air Force, the EC envisioned and leads TAP, a program that assists small businesses who are conducting research for the Air Force as they seek to commercialize those technologies. Since the program began in 2018, TAP has assisted participating companies raise more than $3B in additional capital following program completion.
4) The Arcade Innovation Hub (AIH): in partnership with the University of Dayton, the EC leads the Arcade Innovation Hub, a 100,000 SFT innovation center in the historic Dayton Arcade. The AIH is home to more than 140 small businesses, and hosts more than 500 UD and Sinclair students for classes each week!
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I always give two general pieces of advice when talking to someone just starting a career (or a company):
1) Life is not Linear: there will be ups and downs, and you shouldn’t expect everything to always go your way. But stick with it, believe in yourself, and over time, you will succeed.
2) Everything Is about Relationships: it’s sometimes said that business moves at the speed of relationships, and that is absolutely true. Build genuine, lasting relationships, be curious, and be willing to share your knowledge, experience and passion with others. When times are tough, those relationships are even more valuable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ecinnovates.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecinnovates/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ecinnovates
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ecinnovates/
