Editor’s note: This story was written by Shellie Edge and Justin Hickland of  Innovate Carolina; photography by Sarah Daniels and Brock Pierce, Innovate Carolina.

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CHAPEL HILL – Sheryl Waddell has been named director of economic development and innovation hubs for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this role, Waddell will lead the implementation of UNC-Chapel Hill’s economic development strategy centered around innovation, talent, and place by engaging with University and community partners, including corporate, nonprofit and government leaders. As a senior leader of Innovate Carolina – the University’s central team for innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development – Waddell’s work focuses on enhancing career opportunities for students and creating economic vibrancy for the local community, region and state.

Waddell will also lead the innovation hub and innovation district initiative, which will provide innovation spaces to a community of entrepreneurs and industry leaders in the heart of Chapel Hill. The hub is part of the Carolina Economic Development Strategy, which aims to create a downtown innovation district that will retain, attract and grow more innovation-oriented companies and talent in Chapel Hill. It’s vital for industry and businesses to have a larger presence in Chapel Hill, and as part of her new role, Waddell will help facilitate relationships with industry partners on behalf of the University in a more holistic way.

“Economic development, and especially the connectivity between UNC and the Town of Chapel Hill, is of critical importance to both constituents,” says Vinay Patel, UNC Board of Trustees member and member of the University’s economic development council. “The addition of the innovation district to this plan makes it even more impressive, and we, the BOT and UNC, are excited to have Sheryl lead the process.”

UNC-CH Innovation hub is coming to Chapel Hill – here are the details

Waddell came to UNC-Chapel Hill in 2014, serving as the national program director for the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network. She then worked as director of the Innovate Carolina Global Network to engage community members, alumni, faculty, staff and students and build UNC-Chapel Hill’s innovation ecosystem.

Innovate Carolina spoke with Waddell about her new role and how she plans to make an impact in the community.

1. How does economic development fit with the goals of a public university like Carolina?

UNC-Chapel Hill has been influencing economic development for a really long time. As a major research university, we translate a lot of research into products, goods and services, and we create talent, which is a driver of a healthy economy. Economic development is nothing new to the University, but what is new is our updated strategy, which is to have a stronger presence in local communities. We hope to use our presence and resources to have a positive influence on the local economy and to build innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities within the region and across the state. Part of that economic development strategy is the development of an innovation hub in downtown Chapel Hill, which really takes our involvement in the town, the county and the state of North Carolina to a next level.

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“Innovation hubs create opportunities for collaboration, which is key to innovation. The Chapel Hill hub is where we’ll put innovation into practice by equipping all types of organizations and people from the Chapel Hill community with the entrepreneurial tools, skills and methods they need to activate and scale their ideas.” – Sheryl Waddell, Director of Economic Development and Innovation Hubs

2. What’s the connection between economic development and innovation at Carolina?

Part of our mission at Innovate Carolina – as a hub for research, scholarship and creativity – is to teach a diverse community of undergrad, graduate and professional students to become the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders. For example, by developing the innovation hub, we are attracting businesses and industry, while helping startups to have a greater presence in Chapel Hill. Our students will have the chance to work with those ventures and connect with innovative corporate and community innovators. We also want to provide resources to the citizens of North Carolina, so that they can build their own businesses and set a bold course in improving society and helping to solve the world’s greatest problems. Although economic development at the University isn’t new, through the innovation hub, we are now creating a place for it.

3. What are innovation hubs, and why is Carolina creating one?

Innovation hubs create opportunities for collaboration, which is key to innovation. The Chapel Hill hub is where we’ll put innovation into practice by equipping all types of organizations and people from the Chapel Hill community with the entrepreneurial tools, skills and methods they need to activate and scale their ideas. Many folks think of an innovation hub as a space where startups hang out. While that is true, we are really creating a bridge of physical space between the University, the community and businesses. Innovation hubs give the community spaces where you can have creative collisions, diversity of thought, and action.

4. How will the innovation hub fit within the Chapel Hill community?

One of the major projects we’re working on is the Downtown Together Task Force, which is a collaboration between the Town of Chapel Hill and the University. The task force works on a regular basis to identify how Chapel hill can create an environment where people and businesses want to work and live. This is critical to attracting top faculty, students, companies and industry leaders to Chapel Hill and making it a place where they want to stay and grow.

Our initial strategy is to create an innovation hub and an innovation district within Chapel Hill. We are the only university with plans for an innovation hub right on the edge of campus. The hub will be directly across the street from Porthole Alley, which reinforces the link between the University and community. We aim to offer resources not only to UNC students, faculty and alumni, but also to the local community of innovators, entrepreneurs and businesses. We also hope to bring a diversity of industry to Chapel Hill to allow for a longer, economic drive. For example, right now Chapel Hill has an “eight-month economy.” In other words, when students leave Chapel Hill to return home in the summer, we know local businesses start to struggle. Through the innovation hub, we aim to strengthen the local, downtown Chapel Hill economy, making it more vibrant and attractive to follow-on businesses such as restaurants and retail.

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“At Carolina, we are known for our research, and it’s important that the tremendous economic and social impact of that research is also fully recognized. How that happens is to stay data-driven through our bridge from the University into the community. ” Sheryl Waddell

5. What are your expectations for the innovation hub? What will it look like?

Our main goal for the innovation hub is for it to be accessible and inclusive to all. We want to make sure we’re fostering a friendly and diverse community. I see the hub as a combination of spaces that will spark ideas and collisions through a vibrant, open community, while also serving as a place where people can go to work and learn. I see a mix of working folks who come from industry and businesses in addition to faculty members and students. It is really important that the design be a combination of open spaces and include design elements that foster collaboration – including floating desks and co-working areas, conference rooms, a training room, business center, and event and networking areas.

Those who want to work in a business environment can have meetings or use a number of private offices that will be available through a hub membership. A lot of companies want to locate to Chapel Hill, but are not able to because leases can be extensive and quite expensive. Through the hub, businesses can obtain a membership, which will allow them to become a member of the community and the space. Hub memberships are valuable because many people have a desire to work in an office – especially one close to a prestigious university like UNC-Chapel Hill – but can’t afford office space that close. The innovation hub will offer people a membership that gives them the ability to work in Chapel Hill right next to the University, where they can take advantage of the space and the resources.

Having a space for collaboration allows ideas to be seen from a research perspective, but also from a talent perspective. For example, Innovate Carolina has a number of internship programs that allow students to connect with businesses and startup companies. We are hoping that when the innovation hub opens, those meetings currently happening in coffee shops will happen at the hub, helping to foster those partnerships and opportunities.

6. Why are partnerships important for economic development?

Partnerships are imperative for the entire University. The economic development initiative will foster new, strategic partnerships and allow for more holistic and deeper relationships with existing partners. The University is a multi-billion-dollar engine for research, and it’s our responsibility to make sure that we translate that research into technologies, products and services for the public. Partnerships are critical because we can’t do all that translation on our own. Connections with the marketplace, industry partners, businesses, government and community organizations allow us to get innovations out to the people who need them. We also need to make sure that we are creating the workforce of the future, and we can only achieve that through the insights that industry and other partners bring to the University.

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“The University is a multi-billion-dollar engine for research, and it’s our responsibility to make sure that we translate that research into technologies, products and services for the public. Partnerships are critical because we can’t do all that translation on our own.” Sheryl Waddell

7. What most excites you about this role?

Early on as an entrepreneur, I identified two of my defining characteristics, which were being a builder and a connector. Those are the two things excite me the most about this role. I hope to build something that can have a lasting impact on the community, and I am excited to be part of creating and contributing to a team that can foster economic growth. As an entrepreneur, you have to be out there networking and connecting. For example, I’m constantly thinking, ‘This person should talk to that person. Or this company may be able to positively influence that school or department. How can I connect them to help them multiply their impact?’

8. How does your experience with entrepreneurship shape your vision for economic development at the University?

When I was an entrepreneur, I was heads down creating my product and a business for myself and my family. At the time, I didn’t realize that I was a key driver to the economy. Entrepreneurs and innovators are so passionate about their products and about what they’re doing that they often don’t realize the significant economic effect that they have. Yet, the fact that they’re hiring talent, generating revenue and creating jobs is a major an influence on economy. At the University, we want to amplify that influence in Chapel Hill and across North Carolina.

9. Looking ahead, what does success for the economic development initiative look like?

At Carolina, we are known for our research, and it’s important that the tremendous economic and social impact of that research is also fully recognized. How that happens is to stay data-driven through our bridge from the University into the community. We are starting right in our backyard through the Chapel Hill innovation hub. The hub allows us to attract and retain highly innovative faculty and students which, in return, also attracts businesses. Extending that bridge across North Carolina to become known not only as a top national research university, but also one that drives economic development in our state and globally – that would would be a signal of success.

To learn more about Carolina’s economic development initiative and effort to create an innovation hub and downtown innovation district, visit innovationhub.unc.edu/chapel-hill-innovation-hub or contact Sheryl Waddell at sheryl.waddell@innovate.unc.edu.