UNH Today

UNH has named Ian Grant as its first director of the newly established Peter T. Paul Entrepreneurship Center (ECenter). Under Grant’s leadership, the ECenter aims to become a premier resource supporting entrepreneurship at the university and in the state, resulting in increased entrepreneurial talent, business formation, investment capital and job creation in New Hampshire.

Grant will serve as the primary point of contact and lead for all activities of the ECenter and will work closely with key university administrators to cultivate long-term relationships, develop and deliver new activities and support activities developed by others on campus in the area of entrepreneurship. He will also manage the new Wildcatalysts Mentor Network, a group of alumni across different disciplines who have committed time and resources to support ideas generated from the UNH community.

The ECenter is intentionally independent of any one college as an engaged collaborator of all things entrepreneurial within the greater UNH community and externally in New Hampshire and New England. In addition, the ECenter will focus on encouraging interdisciplinary activities and providing real-world experiences that lead to new products, services and firm creation.

Grant brings a wealth of entrepreneurial and innovation experience to the university that directly benefits students, faculty and alumni alike. During his career, he co-founded or founded three companies that all were acquired and led innovation projects within large Fortune 500 corporate environments. His startup experience includes leadership roles as CEO, chief operating officer, vice president of marketing and business development and sales, and he has worked in a variety of industries including commercial real estate, customer loyalty, organic products, career and human resources technology and services, higher education Internet-based products and services and healthcare. His entrepreneurial success and work with nonprofit organizations led the Boston Business Journal to select Grant from more than 300 nominees for its “Top 40 Under 40” award in 2001.

“I am thrilled to take on this role at such an exciting early stage in the Entrepreneurship Center’s development and to partner with those already engaged in the entrepreneurial efforts on campus,” says Grant. “I am committed to developing new programs and initiatives that promote a university-wide culture of entrepreneurship and support anyone in the UNH community who wants to turn ideas into tangible actions and companies. I will draw upon a critical tool box of knowledge I’ve acquired as a result of my startup experience and past business leadership roles.”

Grant can be reached at ian.grant@unh.edu or (603) 862-5470.

The ECenter opened at the beginning of January in Madbury Commons along with UNHInnovation, the InterOperability Lab and its partner Alpha Loft.