V O L . X X V I I I N O. X V I I
A U G U S T 8 , 2 0 2 2 20
When it
comes to
startups,
she has
her foot
on the gas
C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2 2
ยป
Renee Kelly has been
at the center of Maine's
startup community.
S TA R T U P S , E C O N O M I C
D E V E L O P M E N T
Renee Kelly
Assistant vice president for
innovation and economic development
University of Maine
P H O T O / S O U B A N H P H A N T H AY
Renee Kelly is assistant vice president for innovation
and economic development for the University
of Maine. She serves as a liaison to the state's
economic development community and identifies
opportunities for the university to partner with
organizations to improve Maine's economy. In
addition, she leads the commercialization support
and innovation programs of the University of Maine,
including the MIRTA Accelerator program, Foster
Center for Innovation, UMaine's I-Corps Site and
business incubation programs. She has also been
at the forefront of Maine's startup community, and
was a founding member of Blackstone Accelerates
Growth (now Maine Accelerates Growth) and led
the creation of the Maine Fellows Program. She is
a Maine native, having grown up on a dairy farm
in Newburgh, about 25 miles from her office. She
has an undergraduate degree from Smith College
and a master's from UMaine.
B y P e t e r V a n A l l e n
