Supporting Innovation in the 757

This week hosts Tim Ryan and Zack Miller sit down Jeff Johnson, Director of Tech Center Research Park located in Newport News, Virginia, to discuss his journey and share wisdom about entrepreneurship, leadership, and tech. Watch this week's episode to hear about these topics and much more!   Tim Ryan is an angel investor and the Executive Director of StartWheel, an organization dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs with resources in Hampton Roads, Virginia.    Learn more at: https://www.startwheel.org    Zack Miller is a serial entrepreneur and author of Anomaly, a guide on how to differentiate yourself and your business from the crowd.   Learn more at: https://www.zackmillersays.com   Enjoy the show? Watch the Fervent Four Show LIVE every Thursday at 11AM.   Live: https://www.startwheel.org/live/ Watch past episodes: https://www.startwheel.org/fervent-four-show/ Listen to past episodes: https://fathom.fm/podcast/fervent-four    Show notes:   (0:00) Introducing Jeff Johnson   (6:08) College Towns + Innovation   (11:26) Innovation in Hampton Roads + Intellectual capital in the 757   (17:00) Creating the Tech Center + Why it's successful   (28:57) Hybrid Workspace + Importance of collisions   (37:05) Collaboration for all of Virginia locations + Value of resources in VA   (45:55) Helping innovations land and grow   (50:20) Having a long term vision   (54:37) Our region must have inclusion + Conclusion    About Jeff Johnson & Tech Center Research Park   "Jeff Johnson joined the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, a subsidiary of the Virginia Tech Foundation, in January 2014 as Director of Tech Center Research Park located in Newport News, Virginia. Jeff is responsible for establishing and leading the research and innovation portion of the 100-acre, $450 million mixed used Tech Center based on the internationally acclaimed Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, Virginia. Jeff identifies, vets, recruits, and supports technology-based companies that are focused on commercialization discovery and growing business that matter. He has also worked with hundreds of federal labs principal investigators and inventors to accelerate lab to market and commercialize innovation.   Jeff has a strong record in executive leadership with extensive experience in competitive analysis and positioning, strategic marketing and branding, business organizational development, manufacturing management, strategic planning, and predictive analytics. Jeff has worked with several national and international brands. Jeff has over 20 years of corporate experience and has held director and senior-level executive leadership positions with profit and loss responsibilities at global industry leading companies in automotive tires and building material finishes".   Learn More: http://innovateattechcenterva.com/about/meet-our-staff/     The Fervent Four Show:   Did you know that only 4% of businesses hit $1M in revenue? Tim Ryan and Zack Miller are the creators of The Fervent Four Show, designed to help you get there. Check them out Live every Thursday at 11 AM.   Social Media:   Jeff Johnson http://innovateattechcenterva.com/   Twitter: @vtcrc (https://twitter.com/vtcrc)   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsonjeffrey2/   Instagram: @vt_crc (https://www.instagram.com/vt_crc/?hl=en)   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vtcrc/   Tim Ryan https://www.startwheel.org   Twitter (personal): @ryantnt (https://twitter.com/ryantnt)   Twitter: @StartWheel (https://twitter.com/StartWheel)   LinkedIn (personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantnt/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/startwheel-org/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StartWheel   Zack Miller https://www.zackmillersays.com   Twitter: @zackmillersays (https://twitter.com/zackmillersays)   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zackmillersays   Thanks to our Sponsors:   The Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center – http://www.hrsbdc.org/en/   StartWheel – https://www.startwheel.org