JOHNSON CITY – Dr. Audrey Depelteau, director of East Tennessee State University’s
Innovation Lab, will become the first Tennessean invited to speak at the SelectUSA Investment Summit
hosted by United States Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
The event, May 1-4 in Washington, D.C., connects investors, companies, industry experts
and various organizations with the goal of promoting investment deals in the U.S.
“The ETSU Innovation Lab is an International Soft Landings designation certified by
the International Business Innovation Association. The scope of the Soft Landings
program, however, extends far beyond our walls. The strength of this program is a
function of the collaborations and partnerships between The Northeast Tennessee Valley
Regional Industrial Association (NETVRIDA), ETSU, the ETSU Research Corporation, local
and regional economic development agencies and various other stakeholders,” said Depelteau.
“It is an honor to represent ETSU, our region and the State of Tennessee, and I’m
happy to say that my calendar is already filling up with invitations from individuals/companies
wanting private consultations with me.”
The U.S. Department of Commerce has honored Depelteau in other critical ways, too. She is certified to mentor international women in tech, and she will attend two invitation-only receptions with the Secretary of Commerce. As part of the Select Global Women in Tech Program (SGWIT), she works with international female founders, entrepreneurs and executives in the tech sector.
“The SGWIT Mentorship Network introduces international female tech entrepreneurs to the U.S. market with the support of SelectUSA’s traditional data and counseling services, as well as community, learning and networking opportunities,” she said. “I am honored to be mentoring international women in tech with pitch training, strategic planning, funding, investment basics, leadership training, time management, problem solving, negotiating, goal setting, becoming a high performer and more. I look forward to using these skills in assisting woman-owned businesses locally as well.”
These accolades bode well for Depelteau and the university community given her role with the ETSU Innovation Lab.
Working in partnership with the ETSU Research Corporation, the ETSU Innovation Lab is a high-tech business incubator that aims to help aspiring entrepreneurs develop technologies all the way from concept to commercialization. Depelteau and her team focus on producing solutions to global problems. As such, they are a nexus between entrepreneurs, educational institutions, economic development councils and the international business community.