West Alabama HBCU hosts regional, state leaders at innovation roundtable

The importance of collaboration among political, business and community leaders to solve issues facing entrepreneurs was stressed Thursday at a roundtable discussion in Tuscaloosa.

Stillman College hosted the panel’s discussion which centered on bolstering the regional economy through innovation.

The roundtable was part of Innovate Alabama’s statewide goal of forging partnerships aimed at solving regional workforce and economic needs in the field of innovation.

During the discussion, leaders stressed the importance of supporting the commercialization of locally made technology as well as creating opportunities for underrepresented students and entrepreneurs.

Leaders across the public, private and education sectors sought to identify initiatives that could lead to increased talent retention, building a stronger workforce, and expanding access to capital.

Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper), vice chair of Innovate Alabama, touched on the importance of collaboration among local leadership to solve outstanding issues facing entrepreneurs.

“Innovate Alabama hopes to bridge connections and foster collaboration between higher education leaders, lawmakers and entrepreneurs throughout West Alabama who are each working to move this region forward,” said Reed. “Through this roundtable, we hope these leaders will learn more about similar challenges they are experiencing and identify synergies across sectors to help solve them.”

Alabama is home to the most historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the nation. It is the stated goal of Stillman College, a private liberal arts institution founded in 1876, to provide opportunities for diverse groups and prepare students for leadership and service.

Stillman College President Dr. Cynthia Warrick asserted that it was vital to provide underrepresented communities “a seat at the table” when discussing critical issues presented by the modern economy.

“With a rich history of innovation and preparation for the challenges of a continuously evolving world, Stillman College is proud to serve as a co-host for the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Roundtable in West Alabama,” said Warrick. “At Stillman, we recognize the importance of developing our region’s tech ecosystem to better support our students as future leaders of our state.”

“We also realize that to truly move Alabama forward, we must accomplish this inclusively by giving everyone, including underrepresented communities, a seat at the table,” she said. “Through cross-sector discussions, like this regional roundtable, we are well on our way to building a better Alabama, together.”

One of the college’s initiatives highlighted at the roundtable, BioGradMatch, is a grant-funded joint venture between Stillman College and Admit Academy to help students at HBCUs navigate mental and logistical hurdles in order to successfully apply for biomedical graduate programs.

The tech startup is one of three Tuscaloosa businesses that were selected as recipients of the inaugural Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant Program.

The West Alabama roundtable was the second regional discussion hosted by Innovate Alabama. The organization hosted North Alabama leaders at Athens State University last week to discuss innovation and entrepreneurship.

SEE: Roundtable: ‘Opportunities endless’ for North Alabama entrepreneurs

The discussions were two of several roundtables Innovate Alabama is expected to hold across the Yellowhammer State to encourage coordination among regional leadership to bolster local economies.

Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL