GROWING THROUGH SOCIAL INNOVATION WEBINAR

Explore the dynamic field of social innovation with experts from the US, UK and Canada! In this webinar, we delve into the multifaceted impact of social innovation, covering everything from societal benefits to economic returns. Learn to define social innovation, tackle common barriers and take actionable steps to advance the field.

MEET THE PANELISTS

Ian McClure

Associate Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Impact, UK Innovate

Ian McClure is the Associate Vice President for Research (AVPR), Innovation and Economic Impact and Executive Director of UK Innovate at the University of Kentucky (UK), where he leads efforts to translate UK discoveries for the public good, seek equitable returns on UK intellectual property (IP), enhance UK’s investments in innovation, catalyze a culture and capacity for entrepreneurship, and expand industry and other collaborative research partnerships.  

Ian’s portfolio includes oversight of the Economic and Innovation Talent Development, Innovation Connect for industry partnership, Social Innovation and Technology Commercialization. Ian is the past Chair of the Board of Directors for AUTM and a member of the Advisory Board of the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation, Launch Blue Accelerator, the Oak Ridge Innovation Institute and Level Set Capital. On August 1, 2024, Ian will join the Center for American Entrepreneurship (CAE) as a board member. In 2023, Ian received an Expert appointment supporting the NSF’s Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnership (TIP).

Dr. Karen Benzies

Director of Social Innovation for the Office of the Vice President for Research,

University of Calgary

Dr. Karen Benzies is widely-recognized for leading research to improve the health of women, children and families. She champions multi-disciplinary approaches to solving large, complex societal problems. Research integrity, credibility, and community engagement are hallmarks of her approach, resulting in a highly productive research program with over $130 million funding as principal or co-investigator. With her trainees and research teams, Dr. Benzies has published over 180 peer-reviewed articles and given over 250 presentations. Dr. Benzies uses social innovation to deliver online training modules for healthcare providers to better integrate parents into the care of their newborns in neonatal intensive care units.  

Dr. Stuart Wilkinson

CEO, PraxisAuril

Dr. Stuart Wilkinson is the CEO of Praxis Auril, soon to be called Knowledge Exchange UK, a world-leading professional association for Knowledge Exchange practitioners. He oversees the organization's strategic direction and drives initiatives to empower professionals in the sector that enable collaboration between universities, business and other organisations. 

Prior to his role leading PraxisAuril Stuart was the Assistant Director of Innovation and Engagement at the University of Oxford, and Innovation and entrepreneurship Fellow of Reuben College. He has held a number of knowledge exchange roles in technology transfer, regional innovation, entrepreneurship and social impact through which he has gained multifaceted insights into the innovation ecosystem.

Dr. Serenity Wright (Moderator)

Senior Associate Director for Social Innovation,

UK Innovate

Serenity Wright, Ed.D. currently serves as the Senior Associate Director for UK Innovate, where she develops and manages new innovation and entrepreneurship programs focused on inclusive innovation and creating equitable access to entrepreneurship and innovation training for underrepresented innovators at UK and in Kentucky. She is a passionate leader driving economic development through transformational change initiatives rooted in social innovation, entrepreneurial equity and genuine creativity by building integrated systems with research, business and policy.

Serenity earned her doctorate from the University of Kentucky in policy, measurement and evaluation. She taught high school for eight years, served as the Associate Dean for Diversity and International Students Services at Transylvania University, worked in city government and served as the Gatton Honors Pathway Director and Co-Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Gatton College of Business and Economics.

PRESENTING ORGANIZATIONS