Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday formally launched the Strategic Innovation Center Advisory Council (SIC-AC), a new high-level body tasked with strengthening New Jersey’s innovation ecosystem. The inaugural meeting, held at Prudential Plaza in Newark, brought together a diverse group of key stakeholders, including academic and corporate leaders, industry champions, and government officials.
The SIC-AC is powered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and is designed to advance the network of 12 Strategic Innovation Centers (SICs) established during the Murphy Administration. SICs are vital facilities—such as accelerators, incubators, and research centers—that provide mentorship, networking, training, and business support services to foster research, development, and entrepreneurship.
“From technology to life sciences and manufacturing, New Jersey is once again leading the way in innovation,” Murphy said. “The Strategic Innovation Center Advisory Council will serve as a national model for cultivating a welcoming environment for entrepreneurs and keep the state ahead of the curve as market trends shift. By bringing together the public and private sector, this unique collaboration will strengthen our innovation ecosystem, helping bring new technologies to the marketplace and create good-paying jobs for our residents.”
Bridging sectors for economic growth
The council’s primary goal is to make New Jersey a national model for sustainable and equitable economic growth in the innovation sector. It seeks to bridge the gap between the private, public, and academic spheres, maximizing the impact of collaborative partnerships to cultivate new companies and technologies of the future.
NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan affirmed the state’s commitment, noting, “Strategic Innovation Centers are supporting the state’s startup community, ensuring that entrepreneurs have access to capital and opportunities for meaningful collaboration with industry stakeholders. Launching the advisory council today confirms the State’s commitment to growing our innovation ecosystem.”
The SIC-AC will serve as the primary advocate for the state’s innovation economy, offering strategic guidance on market trends, assessing programmatic impact, and promoting success stories.
Leadership and membership
Steve Van Kuiken, Senior Partner Emeritus at McKinsey & Company, has been appointed to serve as the SIC-AC Chairperson. He praised the progress made to date on the SIC network, stating, “The SICs will be an engine of economic growth for the State for years to come, and the Advisory Council is well positioned to help them achieve that goal.”
The council’s extensive membership includes representatives from each of the 12 announced SICs. The complete list of members is as follows:
Strategic Innovation Center Representatives
- Saeed Amidi – Founder & CEO, Plug and Play
- Michael Olmstead – Chief Revenue Officer and Partner, Plug and Play
- Howard Kyle – President, National Aerospace Research & Technology Park
- Paul Hoffman – President & CEO, Liberty Science Center
- Alexis Richter – Executive Director, SciTech Innovation Hub
- Duncan Turner – General Partner; Global Managing Director, SOSV; HAX
- Susan Schofer, PhD – Partner, SOSV; HAX
- Christopher Paladino – President, New Brunswick Development Corp.
- Liat Krawczyk – Founding Executive Director, NJ AI Hub
- Michael Johnson, PhD – President, New Jersey Innovation Institute
- Michael van Ter Sluis – Vice President of Entrepreneurship, New Jersey Innovation Institute
- Thierry E. Klein, PhD – President, Nokia Bell Labs Solutions Research
- Chris Jones, PhD – Vice President of Strategic Partnership, Nokia
- Jean-Pierre Issa, MD – President & CEO, Coriell Institute for Medical Research
- Timothy Meyer, PhD – Deputy Director for Operations and Chief Operating Officer, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
- Tony Lowman, PhD – Inaugural Chancellor, Rowan University
Independent Members
- Steve Van Kuiken (SIC-AC Chair) – Senior Partner Emeritus, McKinsey & Company
- Gina Tedesco – Managing Member, Amala Ventures
- Aisha Glover – Vice President, Urban Innovation, Audible
- Marie Pryor, PhD – Leader of Microsoft’s TechSpark Initiative
- Wesley Mathews – President & CEO, Choose New Jersey
- Sean O’Sullivan – Managing General Partner, SOSV
- Corey Sanders – Senior Vice President of Strategy, CoreWeave
- Jeff Cherry – Founder, CEO & Executive Director, Conscious Venture Lab
- Nina Edwards – Vice President of Emerging Technology & Applied Innovation, Prudential Financial
- Anindya Sengupta – Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Prudential
- Victoria Manax, MD – Partner, Eckuity Capital
- Josh Barer – Managing Director, Astr Partners
- John Flavin – Founder & CEO, Portal Innovations
- Nancy Tyrrell – Director of Academic Partnerships on the Growth and Expansion Team, Portal Innovations
- Brian Bridges, PhD – Secretary of High Education, Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
- Tim Sullivan – CEO, New Jersey Economic Development Authority
- Mary Maples – Deputy CEO, New Jersey Economic Development Authority
- Kathleen Coviello – Chief Economic Transformation Officer, New Jersey Economic Development Authority
