Though David Altounian is relatively new to Rhode Island, he brings decades of experience from Texas’ innovation and university landscape with him to the Ocean State. Now, the Salve Regina University professor is furthering his work in the state’s entrepreneurship landscape as the latest addition to RIHub’s board of directors.
PBN: What brought you to the Ocean State, and how did you become involved with RIHub?
ALTOUNIAN: I joined Salve Regina University in December 2021 as the vice provost for graduate and professional studies programs. One of the things that intrigued me about the opportunity was the entrepreneurial opportunities that exist here, with the number of universities and postsecondary education schools, research and development centers, and the close proximity to the major markets of New York and Boston.
One of the first things I did when I moved here was connect with Mollie Williams at Innovate Newport, who helped introduce me to some of the folks involved in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Annette Tonti, the managing director of RIHub, was one of those first meetings, and we connected right away.
Many of the challenges and issues that Annette and the RIHub board have been focusing on are some of the same ones that I had been engaged in working on in Austin. The meetings and discussions that followed led to the board opportunity at RIHub.
PBN: What is your background with innovation and entrepreneurship?
ALTOUNIAN: I spent over 30 years in the tech industry with companies such as Compaq, Motorola and Dell. I was the co-founder and CEO of Motion Computing, one of the first commercial tablet PC companies that focused on building mobile products and solutions for corporate usage.
While much of my work was in product marketing and management, almost my entire career was focused on developing and bringing products to market in new, emerging technology areas. For many years I have been very involved in organizations in Austin that support business and economic development, such as the Austin Technology Council, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, and Capital Factory, one of the leading entrepreneurial centers in central Texas.
A little over 10 years ago, I returned to school and earned my doctorate in business administration with a research focus on entrepreneurship from Oklahoma State University. I have been involved in entrepreneurship and innovation for most of my career from a practice, teaching and research standpoint.
PBN: What new perspectives do you hope to bring to RIHub’s board of directors?
ALTOUNIAN: RIHub already had a great board of directors. I’m hoping to contribute in three key areas: sharing some of the key learnings from the development and growth of other ecosystems such as Texas; helping expand the network by connecting Rhode Island innovators and entrepreneurs with other innovation communities; and by supporting and facilitating more collaboration among key stakeholders in the state.
PBN: What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities facing Rhode Island entrepreneurs now? How does that compare to what you saw in Texas?
ALTOUNIAN: I’m really a newcomer to the state, so I want to be careful about making any judgments or claims with my limited experience, but I can share what I’ve heard so far in my explorations around the Rhode Island entrepreneurial community.
Many of the themes that are both challenges and opportunities that I’ve heard so far echo some that I am familiar with from my experiences in Austin: access to capital, especially later-stage capital; developing and supporting startup companies in a way that attracts investors and fosters commercial success; development and in-state retention of a strong, educated workforce; and ensuring a business and startup-friendly regulatory environment.
PBN: Over the winter, you spoke with PBN about efforts to establish a University Network for Innovation and Entrepreneurship through RIHub, drawing from a similar organization you facilitated in Texas. What updates have taken place with the UNIE-RI initiative since that time?
ALTOUNIAN: I’ve really appreciated the lead that RIHub has taken in pulling together the UNIE group. There was an inaugural meeting of the group earlier this year, and the participants included a majority of the universities in Rhode Island, and it’s expected that the next one in early May will have even more participants.
The goal of UNIE is to encourage collaboration and share best practices among the higher education institutions in the state and to work together to support innovation and entrepreneurship. Universities play an essential role in economic development, and each of the members of UNIE bring unique capabilities and perspectives. Working together and sharing opportunities that foster student learning and engagement provides fantastic opportunities for students and the community.
This past weekend was a great example of the opportunity in front of us with an event that was held at Innovate Newport called the Rhode Island Student Entrepreneurship Summit. Innovate Newport, with support from RIHub, brought together students and faculty from Salve Regina University, the University of Rhode Island and Roger Williams University. The event had workshops, flash talks and keynote speakers. Most importantly, it connected students from those different universities.
I hope that events like these will lead to developing the network of Rhode Island’s next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. I believe this is an early indicator of what we will see developing moving forward.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
