About our Founder and President
Diane Palmintera is Founder and President of Innovation Associates. For more than 30 years she has been a national and international leader in innovation and entrepreneurship. She is best known for working with and leveraging universities and national laboratories to develop innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems, stimulating economic competitiveness and growth.
Ms. Palmintera has guided federal, state and local leaders, university presidents, national laboratory directors and international organizations on enhancing innovation ecosystems, technology transfer, commercialization, acceleration, public-private partnerships, SBIR/STTR and federal relations. She has provided services and assessed best practices throughout the U.S. and more than 16 countries in Europe, Scandinavia, Asia and Central America.
Ms. Palmintera co-chaired the (former) White House sponsored Lab-to-Market, Inter-Agency Summit that provided transformative national recommendations on commercialization. She most recently provided consulting on developing and enhancing innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Argonne National Laboratory/University of Chicago and Brookhaven National Laboratory/SUNY Stony Brook University. She has worked with universities such as the University of Akron, Georgia Institute for Technology and University of Connecticut to increase private sector engagement, technology transfer, commercialization and entrepreneurial development. She has designed statewide strategies, and provided expertise on national and international strategies for U.S agencies such as NSF, DOE, DOC and SBA, and the Commission of the European Union.
Ms. Palmintera also is a well-known author. Enhancing National Laboratory Partnership and Commercialization Opportunities (DOE/Argonne) provides innovative initiatives for corporate partnering and entrepreneurship. Technology Transfer and Commercialization Partnerships (NSF) is a roadmap for universities and academic institutions to launch technology startups. Other books/reports are Accelerating Economic Development through University Technology Transfer, Developing High-Technology Communities (SBA) and several works on Best Practices in U.S., European and Asian Innovation Development. Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, (UK) Financial Times, and other media, and she frequently speaks at national and international conferences.
Ms. Palmintera serves on the Board of Directors for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the nation’s largest association representing economic development professionals. She was a National Advisor to the Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness, and Economic Prosperity (CICEP; now Commission on Economic and Community Engagement) as well as the Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities program at the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU), North America's oldest higher education association and largest presidents-led public research university association. She presents to and participates in the Innovation Policy Forum of the U.S. National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and provides leadership to other national and international organizations.
Prior to founding IA in 1988, Ms. Palmintera held professional positions with the National Governors Association, U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Alliance of Business and the Urban Institute. She holds a MPA (with honors) in public finance and policy analysis from American University.
Ms. Palmintera has guided federal, state and local leaders, university presidents, national laboratory directors and international organizations on enhancing innovation ecosystems, technology transfer, commercialization, acceleration, public-private partnerships, SBIR/STTR and federal relations. She has provided services and assessed best practices throughout the U.S. and more than 16 countries in Europe, Scandinavia, Asia and Central America.
Ms. Palmintera co-chaired the (former) White House sponsored Lab-to-Market, Inter-Agency Summit that provided transformative national recommendations on commercialization. She most recently provided consulting on developing and enhancing innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Argonne National Laboratory/University of Chicago and Brookhaven National Laboratory/SUNY Stony Brook University. She has worked with universities such as the University of Akron, Georgia Institute for Technology and University of Connecticut to increase private sector engagement, technology transfer, commercialization and entrepreneurial development. She has designed statewide strategies, and provided expertise on national and international strategies for U.S agencies such as NSF, DOE, DOC and SBA, and the Commission of the European Union.
Ms. Palmintera also is a well-known author. Enhancing National Laboratory Partnership and Commercialization Opportunities (DOE/Argonne) provides innovative initiatives for corporate partnering and entrepreneurship. Technology Transfer and Commercialization Partnerships (NSF) is a roadmap for universities and academic institutions to launch technology startups. Other books/reports are Accelerating Economic Development through University Technology Transfer, Developing High-Technology Communities (SBA) and several works on Best Practices in U.S., European and Asian Innovation Development. Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, (UK) Financial Times, and other media, and she frequently speaks at national and international conferences.
Ms. Palmintera serves on the Board of Directors for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the nation’s largest association representing economic development professionals. She was a National Advisor to the Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness, and Economic Prosperity (CICEP; now Commission on Economic and Community Engagement) as well as the Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities program at the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU), North America's oldest higher education association and largest presidents-led public research university association. She presents to and participates in the Innovation Policy Forum of the U.S. National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and provides leadership to other national and international organizations.
Prior to founding IA in 1988, Ms. Palmintera held professional positions with the National Governors Association, U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Alliance of Business and the Urban Institute. She holds a MPA (with honors) in public finance and policy analysis from American University.