North Shore InnoVentures Board Appoints Chris Ilsley as CEO

BEVERLY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- North Shore InnoVentures (NSIV), a non-profit technology business incubator helping biotech and cleantech startups increase their probability of success, today announced that its board of directors has appointed Chris Ilsley to CEO and President. Ilsley joins as the organization reaches the 10-year mark, capping a year of growth and expansion.

Ilsley spent a career driving innovation and entrepreneurship in areas ranging from biotech and cleantech to big data and has previously connected the New England region with the United Kingdom as the Head of Science and Innovation with the office of the British Consulate-General in Boston.

“Innovation is something this whole region excels at, it’s not just about Kendall Square and Boston. The talent pool is all around Greater Boston, and that’s a perspective you get when you come from the UK or Europe or Asia. The Cummings Center in Beverly, where NSIV is located, holds 60 life sciences companies. That’s significant,” Ilsley said.

NSIV Celebrates a Decade of Success

This year NSIV celebrates its first decade and just recently expanded its footprint at the Cummings Center in Beverly by opening a 13,000 square foot facility that includes co-working, wet labs and a maker space. Since its inception the company has incubated 41 companies that have created 295 jobs, many of which are in the North Shore of Massachusetts. Recently the International Business Innovation Association named NSIV the Dinah Adkins Technology Incubator of the Year and the Cummings Foundation awarded the incubator a ten-year $200,000 sustaining grant.

“Chris is the right person to take NSIV into the future,” said outgoing CEO and President Martha Farmer. “We have spent a decade building a solid base and honing our ability to provide the unique mentorship and incubation support network that will help attract local startups or companies from Europe to settle in the emerging clusters outside of the urban core.”

Ilsley Brings Experience Growing Innovation

With his experience working in the innovation sector, Ilsley understands how to develop the partnerships that will drive and sustain an innovation cluster. In addition to his work with the British Consulate, he has also mentored companies at MassChallenge and at MIT, and helped grow investment in the life sciences in both the US and the UK. He spent the early part of his career at pharmaceutical giant Novartis in business development.

“With the track record for incubation, NSIV is in a perfect position to act as a landing place for international companies that are looking to access and expand in the US market. This is in addition to the work we do growing and incubating companies that get started locally. There is also great growth potential in the cleantech arena around those with wetlab needs, like companies focusing on such technologies as synthetic biology, biofuels, water reclamation and even microbes that can save the plant from plastic,” Ilsley said.

The search to replace Farmer was conducted by the NSIV Board of Directors over the past year. The search committee was assisted by Lauren Celano of Propel Careers.

“We worked hard to find a dynamic individual that could lead NSIV into its next decade,” said Harry McCoy, Co-founder and Chair of the NSIV Board of Directors. “We appreciate both the experience and enthusiasm Chris brings to building and fostering communities and connections, and his clear passion for assisting startup companies on their paths to growth.”

About NSIV

North Shore InnoVentures (NSIV) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) business incubator headquartered in the burgeoning cluster of more than sixty life sciences and cleantech businesses at the Cummings Center in Beverly, MA. NSIV is dedicated to accelerating the growth of innovative early-stage life sciences and cleantech businesses and supporting the economic growth of Boston’s North Shore. Its management, board of directors, advisory board, and mentors bring a wealth of entrepreneurship experience in addition to business development and technical expertise. Further support comes from sponsors who contribute marketing, legal, operational and educational services. For more information, visit http://www.nsiv.org.

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