Our Mission

UARF's mission is to transform and expand the region's innovation economy through entrepreneurship education, technology commercialization, application of UA research, and creation of new entrepreneurial ventures. 

Since its creation in 2001, UARF has become a significant source of support for both UA innovators and Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs.
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UARF is home to one of the nation's first I-Corps Sites, one of the first Ohio-awarded technology validation funds, Ohio's first student-run venture fund (NEOSVF) and Akron's first angel network (ARCHAngels).
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UARF is also proud to be a member of the Northeast Ohio Entrepreneurial Signature Program.​​ 

Meet The UARF Team

​Phil Allen

President
paallen@uakron.edu

​Elyse Ball

Executive Director
​eball@uakron.edu

Elyse is passionate about helping creators and problems solvers find markets and customers for their innovations. She has 10 years of experience in customer discovery, technology licensing and supporting startup companies in the polymer science and biomedical fields. Elyse leads UA’s National Science Foundation I-Corps Site, which provides experiential training in entrepreneurship to more than 150 people each year. Elyse co-founded the STRIDE Accelerator to support startup companies with high tech physical products. She has served as an officer or board member for five Akron-based startups that collectively raised $7 million and achieved one exit. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University and a law degree from Boston University.

​Barry Rosenbaum

Senior Fellow
​barry@uakron.edu

​Barry Rosenbaum is a pro-bono UARF Senior Fellow focused on promoting wealth creation, angel investment, and regional innovation in Northeast Ohio. In this role, Barry builds bridges between The University of Akron and Ohio industry, and helps faculty and students to understand the value of their research through customer discovery. In 2013, he co-founded Akron Ascent Innovations with UA Professor Josh Wong to commercialize a novel dry adhesive technology platform. The company raised more than $3.5 million and exited to a strategic acquirer in 2021. Prior to joining UARF, Barry served as Technology Director of OMNOVA Solutions (now Synthomer), Technology Director of GenCorp, Vice President of Technology of Advanced Elastomer Systems, and Technology Manager of Exxon Chemical’s EPDM Rubber Business. 

​Nick Glavan

Program Coordinator
nmg38@uakron. edu

Nick Glavan holds an MBA from University of Akron and currently serves as a Program Coordinator for UARF. In this role, he oversees UARF’s I-Corps Site program which trains more than 60 entrepreneurial teams per year. He also co-created and manages the Starting Line online program for first-time and early-stage entrepreneurs. Nick effectively manages dozens of teams at any given time, driving teams to complete the milestones that have been set to de-risk their startups. Nick is also experienced in lean launch and agile principles, having served as an instructor in more than 15 I-Corps cohorts. He is passionate about assisting entrepreneurs to gain the foundational skillsets for developing problem-solution fit and preparing founders to meet the needs of their customers. ​

Linda Hale

Start-Up Advisor and Educator
​lhale@uakoron.edu

Specializing in Entrepreneurial Support and Real Estate Consultation as they relate to Economic Development in Northeast Ohio

Tricia Pihlblad

Administrative Coordinator
pihlblad@uakron.edu

Fisayo Falokun

Accounting Intern
RschSrvsSA2@uakron.edu

Fisayo is UARF’s Accounting Assistant. For about two years, she has been responsible for the startup companies’ accounting, banking, invoicing, tax, and payroll related matters. 
Fisayo is an upper-level student at the University of Akron, obtaining bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Management Information Systems. She has interned with Deloitte & Touche as an audit intern and has since provided support for UARF’s startup companies.

​Kendall Martis

Treasurer
kmm297@uakron.edu

Kendall has been UARF’s Director of Accounting since 2021 and is a licensed CPA. She’s responsible for overseeing the financial health of the organization. Before UARF, Kendall was a tax accountant at Ernst & Young, LLP for two years.
​There, she gained extensive tax and accounting knowledge while building corporate connections. Kendall graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and a Master of Tax degree.

Shannon Marshburn

Graphic Design & Marketing Associate
smarshburn@uakron.edu

Shannon is all about the digital world with her focus on graphic design and marketing. She graduated from Kent State University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and is excited to make an impact on the world with meaningful design. She joined UARF in 2020 and loves the ability to make positive impacts on small businesses and startups. 

UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS

January 28, 3:00 to 4:30pm, via Microsoft Teams
April 29, 3:00 to 4:30pm, via Microsoft Teams
July 28, 3:00 to 4:30pm, via Microsoft Teams
October 21, 3:00 to 4:30pm, via Microsoft Teams

Email: uarf@uakron.edu for more details!