ATLANTA—Joyelle (Joy) Harris has been appointed as the director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute (ENI) at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. She brings extensive experience and a proven track record in fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration within higher education environments.
Harris joins Georgia State from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she most recently served as the director of Undergraduate Transformative Learning Initiatives and was an associate director of CREATE-X, an initiative designed to foster entrepreneurial confidence in students and help them launch startups.
During her time at CREATE-X, Harris helped launch more than 100 student-led startups, which collectively raised more than $100 million in venture capital and achieved a combined valuation exceeding $1 billion. Harris also championed innovation by integrating entrepreneurship into students’ major-specific coursework and launching a faculty fellows program to connect faculty with entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Before joining academia, Harris was a senior engineer at Intel and a technical consultant at Exponent.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Harris as the new director of ENI at Georgia State. Her proven leadership, passion for fostering student success through experiential learning, and ability to build entrepreneurship-relevant programs align with Georgia State’s mission to drive innovation and create opportunities for all,” said Nicolle Parsons-Pollard, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Dr. Harris’s vision and expertise will undoubtedly elevate ENI to new heights, furthering its role as a hub for entrepreneurial excellence and a catalyst for inclusive economic growth in Atlanta and beyond.”
“Dr. Harris is a forward-thinking leader whose extensive experience in industry and academia makes her exceptionally qualified to lead ENI. Her unique combination of technical expertise and business acumen, along with her collaborative spirit and strategic insight, will be crucial for the ongoing growth of the institute’s initiatives, including integrating tech-enabled solutions into entrepreneurial ventures,” said Richard Phillips, Dean of the Robinson College of Business.
“I’m excited to bring my expertise to Georgia State where I look forward to fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial culture that turns innovative ideas into impactful ventures,” said Harris.
Harris holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business.
Georgia State University established the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute in 2016 as an academic unit in the Robinson College of Business with a university-wide mandate to create an entrepreneurial and innovation mindset among students, faculty, and the broader community. Learn more at https://eni.gsu.edu/.