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Venn Collaborative

I am the Founder and Principal of Venn Collaborative, a consulting practice that helps colleges and universities strengthen their roles as partners in regional economic, community, workforce, and innovation development. My work focuses on building stronger ecosystems, networks, and cross-sector collaborations that bring together higher education, industry, government, philanthropy, nonprofits, and communities to address complex challenges. Over the course of my career, I have worked with universities, national organizations, regional partnerships, and federally funded initiatives to design collaborative strategies, strengthen partnerships, and create conditions for collective impact. I previously led the Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities program at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), helping institutions better connect their teaching, research, and engagement missions to community and regional priorities. Through Venn Collaborative, I help leaders become more effective ecosystem builders, partnership stewards, and boundary-spanning collaborators. My vision is a world in which institutions and communities work together more intentionally, creatively, and effectively to advance inclusive prosperity, innovation, and positive social change.

Headquarter Country

United States

Issue areas addressed

Education

Communities served

Developed countries, Development sector, Small scale businesses

Happy to support with

Stakeholder Connections

Looking for

Stakeholder Connections

No information available.

SDGS FOCUS

SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities

SDG 17 - Partnerships to achieve the Goal

SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth

SDG 9 - Industry Innovation and Infrastructure

Collaborators

Jim Woodell

Venn Collaborative

 United States

 Longmeadow, Mass.

My motivation for joining Catalyst Now is to connect with like-minded ecosystem builders, regional leaders, and cross-sector practitioners who are navigating complex, systemic challenges. My work focuses on building collaborative capacity across regional innovation ecosystems, particularly at the intersections of Talent, Innovation, and Place. I look forward to using Catalyst Now as a space for collective sensemaking, exchanging practical frameworks, and exploring how we can build more resilient, cross-boundary networks together."