As the community celebrates 10 years of the Innevation Center, the University of Nevada, Reno is spotlighting the people and ideas that have shaped its vibrant community.

Below, Innevation Center partner Doug Erwin, Senior Vice President of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, talks about his experience working with the Innevation Center and his focus on supporting startups and building Reno’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The Innevation Center is woven into the fabric of our community, and nearly every major collaboration has roots here. I connected with the Innevation Center early on through my work with the University and regional founders as the center became a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. The Innevation Center stood out as a true “third space” – not campus, not corporate – but a place where startups, researchers and community leaders could collide and create.

One of my most memorable experiences at the Innevation Center has been running the inaugural Reno Startup Week (in 2023) and seeing the community rally around entrepreneurship. I am very proud of helping launch Reno Startup Week, and watching so many of the region’s flagship entrepreneurial programs take root at the Innevation Center. On a personal note, laser-cutting pumpkins with my sons in the makerspace was a huge highlight.

"Through the sheer number of events it has hosted and by being so accessible, the IC became the natural gathering point for the entire ecosystem."

One of its best features is the accessibility of the IC itself – being off-campus and in Midtown has made it approachable, community-centered and a symbol of Reno’s broader transformation.

The Innevation Center has been integral to nearly every major community program over the last decade – from pitch competitions to accelerators. Its role in running the InNEVator accelerator has been especially critical in moving ideas from concept to company.

Personally, the Innevation Center represents the heart of Reno’s entrepreneurial ecosystem – like I've said – a third space where people, ideas and resources converge to drive innovation. Looking ahead, I hope to see even deeper ties between University research and regional startups, more accelerator programming and continued growth in the kind of community-first innovation that the IC has made possible.

And, my words of encouragement: Lean into the community. The Innevation Center is more than a building – it’s a launchpad. The people you meet here can change the trajectory of your startup, your career and even your city.