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Barbe Recognized by White House as Champion of Change

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David Barbe, director of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech)

David Barbe, director of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech), was named a "Champion of Change" in America by the White House, institute officials announce today.

Barbe was recognized at a special event on November 3 in Washington, D.C., where the White House honored individuals and businesses as Champions of Change who "Make it in America."

These champions, according to the White House, are "being recognized for their work in helping to create high-quality jobs in the United States. These are the leaders this country needs, people who are working to build in America and create jobs in America."

Barbe is profiled on the White House website at www.whitehouse.gov/champions/previous/make-it-in-america.

During the Nov. 3 event, Barbe participated in a Make it in America White House Roundtable that included U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John Fernandez, U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary John Pocari, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra, Department of Energy Senior Advisor Gil Sperling, and NIST Director Patrick Gallagher, among others.

Barbe cited the critical role entrepreneurship plays in creating new jobs, as well as the resources U.S. universities possess to help companies create new products, which lead to new jobs and bolster the manufacturing base.

The broader White House Champions of Change initiative profiles Americans from all walks of life who are helping the country rise to the challenges of the 21st century and doing extraordinary things in their communities, working to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world.

Creating a Culture of Entrepreneurship and an Infrastructure to Support It

Barbe's recent accomplishments started in 2000, when he set out on a mission to build a culture of technology entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland and establish a permanent infrastructure to teach entrepreneurship, help faculty and students launch new ventures, and accelerate tech product development in Maryland companies.

He gathered a team of visionaries, including Martha Connolly, director of the Maryland Industrial Partnerships program, Dean Chang, director of Mtech's venture programs, and James V. Green, Mtech's director of entrepreneurship education.

Together, they systematically assembled an entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem that is one of the most comprehensive of any university in the country.

In 2000, Mtech had five programs. The institute now has: