Director of Innovation Lab named

Gordon S. Jones has been named the inaugural director of the Harvard Innovation Lab, a new and innovative initiative set to launch in late 2011 that will foster team-based and entrepreneurial activities, and provide a forum, both physically and virtually, for interactions among students, faculty, alumni, and the surrounding community. Located at 125 Western Ave. in Allston, which formerly housed the WGBH-TV offices and studios, the Innovation Lab will complement Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s innovation agenda and help revitalize Western Avenue.

Jones, who will officially assume his duties on May 9, will serve as a key part of the lab’s planning and design team, helping to define and develop programs, build relationships within and beyond campus, and create an environment that will attract and support student innovators and enhance team activity. Additionally, he will develop and manage the operations of the lab and design programs to link thought leaders together with Innovation Lab occupants.

In addition to 15 years of marketing and sales experience with Fortune 500, mid-size, and start-up companies in the consumer goods industry, Jones has both an impressive history of entrepreneurial activity and academic experience mentoring up-and-coming entrepreneurs. “With his extensive background helping undergraduate and graduate students, as well as his work with entrepreneurial ventures and his strong ties to Harvard University, Gordon is a superb choice for this new and important position,” said Joseph Lassiter, professor of management practice at Harvard Business School and faculty co-chair of the Harvard Innovation Lab. “He has the skills to build relationships between students and local entrepreneurs, create partnerships with area small business organizations, and develop a center of innovation that fully brings to life the spirit of innovation present throughout the wider University and community.”

Read the full announcement.