AOL co-founder Steve Case visits UofL, sees how university sparks innovation

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Serial entrepreneur and America Online co-founder Steve Case visited the University of Louisville today and saw how the university is driving entrepreneurial innovation through its Institute for Product Realization.

            The institute, which includes FirstBuild, the UL Additive Manufacturing Competency Center and the J.B. Speed School’s Engineering Garage, is located on the Belknap Campus. It leverages the expertise of the university in advanced manufacturing and logistics to provide the maker community access to talent, equipment, technology and facilities in order to bring products to market at unprecedented speeds.

            “We are the epicenter of manufacturing, technology and innovation—a true maker community,” said IPR CEO David Adams. “Entrepreneurs desire to be in innovative clusters where high concentrations of expertise exist. That environment is here at the University of Louisville.”

            Case, who toured the IPR, now is chairman and CEO of Revolution LLC, a Washington, D.C., investment firm he co-founded in 2005. He forms partnerships with other entrepreneurs to build businesses around the world.

            Case also discussed his new book, “The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future,” with a group of investors, business leaders, educators and students. The book uses Case’s experience as an entrepreneur and investor to explain how we are entering a new age of the Internet.

            Adams said Case’s visit to UofL “validates our efforts at the IPR.”

            The UofL event, called the “Innovation Showcase with AOL Founder Steve Case,” kicked off a day-long series of activities for the entrepreneur that focused on innovation and the future of entrepreneurship in Louisville. The day of entrepreneurship was hosted by PNC Bank.

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