Innovate South Central Indiana - Bloomington

Pat East is an entrepreneur and investor focused on helping Indiana's small businesses grow and change hands. He advises business owners on growth, succession, and exit through gener8tor's Main Street NEXT, consults entrepreneurs looking to buy a business, and co-owns Darn Good Soup in Bloomington. Earlier, he bootstrapped Hanapin Marketing, a six-time Inc. 5000 honoree and Fortune Great Place to Work, to $10M in revenue before it was acquired by its largest UK competitor. He was founding Executive Director of The Mill, now Amplify Bloomington, and founded Flywheel Fund, one of the Midwest's most active early-stage investors.

Tina Peterson serves as the President and CEO of Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI), a position she has held since the organization’s founding in 2015. In her role with ROI, Tina works collaboratively with organizations to advance economic and community prosperity across the Indiana Uplands, an 11-county region in southwest central Indiana. Through regionally relevant and demand-driven initiatives, ROI focuses on industry cluster strategies, education, workforce, and quality of place as essential determinants for regional success. ROI serves as the regional lead for IEDC’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) for the Indiana Uplands, managing more than $60M to catalyze economic growth in the Uplands region.

Tina is also President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, an organization powered by giving and committed to addressing the community’s most pressing needs and compelling opportunities. In addition to serving as a reputable and innovative grantmaker, the Community Foundation works with its partners to incubate and accelerate forward-looking strategies for community development.

Tina currently serves as a member or an advisor on several regional, state, and national boards, including the Applied Research Institute, Inc., the Uplands Science and Technology Foundation, the Community Advisory Board for the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, IU Ventures, the Crane Regional Defense Group, Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, CDFI Friendly Bloomington, and Amplify Bloomington.

In 2022 Dr. Werner was selected to serve as the Deputy Technical Director for Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane). NSWC Crane is a Naval Laboratory that consists of more than 3,800 military and government civilians providing research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and technical support for Strategic Missions, Electromagnetic Warfare, and Expeditionary Warfare.

In 2021 Dr. Werner was assigned as the acting Department Director of the Global Deterrence and Defense Department. In this role he was responsible for the overall strategic and operational direction of the department as it relates to execution and development of technical capability. The department provides design, development, acquisition, and life cycle support for Strategic Missions systems that support our Nation’s Nuclear Triad.

In 2017 Dr. Werner was selected to serve as the Command’s Director of Engagement. As the Director of Engagement, Dr. Werner was responsible for strategic Command initiatives that contribute to advancing the Command’s robust and rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem, establishing national leadership roles, and promoting meaningful strategic engagements on behalf of NSWC Crane. The Office of Engagement is responsible for coordinating regional and national strategic partnerships that enhance the Command’s ability to carry out its assigned mission and contribute positively to the quality of life within the region.

In 2014 Dr. Werner was selected to serve as the Department Director for the Applied Science & Demand Management Department. As Director, he was responsible for leading NSWC Crane Division’s strategic planning efforts across a diverse community of technical and business professionals to meet the requirements of Naval and Defense customers. Dr. Werner was also responsible for the Command’s Science & Technology program, integration of customer and program requirements through the Customer Advocates and Technical Project Managers, and coordination of the on-site Program Management Offices. Dr. Werner served as the ASD Deputy Department director from November 2011 until March 2014.

In 2008, Dr. Werner was selected as the Manager for the Energy, Power & Interconnect Technologies Division where he was responsible for ensuring our Warfighters had the necessary Energy, Power & Interconnect Technology products and support to successfully execute their mission. Select accomplishments included: being appointed by the Navy’s Chief Engineer to lead a National Priority Forensics Investigation for the Submarine Valve Regulated Lead Acid (SVRLA) battery program, achieving the DoD Executive Agent designation for Printed Circuit Technology, defining a strategy for engagement with Alternative and Renewable Energy, developing strategy for a Public Private Partnership (P3) to launch the Battery Innovation Center, providing National Strategic Leadership for multiple battery summits in response to the catastrophic Advanced Seal Delivery System (ASDS) battery failure, and establishing a Master’s degree program in Energy Storage with Purdue University.

In 2007, Dr. Werner was assigned as the Deputy Division Manager for the Flight Systems Division where he led efforts that focused on formulation and technical execution of high-reliability engineering for Strategic Missile Systems, including programs within the Strategic Systems Program (SSP) Office and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). From March 2006 to March 2007, Dr. Werner served as the Electronic Development Department Re-Engineering Lead. Dr. Werner began his management career as a Project Manager in the Electro Optics Technology Division where he spent three years managing Force Protection and Surface Night Vision projects.

Pamela Whitten is the 19th president of Indiana University and the first woman to lead IU, a world-class public research university with nine campuses throughout Indiana.

Under her leadership, IU has emphasized three central pillars: providing broad access to an education for all students from Indiana and beyond; pursuing world-class research, scholarship and creative activity; and making meaningful contributions to improving Hoosier health and the economic, social, civic and cultural development of the state and the world.