The University of Texas at Austin Office of the President

Grid of profile picture for 2024 President’s Austin Innovation Board Members
TOP (L-R): Ken DeAngelis, Jag Bath, Jim Breyer, Heather Brunner, Blake Chandlee, Julia Cheek; MIDDLE (L-R): Cotter Cunningham, Rod Favaron, Miguel Garza, Rick Hawkins, Amir Husain, Belinda Johnson; BOTTOM (L-R): Garheng Kong, Kevin Lalande, Mark McClain, Mark Papermaster, Sarah Jones Simmer, Martin Taylor

As Texas’ flagship university, The University of Texas at Austin is proud to call the state of Texas and the city of Austin home. From the beginning, our campus has reflected the interconnectedness of Austin and UT and our vision today capitalizes on this historic moment of opportunity to become the highest-impact public research university in the world.

To achieve this aspiration, the President’s Austin Innovation Board (PAIB) was created to strengthen connections between the University and the Austin business community. The board consists of 18 prominent Austin-based current or former CEOs representing a diverse range of industry, including software, internet, Fortune 500, financial institutions, consumer and bio-medical.

The board works closely with President Hartzell and his leadership team to build stronger connections between the record-setting Austin knowledge economy (the “demand” driver) and the University (the “supply” driver) to meet the needs of business and pioneer new models of engagement.

Our name is a daily reminder that one of the UT’s greatest assets is its location: Austin, Texas. Now the fastest-growing major city in the nation, Austin is home to diverse centers of culture, the arts, commerce, education, and innovation amidst a surge in entrepreneurship, medicine, tech, and venture capital.

Embracing the University motto of “What Starts Here, Changes the World,” the PAIB strives to leverage and amplify the unmatched potential of Austin to compliment UT Austin’s core mission of education, research, and health care.