Diane Palmintera

Diane Palmintera is founder and President of Innovation Associates. For more than 30 years she has been a national leader in innovation-based economic development, and is best known for leveraging universities and federal laboratories to stimulate regional economic competitiveness.

She has guided federal, state and local leaders, university presidents, federal labs, and international organizations on innovation, entrepreneurship, technology transfer and commercialization, SBIR/STTR, public-private partnerships and federal relations. She has provided services and/or assessed best practices in numerous states and communities throughout the U.S. and more than 16 countries in Europe, Asia and Central America.

Ms. Palmintera also is a well-known author. Endorsed by national and international leaders, Technology Transfer and Commercialization Partnerships (NSF) provides a roadmap for academic institutions to launch technology startups. She is the author of other nationally acclaimed work: Accelerating Economic Development through University Technology Transfer, Developing High-Technology Communities, Partners on a Mission: Federal Laboratories Contributing to Economic Development, and Best Practices in U.S., European and Asian Innovation Development. Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, (UK) Financial Times, and other media.

She served as a Co-chair for a 2013 Lab-to-Market Inter-Agency Summit sponsored by the White House OSTP and NIH. She serves on the Board of Directors for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), and is a National Advisor to CICEP for the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities. Prior to founding IA in 1988, Ms. Palmintera held positions with the National Governors Association, U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Alliance of Business, and the Urban Institute.