December 6, 2022
Shawnee State University’s Director of the Kricker Innovation Hub (KIH), David Kilroy, was recently named Chamber Member of the Year by the Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce at its annual awards banquet. Kilroy, who moved to Portsmouth, Ohio as an AmeriCorps VISTA in 2017, has been involved with growing the KIH and its vision since the beginning.
“I was overwhelmed by the support of the Chamber for the work that we're doing and the partnership to support entrepreneurship in Southern Ohio,” he said.
In recognition of contributions to the Chamber and business community of the Portsmouth area, Kilroy was honored to receive the Chamber Member of the Year recognition by the organization and to have contributed to the growth of entrepreneurship in Portsmouth.
“I participated in the Appalachian Leadership Institute this year and brought back what I learned to relaunch the Leadership Portsmouth program this year,” he said.
As the KIH looks forward to re-opening in the spring after renovation, Kilroy believes it’s important to continue building up the relationship between the facility and the Chamber.
“Our goal is to help entrepreneurs launch great businesses that then become part of the Portsmouth area business community – including the opportunity to become members of the Chamber of Commerce,” he said. “It's also part of our mission for the university to be a bridge between campus and community.”
Moving forward, Kilroy is looking forward to welcoming the Chamber to participate in events hosted by the KIH, especially on events that support small businesses in the area like its Makers Market and the Ignite Portsmouth entrepreneurial bootcamp.
The Kricker Innovation Hub is a regional leader in entrepreneurship and innovation whose mission is to help businesses and entrepreneurs grow and bring their ideas to tomorrow’s market. To learn more about the services offered by the Kricker Innovation Hub at Shawnee State University, visit ssuinnovation.com.