Heath Naquin joined the Science Center in 2021 as Vice President of Government and
Capital Engagement. Heath is a Managing Partner and Co - Founder of International
Innovation Associates, a boutique consultancy firm focused with practice areas in
Healthcare Innovation, Angel and Venture Capital Fund Creation, DEI Support
Programming, Global Venture Creation and Strategic Economic Advisory.
He has advised numerous national level foundations and nonprofit entities on
strategic initiatives related to entrepreneurial advocacy, fund creation and
deployment best in breed programming to accelerate ventures.
Heath has been a part of large scale national and international technology
transfer, commercialization and fund creation efforts for nearly 20 years.
Recent work includes serving on the NIH RADx Initiative on the External
Commercial Partnerships team. Internationally he has served as a Subject
Matter Expert and Key Advisor for the European Investment Fund and for
nearly a decade he led the US Department of State GIST (Global Innovation
in Science and Technology) program focused on country building efforts in
more than 130 countries by advancing economic development efforts through
the translation of research to commercial outcomes in conjunction with capital
development and deployment. Previously he served as Executive Director in
the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Texas at
Austin, managing the National Science Foundation SW I - Corps Node at The
University of Texas at Austin as well as a managing the Next Generation PV
NSF IUCRC along with a host of international technology transfer and
commercialization efforts which spanned the globe. Heath is active in t
he investment space as an accredited investor himself and an active participant
in the Angel Capital Association as well as other relevant TBED organizations.