Marshall University’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (iCenter), part of the Lewis College of Business, has welcomed Dr. David Wiley as a new Entrepreneur in Residence.
Having successful careers as both an academic and an entrepreneur, Wiley is the chief academic officer and co-founder of Lumen Learning. He is a Marshall University alum (BFA, Music, class of 1997) and recipient of both the Marshall University Distinguished Alumni Award and the John Deaver Drinko Outstanding Achievement Award.
In his academic career, Wiley has received a National Science Foundation CAREER grant, an appointment as Nonresident Fellow in the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School, and served in visiting scholar appointments at the Open University of the United Kingdom and the Open University of the Netherlands.
As a social entrepreneur, he has founded or co-founded entities that include Lumen Learning, Degreed, Mountain Heights Academy, and InterSpec. He was named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company magazine in 2009.
Beyond his work at Lumen Learning, Wiley is involved in several efforts to improve the quality and affordability of higher education. In addition to his appointment as Entrepreneur in Residence at the iCenter, he is currently a Simon Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University, the Education Fellow at Creative Commons, and an Ashoka Fellow. He also was recently elected president of the international Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT).
“I started my first company while I was a student at Marshall, and the experience completely changed my life,” Wiley said. “I’m incredibly excited by the opportunity to work with the iCenter to help unlock the transformative power of entrepreneurship for Marshall students, faculty, staff, and others who live in the region.”
Wiley will offer his expertise in the areas of social entrepreneurship and educational technology through coaching and mentoring entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs, educational workshops, and co-teaching classes, as well as through assistance with the development of certificate programs.
The iCenter is fortunate to have Wiley on its team, said Dr. Ben Eng, its executive director.
“From his work with Creative Commons as well as his current organization, Lumen Learning, David has a deep level of expertise and passion in utilizing technology to spread educational resources to those who need it most,” Eng said. “He’s an amazing fit with our team and aligns perfectly with the iCenter’s mission to inspire and empower the inner-entrepreneur in West Virginia and Appalachia.”
Wiley joins two other entrepreneurs in residence, Brandon Dennison of Coalfield Development and Collin Meadows of Tech304.
The mission of the iCenter is to inspire entrepreneurship by empowering individuals with the innovation and entrepreneurial knowledge they need to reframe the future of the state and region.
For more information about the iCenter, visit www.marshall.edu/icenter or e-mail icenter@marshall.edu.