DECEMBER 2023 NEWSLETTER

We are excited to announce two significant leadership appointments and exciting program partnerships that underscore its commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and commercialization.

New Director: Erik Brine

401 Tech Bridge proudly welcomes Erik Brine as the organization’s new Director. Erik brings a wealth of experience leading government, military, industry, and academic organizations. His deep passion for innovation will help lead the organization to new heights. His dynamic leadership and vision will further solidify 401 Tech Bridge’s position as a premier ecosystem coordinator for innovators and technology commercialization in Rhode Island and beyond.

“I am excited to take on this challenge at a critical time for 401 Tech Bridge and Rhode Island as we seek to invest in our roles in Tech Hubs and AUKUS in particular. As an Ocean Tech Hub consortium member, 401 Tech Bridge will continue to be a leader in Rhode Island’s Blue Economy ecosystem. We will leverage our expanding physical presence in Middletown and Providence to provide capacity and capability to our government, industry, and academic partners locally. Simultaneously, we will continue to expand our programs like RISE UP, to deepen our relationships and collaborations with our closest partners across the region in Massachusetts and Connecticut, across the country in Alaska and Hawaii, and around the world in Australia, Canada and the UK. The AUKUS partnership is not only incredibly important to our shared security, but it along with Tech Hubs, are incredible opportunities for the Rhode Island economy.”  Erik Brine, Director 401 Tech Bridge.

New Operations Manager: Linda Larsen

Linda Larsen has been appointed as the organization’s Operations Manager. Linda’s dedication to the mission and her outstanding contributions in her previous role as Partnerships Manager make her the ideal choice to oversee the operations of the center as well as further enhance the center’s program offerings. Her expertise will be instrumental in ensuring that 401 Tech Bridge continues to deliver exceptional support to innovators and entrepreneurs.

“I am honored to take on the role of Operations Manager at 401 Tech Bridge. Having been deeply involved in advancing our mission as Partnerships Manager, I am eager to leverage my experience and passion to oversee the operations of the center and contribute to the growth of our program offerings. I look forward to working closely with the talented team and contributing to the ongoing success of our mission to drive positive change in the blue tech landscape.” Linda Larsen, Operations Director 401 Tech Bridge

“I am excited to announce Erik and Linda’s appointments. Their wealth of experience and proven track records align with our commitment to fostering collaboration and bring depth to our leadership team. Our ongoing commitments to building programming and partnerships further solidify our position as a catalyst for positive change in the blue tech landscape.”  – Christian Cowan, Executive Director

In addition to its strengthened leadership structure, 401 Tech Bridge is honored to be working several strategic program partnerships that align with its mission to “connect, create, and commercialize.” Most prominent of these is the Ocean Tech Hub initiative that 401 Tech Bridge is a consortium leader. This initiative will empower innovators by providing them with the resources, networks, and expertise needed to transform their ideas into market-ready solutions.

As 401 Tech Bridge enters this new phase of leadership and program development, it remains steadfast in its commitment to accelerating innovation, fostering collaboration, and driving the commercialization of groundbreaking technologies.