Innovation Happens Where Talent and Opportunity Come Together

The Innovation Partners Institute looks for challenging community problems and then assembles an A-list of partners with the exact skills, experiences, and capabilities to collaboratively bring novel solutions forward. This requires Innovation Partners who lead projects, as well as Corporate Partners, University Partners, Community Partners, and Funding Partners who bring their expertise and practical experience to turn ideas into working applications.

Because of the institute’s virtual nature, Innovation Partners function as “innovators in network” as opposed to “entrepreneurs in residence.” In addition to what IPI provides, the Innovation Partners tap their own networks as they develop solutions, deepening the available talent pool. 


Innovation Partners

Mo Shakouri, Ph.D.

Rural e-Learning Project

Shakouri is a Silicon Valley investor, entrepreneur and international executive with more than 25 years experience in the communications and electronics industry.

Bharath B. Reddy Bynagari

Covid-19 Related Innovation Project

Bynagari is a serial entrepreneur in healthcare IT. With a mission of “Innovative solutions with a Human Touch,” Bynagari was the inventor behind Diagnotes, a single platform for healthcare communications.

David Broecker

Sound Digital Engagement

Broecker is an experienced business executive with a passion and track record for building organizations and creating value by advancing breakthrough innovation to the marketplace. He currently serves as the Chief Innovation and Collaboration Officer for the Purdue Research Foundation.

Lee Davenport

Smart City Challenge Project

Davenport is Director of Community Development for US Ignite.

Jigyasa Sharma

Smart City Challenge Project

Jigyasa Sharma works with US Ignite communities on innovation districts, privacy, cybersecurity, data governance, equity, and community engagement.

Sean Hendrix

Managing Director of the Indiana 5G Zone

Mr. Hendrix is a senior technology and management professional, specializing in new product introduction.  With over 23 years of experience, he is a strong leader, successful in the start-up of new technical organizations with the purpose of engineering, developing, and launching new products for production.

Junaid Islam

Co-founder of XQ Message

Junaid Islam is a cybersecurity expert with 30 years of experience in secure communications. His background spans field operations to the design and development of protocols. Junaid’s technical contributions have been incorporated into a broad range of commercial and government networks.

Kelby Price

Corporate Development & Business Strategy

Kelby Price leads corporate development at XQ Message, where she manages the development of overall corporate growth strategies, strategic partnerships, capital raises, investor relations and overall business development.

Brian Wane

Co-founder and CEO of XQ Message

Brian Wane creates products and leads product-focused teams. He is an award-winning design and product management professional with proven experience in overseeing the end-to-end lifecycle for enterprise brands and Fortune 500 corporations.


Community Partners



Corporate Partners


Funding Partners

State of Indiana

Jay & Robyn Stead

Christian Kanady SMART Coalition


University Partners

Purdue Resources

Indiana Next Generation Manufacturing Competitiveness Center

Jan-Anders Mansson, Distinguished Professor of Materials & Chemical Engineering

Joint Transportation Research Program

Darcy Bullock, Lyles Family Professor of Civil Engineering

The Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security

Dongyan Xu, Samuel Conte Professor of Computer Science

Center for High-Performance Buildings

James Braun, Herrick Professor of Engineering

Scalable Manufacturing of Aware and Responsive Thin Films

Ali Shakouri, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Director of Birck Nanotechnology Center

The Data Mine: Integrative Data Science Initiative and Learning Communities

Mark Ward, Professor of Statistics, Associate Director of Actuarial Science

We’d love to hear from you.

Do you have an idea you’d like us to investigate?