Innovation Center Directors

Dr. Robert Krim is a Framingham State University Associate Professor in the Department of Business, where he teaches Entrepreneurship and Innovation. As an entrepreneur, he started and led two companies. He spent more than a decade (1997-2010) founding and leading the Boston History and Innovation Collaborative, a Boston-based research partnership.

The "Bump and Connect"

At the Collaborative, Dr. Krim headed the decade-long research project Innovate Boston, which found that the five main drivers that have led Eastern Massachusetts to be one of the most innovative regions in the world for over four centuries are: Entrepreneurship, Networking, Local Demand, Local Funding, and National/Global Demand. His “Bump and Connect” phrase for the interaction of entrepreneurs which drives innovation (4 of the 5 drivers) has become quite popular in explaining innovation.

Mark Hardie is a serial entrepreneur and start-up veteran with a passion for innovation. The FSU Innovation Center’s hybrid model is similar to a startup incubator concept Mark developed and pitched to area venture capital investors. The son of two teachers, he has taught and lectured on technology issues at Harvard, MIT, University of Virginia, and University of Hartford. He is a career-long mentor at the MIT Sloan School and currently a Career Coach at Harvard Business School, working with start-up teams, founders and would-be entrepreneurs.

A Massachusetts native, Mark attended primary and secondary schools in Holyoke MA, is a graduate of Tufts University and the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management. He brings extensive experience launching start-ups, driving corporate strategy and business innovation, all with a focus on Internet business models, mobile device platforms, and cloud-based SaaS business models. Throughout Mark’s career, you'll find proven success taking whiteboard ideas to market, raising capital, and managing product development, roll-out, and ongoing business operations.

Favorite Quote: “A great leader is an even better follower!”

Mark is a resident of Ipswich MA. Married with two children, he enjoys snowboarding, cycling, running, and playing softball.