AKRON, Ohio (Feb. 22, 2022) – Bounce Innovation Hub announces several changes to its board of directors, effective Jan. 1. Hans Dorfi, senior vice president of engineering at Bridgestone Americas, has been named chair after serving as a member for two years. Dorfi replaces founding chairperson, Deborah Hoover, president and CEO of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation, who will remain as a member of the Bounce board.
“As the incoming board chair I am excited to continue to build on Bounce’s momentum and success,” said Dorfi. “The impact Bounce is having on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in NE Ohio continues to grow. The board and I are laser-focused on executing on the vision and mission that have been articulated in close collaboration with the Bounce leadership team.”
In addition, Billy Taylor, president and CEO of LinkedXL, has joined the board, also effective Jan. 1. And board member Andre Thornton, president and CEO of ASW Global, has retired from the board after serving a two-year term.
“As Bounce has evolved and grown, we are happy to see that our board makeup and leadership continues to reflect these positive changes,” said Doug Weintraub, Bounce CEO. “We are forever grateful for Deb’s leadership and look forward to her continued guidance as a board member while Hans takes the helm as chair this year. We also thank Andre for his service to Bounce and are excited to welcome Billy.”
Hoover was instrumental in the founding of Bounce in 2017 and hiring the current leadership team. She also led the organization through major events such as the first-floor Generator grand opening in May 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown in 2020. Hoover is retiring from the BDM in June to pursue new opportunities.
“It has been my great honor and privilege to serve as Bounce chair from 2017 to 2021 during the early stages of Bounce’s development,” said Hoover. “I look forward to ongoing service in pursuit of the organization’s bold goals and strategies to drive entrepreneurial growth and opportunities for our region.”
Dorfi has been at Bridgestone since 2005. He is a global innovation and technology leader with experience working across diverse cultural and geographic boundaries. He brings deep expertise and experience in leveraging open innovation, bridging the technology readiness gap and working with universities and research institutions to bring ideas from early concepts to realization. He also has a passion for the future of personal mobility and commercial transport.
He holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering also from The Ohio State University where he was a Fulbright Scholar. Dorfi also served as an adjunct professor for 21 years at The University of Akron.
Taylor is an accomplished motivational speaker and global leader in manufacturing as well as diversity, equity and inclusion. He is CEO of LinkedXL, a business operating systems architecting firm. LinkedXL works with leaders and organizations globally to build a sustainable daily operating system that drives results and inspires people-driven excellence. Taylor spent 30 years with The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, serving as director of North America Manufacturing and chief diversity and inclusion officer.
About Bounce Innovation Hub
Bounce Innovation Hub is the region’s first open innovation hub serving Northeast Ohio’s entrepreneurial and innovation community. Bounce encourages open collaboration among diverse groups through unique opportunities, programs and events that engage anyone and everyone with a mind for innovation.
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Contact: Jeanine Black, Chief Marketing Officer, jblack@bouncehub.org