Get to know our staff: 5 questions w/ VTCRC Administrative Staff Kelli Jones
Kelli is the Administrative and Events Coordinator at Tech Center Research Park in Newport News, VA.
- How long have you been with the research park/Tech Center? January 8, 2018 (One of the best days of my life!!)
- Favorite outdoor activity? Running with my dog
- What accomplishment are you most proud of to share with others? Completing my MBA
- People would be surprised to know what about you? That I have a twin sister and/or my Dad played in the NBA.
- One word to describe the VTCRC / Tech Center would be… Exceptional
Previous spotlights:
About Tech Center Research Park
The idea for Tech Center began with the simple human insight that collaboration turns good ideas into great ones. And while the idea of research parks and collaborative spaces is not a new one, the model for the Tech Center is.
Using his visionary leadership, W.M. Jordan Co. Executive Chairman John Lawson turned the vacant plot of land on the corner of Oyster Point Road and Jefferson Avenue into the grounds for Tech Center’s future home. His dreams for the space and unparalleled expertise have been imperative throughout the planning process.
Drawing inspiration from the acclaimed Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, VA, Tech Center Research Park will be home to 900,000 square feet of space with 10 planned buildings, punctuated by restaurants, shops, fitness clubs, biking trails and gathering spots. Some of the brightest minds choose to live in the upscale Venture Apartments, shortening the distance between work and play even more.
Given the scope of the Park, you will find an endless variety of companies, experts, personalities and ideas. From local to global, start-ups to Fortune 500, manufacturing to tech world, the wide spectrum of Tech Center enthusiasts all share ambitious goals, bold curiosity and a mutual quest to change how the world works.
The Tech Center advantage doesn’t stop at the facilities and the people. We tie it all together by facilitating collaboration. Our premiere Accelerator Network connects innovators to investors and technology, and vice-versa, while fostering a continuous curriculum of education and ideation. Networking events, social outings, expert seminars and cohort-based workshops all bring together people and ideas so that collaboration isn’t just a buzzword.
Rather than seeing this as a place where work gets done, we see it as a place where life gets lived and inspiration bubbles up at every turn. Truly world-shaking innovations don’t arise in a vacuum — they are produced by people to fulfill basic human needs and to make life better. And that’s what Tech Center is all about.