David Adams is the Chief Innovation Officer of the University of Cincinnati and Chief Executive Officer of the UC Research Institute. His career spans private sector, public service and higher education. Within this dual role, David leads the university’s interface with industry. His primary aim is the development of a one-stop model for business engagement grounded in client relations, value creation and operational excellence. David leads all aspects of the newly formed 1819 Innovation Hub within the Uptown Innovation Corridor. Backed by more than $38 million investment approved by the UC Board of Trustees, this state-of-the-art facility serves as a magnet for breakthrough ideas, innovative solutions and strategic partnerships. Prior to joining the University of Cincinnati, David served as Interim Chief Administrative Officer and CEO of the Institute for Product Realization at the University of Louisville. He oversaw the $1.2 billion financial and operational aspects of the university and led the university’s innovation agenda. During his leadership, corporate innovation centers were launched by General Electric and Kindred Healthcare resulting in FirstBuild and the Hive respectively. Innovation is central to his career. He founded The BVI Group, to serve the strategic and operational needs of businesses and private equity firms, led the operational improvement and merger of Indiana’s $30 billion pension systems, at the request of then-Governor Mitch Daniels, and was a founding member of the executive team that grew a software technologies firm, from $4 million to $1.1 billion in seven years, becoming a NASDAQ 50 company in the process. He has national and international executive experience and has a proven track record of building and leading world-class teams. David is a lifelong entrepreneur with experience in a wide range of for-profit and non-profit sectors. Over the course of more than 30 years, David has held senior leadership roles in multiple sectors—from manufacturing, distribution and transportation to technology, health care, service, education and state government. He has assisted numerous Fortune 500 companies, including: Caterpillar, Cooper Tire and Rubber, Eaton, Timken, U.S. Steel, Philips Consumer Electronics, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sherwin-Williams, Steelcase and Thomson Consumer Electronics.

Beth A. Robinson leads UCI’s efforts to revitalize Uptown Cincinnati, including financing, real estate development and advocacy. Beth has more than 20 years of experience in community and economic development, with specific specialization in neighborhood revitalization, development financing and business attraction and retention. Beth is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and holds a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional designation from the National Development Council. She received both her undergraduate and graduate degree in public administration from the University of Cincinnati. Follow her on Twitter at @BethUptown.

Most people develop an interest for real estate development and construction over time. For Tom Rowe, that passion was in his blood. His father’s is a land developer in and around a ski and golf resort in northern Michigan and he passed his passion on to Tom from an early age. During his youth Tom and his brother spent many Saturdays bouncing around in the front seat of his father’s truck discussing business and going to business meetings – Tom considers these experiences key to earning his “real-life” MBA. Originally Tom decided to parlay his interest in real estate development and construction into a law career, since he saw through firsthand experience with his dad the important and highly visible role lawyers play in the real estate development industry. This led Tom earning his Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University and his Juris Doctor from Loyola University of Chicago. After graduating from Loyola, he worked in Chicago as an attorney while finishing business school at night. Once he earned his Master’s in Business Administration from Loyola, he moved back to northern Michigan to help his dad run his business. After getting married Tom decided to relocate to Cincinnati in 2004, where he later joined Miller Valentine, met Matt Packer and Peter Horton, and held a series of development and financing positions that culminated in leading the company’s asset management group where he oversaw a national portfolio of over 14,000 apartment units. Although Tom was satisfied in his career, he harbored an entrepreneurial spirit that was nurtured by his dad, who encouraged him to try his hand at anything that piqued his interest. This built Tom’s confidence to take on a variety of jobs in his youth, including pool technician, licensed real estate salesperson, ski instructor, lift operator, caddy, and heavy equipment operator – among many others. The lesson? Tom knew that he could do anything he set his mind to if he was willing to listen, fail, learn, and try, which his dad taught him were powerful attributes to long term success. So, when Matt, Peter, and Tom decided to join together to form Terrex in 2014, Tom saw it as an exciting opportunity and a challenge that could allow him and his partners to accomplish a great deal as business owners while focusing their attention on projects and ideas that inspired each of their passions. At Terrex, Tom sources and manages the execution of complex development projects and manages all aspects of the development process, as well as the day-to-day operations of Terrex. He enjoys working with his partners to empower and support Terrex’s team of dedicated professionals to be decision makers and to always do the “right thing,” impacting their communities, projects, customers and the firm in a positive way. Tom has developed a diverse array of projects, including senior housing, multifamily housing, affordable housing, condominiums, landominiums, restaurant, hotel, golf courses, office and retail. Most recently at Terrex he has led some of Cincinnati’s largest and most high-profile construction and real estate development projects, including Uptown Gateway, student housing at Xavier University, and managing a complex environmental remediation and site reutilization project at “On the Lateral” involving developing a large office building on a former industrial site. Having a lasting positive impact on the local community is what truly drives Tom, and as such he serves as a board member for ULI Cincinnati as well as a member of the board of trustees at Mt. St. Joseph University. He is also a founding member of both the Parents for Hyde Park School and the Hyde Park School Foundation. He is also a former board member of the Hyde Park Community Council. Tom is a resident of Cincinnati’s Hyde Park neighborhood with his wife and two sons. In his spare time, Tom is an avid fly fisherman, enjoys downhill skiing in the mountains of Colorado, teaching his sons how to fly fish and ski, bird hunting in northern Michigan every fall, golfing, running, waterskiing, hiking, camping, travelling, and, generally, spending quality time with family and friends.