Nola Miyasaki

Nola Miyasaki is Executive Director for Outreach and Incubation at the University of Florida’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She brings more than 30 years of experience in business, technology and law to overseeing programs and student start-ups at UF. She was the founding director of the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship at Oklahoma State University and the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship at Syracuse University, growing both to achieve recognition as NASDAQ Centers of Excellence and Top 25 ranked programs by US News & World Report. She has launched numerous community based entrepreneurship programs for women, disadvantaged entrepreneurs and persons with disabilities in partnership with federal, state and local partners. Over the past decade, she has raised more than $5 million to support entrepreneurial initiatives. In addition, Nola has researched and published articles on student entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs and the challenges of growth. Prior to her career in entrepreneurship education, Nola served as Executive Director and CEO of the High Technology Development Corporation, an independent state agency charged with advancing the development of technology in the State of Hawaii, and also served as Special Assistant for Technology to the Governor. Prior private sector experience includes capital raising, corporate governance and intellectual property management for a startup cell biology firm; managing two family businesses; owning a sports marketing consulting firm, and several years of corporate and tax law practice. She was recognized as a 2007 Women in Business Champion by the U.S. Small Business Administration, awarded the 2006 Women’s Leadership Award by Syracuse University and recognized by the State of Hawaii with the 2005 Technology Industry Award. Nola received a bachelor’s degree in Human Biology from Stanford University, a law degree from the University of California’s Hastings College, and an MBA from Syracuse University.