This spotlight is part of the “PLACE Builders mentors” series. More information about the PLACE (Pava LaPere Award for Cultivating Ecosystems) Builders fellowship can be found here.
Sammy Popat
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Catalyst at the University of Maryland, College Park
PLACE Builders mentor Sammy Popat is the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Catalyst at the University of Maryland, College Park, where his work is focused on empowering and enhancing the university's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Matched Fellow: Arsh Haque, Far West region
"The reason I wanted to serve as a PLACE Builders mentor is intrinsically tied to the mission of this program - supporting fellow ecosystem builders - and the inspiration behind it, Pava, who led by example as an entrepreneur and ecosystem builder."
Sammy Popat
Sammy Popat chose to serve as a PLACE Builders mentor because he resonates deeply with the program's mission and Pava LaPere's inspiring legacy. His alignment with mentee Arsh Haque, who also works within higher education to support entrepreneurs, made their collaboration particularly fruitful. Their shared appreciation for the arts, combined with an understanding of the impact and contributions of changemakers in their communities, allowed for rich conversation. Sammy is inspired by Arsh’s journey as an ecosystem builder and believes “Portland State and the surrounding community are fortunate to have a dynamic and passionate champion for entrepreneurs and innovators.”
Meet the other PLACE Builders mentors:
Inspired by the legacy of Pava LaPere, forever Chief Ecosystem Officer and Co-Founder of EcoMap Technologies, as a tribute to her legacy of fighting for equal access to opportunity, the PLACE (Pava LaPere Award for Cultivating Ecosystems) Builders fellowship aims to catalyze more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems by providing intensive training, peer support, and community pilots to eight selected fellows.