Startup Grind Black Leaders Month welcomes Dr. Grant Warner, Director of Innovation for the College of Engineering at Howard University. We will discuss his journey from his humble beginnings to his professional career and how he is using his expertise to bring innovation to Howard University. Dr. Warner serves as an instructor in the nation’s largest deep technology accelerator, the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps program, which focuses on lab-to-market innovations across NSF’s portfolio. He directs the Howard University – Hampton University I-Corps Site which focuses on commercializing university from HBCUs, in particular. He also is an instructor for the National Institute of Health (NIH) I-Corps program which accelerates the growth of select NIH SBIR Phase I companies in devices, diagnostics, and therapeutics. He is the co-founder of ConnectYard, a social analytics platform integrated into leading learning management systems and e-learning platforms. Additionally, Dr. Warner is working with the Marathon Foundation to establish a seed fund for underrepresented entrepreneurs in the DMV area. He received a B.S. degree from Cornell University, an M.S. degree from Penn State University, and a Ph.D. from Columbia University all in Mechanical Engineering.