(Jackson, Miss.) – Innovate Mississippi announced today that it has launched a new “Entrepreneur in Residence” program that is designed to support tech and innovation-based entrepreneurial development throughout the state. Rich Sun, Jackson resident and member of the Innovate Mississippi Board of Directors, was named to this esteemed position.
“The Entrepreneur in Residence position offers an incredible opportunity for Mississippi entrepreneurs to capture insight and guidance from a successful entrepreneur/executive who is willing to share strategic advice based on his experiences and accomplishments,” said Tony Jeff, president and CEO of Innovate Mississippi.
“Our goal,” said Sun, “is to use the experience I gained in 30 startups as investor, advisor, executive and board member to help entrepreneurs accelerate the growth of their businesses and to avoid many of the most common and recognizable mistakes.”
In addition to his experience with startups, Sun’s educational and professional achievements include earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University, a Masters of Business Administration from New York University and designation as a Chartered Financial Analyst. He also served as a banker for 22 years with Bankers Trust Company (now Deutsche Bank), Goldman Sachs, First Boston (now Credit Suisse) and UBS (once Swiss Bank Corporation). From 1994 to 2001, he was a private equity investor with Emerging Markets Partnership, a $6 billion firm backed by AIG and the Government of Singapore. Sun has arranged, advised on or made over $11 billion of private debt and equity investments.
“The Entrepreneur in Residence program is important because it gives Mississippi business builders quick access to an experienced, additional perspective on their startup idea and plans,” explained Sun. “We expect that this program will enable Mississippi to produce more successful startups and help them achieve their growth targets.”
“Rich Sun certainly brings a unique perspective to the Entrepreneur in Residence role as both an entrepreneur and an investor,” added Jeff. “His experience outside of the state also gives him the ability to both benchmark realistic goals for success and bring new ideas to table. In fact, we are already seeing incredible value from Rich’s participation in this role.”
For more information on the Entrepreneur in Residence program, please contact Tony Jeff at tjeff@innovate.ms or 601-906-3610.