Heather Hage
President and CEO of Griffiss Institute
Heather Hage is President & CEO of the Griffiss Institute (GI), a leading national nonprofit talent and technology development organization, in service to American defense industrial base.
Heather led the strategy and support operations for the standup of the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate’s innovative “beyond the fence” R&D and incubator facilities at Innovare Advancement Center in Rome, NY. Since its launch in 2021, Innovare has welcomed over 13,000 unique guests, supported over 150 faculty-in-residence, 600 collegiate interns and fellows, and 27 new startups to collaborate with AFRL scientists and engineers.
A deep believer in the power of public education and research to transform lives, Heather served the State University of New York for 17 years before assuming leadership of the GI in 2021. At SUNY Research Foundation, Heather oversaw innovation and partnerships for the SUNY System’s 64-campus enterprise, with management responsibility to empower SUNY faculty, staff, and students to engage industry in the SUNY mission to learn, to search, and to serve.
A graduate of Hamilton College and Albany Law School, where she was Managing Editor of the Journal of Science and Technology, Heather’s professional background includes high-value technology transfer transactions, intellectual property policy, strategic planning, venture development, and the practice of law before New York State and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. A former adjunct faculty member at Albany Law School and SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Heather is the recipient of various honors and awards, including SUNY’s 2015 Woman of Excellence award for outstanding service, exemplary support of women in leadership, and a distinguished career.
Most recently, Heather received the Mohawk Valley YWCA’s 2023 Salute to Outstanding Women for community leadership in STEAM and accepted two Business of the Year awards for the GI from the Mohawk Valley and Rome Area Chambers of Commerce in 2022. Heather has served on the board of directors of various nonprofit technology startup incubators and economic development organizations across New York State and is a currently a sitting board member for SUNY Polytechnic Institute Foundation and the New York Center for Research, Economic Advancement, Technology, Engineering, and Science (NY-CREATES).
A devoted mother of three children, when Heather is not working, you can find her watching middle school sports and wandering the woods and waters of the Adirondacks with her family.
