(Ridgeland, Miss.) – Innovate Mississippi announces the election of Richard A. Sun, founder and owner of Sun & Co., as chairman of the Innovate Mississippi Board of Directors.
Sun, of Jackson, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University and a Masters of Business Administration from New York University. He has also earned the esteemed designation as a Chartered Financial Analyst. He has served as an investor, adviser, senior executive or board member in over 30 startup and early stage high-potential companies. Additionally, Sun was 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. He has arranged, advised on or made over $11 billion of private debt and equity investments.
“Rich brings a unique perspective as both an entrepreneur and an investor,” said Tony Jeff, president and CEO of Innovate Mississippi. “His experience outside of the state also gives him the ability to both benchmark our success and introduce new ideas to the Innovation Ecosystem in Mississippi.”
“Mississippi is about to see its traditional business and artistic creativity flourish and mix in ways that will both amaze us and make us proud,” said Sun. “Our lifestyle, cost of living, friendliness, combined with ultra-high speed internet to the home, means that many businesses can started here rather than Silicon Valley. Our garages and spare bedrooms are becoming more competitive with the Valley as places to start businesses.”
The Innovate Mississippi Board of Directors is made up of private sector CEOs, innovation and technology entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors. Representing the Board’s public sector are the presidents of Mississippi’s four research universities – Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi.
“We’re fortunate to have such a high-powered and dedicated Board of Directors that gives their time so generously to strengthen the innovation economy in Mississippi,” said Jeff.
Innovate Mississippi is a nonprofit organization with the mission to drive innovation and technology-based economic development for the State of Mississippi. Visit www.innovate.ms for more information.
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