J. Trent Williams// Principal & CEO
Mr. Williams plays a leadership role in RTS projects and research activities focusing on regional economic development, entrepreneurship, developmental finance, industrial competitiveness policy, high value-added manufacturing, R&D management, technology development and commercialization, and strategic planning. From 1994Ð1998, Trent served as RTS' Director of USNet. USNet was a national flexible manufacturing network partnership project funded by fifteen partner states and the National Institute for Standards and Technology.
He has served as a Founding Director of eight technology-based companies, as well a faculty member of a team formed from other technology company CEOs and venture capitalists from the Research Triangle area to deliver a business launch course for faculty and graduate students at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flager Business School's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology Venturing. In his capacity as RTS Principal, he currently functions as the economic development advisor to the Rapides Foundation in Alexandria, Louisiana.
His professional experience includes service in positions as Undersecretary of the Louisiana Department of Commerce and Vice President and Research Director at Gulf South Research Institute (New Orleans, Baton Rouge, New Iberia). Prior to joining RTS in the spring of 1994, Trent served as Executive Vice President of the Louisiana Partnership for Technology and Innovation. During his five-year tenure at the Louisiana Partnership, Mr. Williams managed the organization's pre-seed investment portfolio and led the Partnership's various industrial competitiveness and technology policy efforts. He has authored numerous articles and papers published by organizations such as the New York Academy of Sciences, the Corporation for Enterprise Development, the Aspen Institute, the Southern Growth Policies Board, the Southern Technology Council, and FORMEDIA (Lisbon, Portugal) and has served as chair, co-chair, or member of over twenty state, regional and national committees, task forces, and councils. He holds a magna cum laude B.B.A. from the University of Memphis and a M.S. in economics from Louisiana State University.