Griffin St Louis is the Senior Program Manager for the Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII), a program that accelerates early-stage technology commercialization from Maryland's research universities. Griffin oversees every stage of the MII program lifecycle from developing Requests for Applications and managing review processes to stewarding an active award portfolio of projects and start-ups.
In his role, Griffin serves as the primary point of engagement for MII awardees across both the Technology Assessment and Company Formation funding phases. He recruits and manages an external reviewer network, presents funding recommendations to the MII Board of Directors, and connects portfolio companies with mentors, technical assistance programs, and resources throughout the ecosystem.
Prior to his current role, Griffin served as a Program Manager for the Maryland Defense Technology Commercialization Center (DefTech), where he provided direct, hands-on support to companies and entrepreneurs commercializing technology from Department of Defense laboratories.
Griffin holds an MBA with a certification in Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a B.S. in Chemistry with a Marketing minor from Mississippi State University. He is an active member of national technology transfer and commercialization networks and represents Maryland innovation at conferences and convenings across federal, academic, and private sectors. His professional recognitions include the FLC State and Economic Development Award (2020) and the GBC Bridging the Gap Achievement Award (2022).
Beyond work, Griffin is a golfer and distance runner; enjoys lifting weights and playing tabletop games with friends; and loves exploring new coffee shops, local restaurants, and craft breweries.