_FOUNDER'S BIO

Erik R. Pages is the President of EntreWorks Consulting, an economic development consulting and policy development firm focused on helping communities and organizations achieve their entrepreneurial potential. EntreWorks works with a diverse base of clients including state and local governments, Chambers of Commerce, business leaders, educational institutions, and non-profits. These customers all share a commitment to innovative economic development strategies that build wealth and build communities. Since its founding, EntreWorks has worked with customers in twenty-eight states and overseas.

Previously, Dr. Pages served as Policy Director for the National Commission on Entrepreneurship (NCOE), where he directed the Commission's research and policy operations. He also led NCOE's programs to assist communities in developing and implementing their own entrepreneurial development initiatives. Before joining NCOE, he served as Vice President for Policy and Programs at Business Executives for National Security (BENS). Dr. Pages has also held several positions in government--- most recently, as the first Director of the Office of Economic Conversion Information (OECI) at the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA). In this position, he helped lead efforts to assist communities affected by military base closings and defense plant shutdowns. He has also worked on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Director for former US Rep. Gus Yatron and as analyst for the Congressional Research Service.

Dr. Pages regularly speaks across the country on issues of community and economic development. He also serves as a trainer for leading business, government and economic development organizations, and has led over 100 workshops on innovative economic development strategies. He has served as an official advisor to the White House Conference on Small Business, and has testified before Congress on numerous occasions. Several foundations have funded his work, and in 1998, the Rockefeller Foundation selected him as one of 24 national "Next Generation Leaders." He is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness, the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, and serves on the Arlington County (VA) Economic Development Commission.

He received his Ph.D. from Georgetown University, where he now serves as an Adjunct Professor. He is a graduate of Dickinson College (Phi Beta Kappa) and the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. He has written and published widely on business trends, economic development, technology policy, and national security policy. His publications include the book, Responding to Defense Dependence, and more than fifty reports and journal articles. His work has been featured in national and international media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, USA Today, and National Public Radio.

A native of Reading, PA, he now resides with his family in Arlington, VA. In his spare time, he coaches youth soccer and also attempts to play the game. He enjoys all sports, hiking, cooking, music (especially jazz), history, and travel.