CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (May 5, 2026) — Nancy Sullivan, CEO, Managing Director, and Managing Principal of Illinois Ventures, joined the Innovations at Research Park to discuss how her organization, Research Park and EnterpriseWorks, work hand-in-hand to move ideas from the lab to the market.
When talking about the beginnings of the partnership between Illinois Ventures and Research Park, Sullivan pointed to Illinois Ventures’ space in EnterpriseWorks.
“We took up space right in the EnterpriseWorks location…we wanted to prove we were directly connected with them,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan described the partnership as a full-service support system for founders, with Research Park providing the infrastructure and Illinois Ventures providing the investment expertise.
“If you’re a founder, you have a group of highly talented individuals who want to help you get set up and get your idea out of the lab and into EnterpriseWorks. The infrastructure exists in Research Park and [Illinois Ventures] has co-located to help with the investing,” said Sullivan.
To hear the full conversation about Nancy Sullivan’s career and her thoughts on expanding entrepreneurship in Champaign, listen to the Innovations at Research Park podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast network.
The Innovations at Research Park podcast highlights Champaign’s thriving entrepreneurial and corporate innovation culture. It is hosted by Tanmay Shah, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumnus.
Is there something you want to know about Research Park? Do you have an idea for a guest for the show or a story we should pursue? Contact Kaleb Medina at kmedin22@illinois.edu