Hub City Highlight

Recently named associate vice president of innovation and entrepreneurship at Texas Tech University (TTU), Kimberly Gramm has been a driving force for economic growth in Lubbock. Since 2016, Gramm has worked directly with creators, catalysts and entrepreneurs through her various positions at the TTU Innovation Hub at Research Park. Before assuming her current role as associate vice president, Gramm was the senior managing director for the Hub. 

Over the past 12 years, Gramm has served in a plethora of capacities related to university, new-venture creation and commercialization. These positions include: board member of Global Laboratory for Energy Asset Management and Manufacturing as well as membership in the Association of University Research Parks and the Association of Public Land Grant Universities. She also serves on the Advisory Board Office of Outreach & Engagement at TTU. Additionally, Gramm is a member of the Innovate Texas Tech Mentor Program and VentureWell, a national organization supporting science and technology innovators.

These positions prepared her for her most recent appointment. In November 2019, Governor Abbott appointed Gramm to the Product Development and Small Business Incubator Board (PDSBI). As a PDSBI board member, Gramm will oversee the PDSBI fund. The PDSBI fund is a revolving loan program administered by the Texas Economic Development Bank within the Governor’s Office of Economic Development Finance Division. The purpose of the fund is to aid in the development, production and commercialization of new or improved products and to foster and stimulate small business development in the state. 

This new appointment seems fitting for Gramm as her professional career has been dedicated to economic growth and business development, especially in her current position at TTU. As the associate vice president of innovation and entrepreneurship, she is responsible for coordinating a team focused on entrepreneurship and economic development. Through these efforts, she oversees a diverse group of researchers and entrepreneurs in the community who are building on Lubbock’s tradition of innovation. 

As a mentor for many, Gramm speaks highly of the environment that the Hub fosters to easily create and maintain professional relationships. In her recent interview with Hub City Spokes, a podcast produced by the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA), Gramm sat down with Katherine White, media relations manager at LEDA, to share her experience working at the Hub. 

“I interface with faculty, students and some of the brightest people in our community who have really good ideas,” she said. “Research universities look at developing new knowledge in the research that they do. And, my job is to build, operate and transfer that success out into the world. I’ve been here three and a half years, and I am inspired every day by the progress that’s being made. That fuels what you think and what you believe you can do going into the future.”

Gramm’s full interview is available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you stream podcasts. The episode will also be posted on our website along with the rest of season two of Hub City Spokes. 

“The growth [here] has been consistent and I think you will find that Lubbock is a great place to be.”

Latrelle Joy
Lubbock Councilwoman