Lesa Mitchell is vice president of Innovation and Networks at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Her responsibilities include identification of programmatic and policy levers that can accelerate innovation and support networks enabling firm growth. Mitchell was instrumental in the founding of the Kauffman Innovation Network/iBridge Network, the Translational Medicine Conferences in the United States and Europe, and the National Academies-based University–Industry Partnership. She also is a leader in the replication of innovator-based commercialization and mentor programs across the United States. Mitchell is chairman of the Board of Kauffman FastTrac and serves on the Board of 8 Rivers Capital. She is an advisory board member of Modern Meadow Inc and the National Science Foundation iCorp. Prior to joining Kauffman, Mitchell spent twenty years of her career in global executive roles at Aventis and Quintiles, and as an entrepreneur focused on global management of electronic clinical trials.