Innovate Springfield director leaving for a new job
Ben Hage, current Director of Innovate Springfield at the University of Illinois Springfield, has been named director of The Petrick Idea Center at Illinois Wesleyan University, effective June 1. The Petrick Idea Center is set to open in fall 2026 and will serve as a hub for creativity, interdisciplinary innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Ben Hage has been named director of The Petrick Idea Center at Illinois Wesleyan University, effective June 1. He is currently Director of Innovate Springfield at the University of Illinois Springfield. The Petrick Idea Center is under construction and set to open in fall 2026. It will feature makerspaces, an amphitheater, startup offices, and collaboration spaces. Hage has over a decade of experience in startup development and entrepreneurship education. He leads an entrepreneurship ecosystem at Innovate Springfield, with accomplishments including new curriculum and community outreach programs. Hage is completing a doctorate at Illinois State University and has degrees from Purdue University Global, UIS, and Eureka College.
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