Kathleen Kenyon

Venture Development Director

Kathleen Kenyon joins UConn’s Technology Commercialization Services as Director of Venture Development, bringing three decades of national security and innovation experience to Connecticut’s innovation economy. Kathleen is a founding member of the Department of Homeland Security, where she launched EMERGE, the first business accelerator built inside the federal government, and led the DHS partnership with In-Q-Tel to connect venture-backed startup companies to homeland security. She also designed and led national level prize competitions. Complementing her innovation experience, Kathleen worked in mission-focused homeland security operational areas of the Department. Before the Department of Homeland Security, Kathleen negotiated encryption export control policy with 33 countries and developed national level strategies on critical infrastructure and cybersecurity.

At UConn, Kathleen works with faculty, students and entrepreneurs across every campus to build new ventures and grow the university’s Technology Incubation Program, connecting emerging companies to the capital, partners and expertise they need to scale. She holds a master’s degree in national security strategy from the Eisenhower School at the National Defense University, a Master of Public Administration from George Washington University, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Russell Sage College.