Illinois Wesleyan University is recruiting Ben Hage, currently the director of Innovate Springfield, to run its innovation hub, the Petrick Idea Center.
Hage will join Illinois Wesleyan University on 1 June after seven and a half years with the University of Illinois Springfield, where he has been an adjunct instructor in entrepreneurship and innovation since 2019.
He became director of the university’s incubator, Innovate Springfield, in August 2023. Innovate Springfield works with faculty and students, as well as community and regional stakeholders.
Hage’s accomplishments in his current role have included the development of a new academic pathway that integrates entrepreneurship, the launch of an angel investor training programme, and community outreach, including an experiential programme for local high school students.
“I am thrilled to be joining Illinois Wesleyan. It is an incredible opportunity to lean into a community where the Midwestern ethos meets the high-level critical thinking of a top-tier liberal arts university. When I visited campus, I felt a contagious energy that makes IWU the ideal place for students who want to bridge the gap between a strong liberal arts tradition and entrepreneurship.
“I am looking forward to the great things we can accomplish together at The Petrick Idea Center.”
Ben Hage
At Illinois Wesleyan University, Hage will succeed John Quarton, who retired last autumn. The Petrick Idea Center is currently under construction and will offer startup offices, collaboration spaces, amphitheatres, and makerspaces.
