Blake Petty ’98

Blake Petty currently serves as Executive Director of Texas A&M University’s McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship. In this role he leads the university’s efforts to create a supportive environment and culture for innovation and entrepreneurship across all classifications and all disciplines of study. Blake is responsible for leading 35+ annual programs and experiential activities for more than 5,000 student and non-student innovators and entrepreneurs from across the Texas A&M campus, as well as across the U.S. & internationally.

Blake also has an extensive background in facilitating activities and discussions that stimulate and instigate both organizational and individual innovations, with 21 years of work experience focused on new venture strategies, launch, incubation and growth; technology development and commercialization; new business modeling and planning; customer discovery and customer development; and early-stage business financing and angel investment.

He received his bachelor’s from Texas A&M in 1998 and his master’s in 2000. After graduation, he worked in administrative positions across the university and Texas A&M System, including a 10-year stint in the Office of Technology Commercialization.

Most recently, Blake served as Assistant Vice President of Research and coordinated all Innovation, Industry Relations and Business Development initiatives at Texas A&M. He also facilitated commercialization and entrepreneurship opportunities for the campus and its faculty researchers. In addition, he served as a founding partner in the launch of the Aggie Angel Network and Texas A&M’s Startup Aggieland business incubator.