da Vinci Center for Innovation

Meet the da Vinci Center Team

We are a small and mighty team, each highly passionate and driven to imagine the future of higher education. Our staff are just like our students in that we work collaboratively and across disciplines to serve our students and partners. We work tirelessly to ensure that our students are better prepared to engage in an increasingly global world because they have developed the skills and tools necessary to engage in difficult dialog, to disagree, to reframe failure, and make change.

Leadership

 

Garret Westlake, Ph.D.

Associate Vice Provost in Innovation
Executive Director, VCU da Vinci Center for Innovation
Co-founder, Shift Retail Lab

Pronouns: he, him, his

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Executive Director, Garret Westlake headshot

Allison Schumacher

Director of Academic Alchemy

Certified Scrum Master

Pronouns: she, her, hers

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Director of Academic Alchemy, Allison Schumacher headshot

Lloyd Young

Deputy Director, VCU da Vinci Center 
Co-founder, Shift Retail Lab

Pronouns: she, her, hers

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Director of Innovation and Design, Lloyd Young headshot

 

The Team

 

Caslin Applewhite

Communications Coordinator

Pronouns: she, her, hers

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Headshot of Caslin Applewhite

William Benton, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Pronouns: he, him
William Benton in front of the Shift mural at Shift Retail Lab.

Brandin Conrath

Postdoctoral Fellow

Pronouns: he, him

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Picture of Brandin Conrath

Stephanie Danis

Executive Admin Assistant to the Executive Director

Certified Scrum Master

Pronouns: she, her, hers

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Stephanie Danis headshot

Adria Dunn

Business Manager

Pronouns: she, her, hers

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Adria Dunn headshot

Alicia Edgerton

Administrative Coordinator, Shift Retail Lab



Pronouns: she, her, hers

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Picture of Alicia Edgerton in front of the Shift mural at Shift Retail Lab.

Mary-Chris Escobar

Director of Student Success & Life Design
daVinci Center for Innovation 
Department of Interdisciplinary Studies

Pronouns: she, her, hers

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Associate Director of Student Success, Mary-Chris Escobar headshot

Manjari Kumarappan

Program Manager for Health Innovation Lab

Pronouns: she, her, hers

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Portrait of Manjari Kumarappan in front of the Shift mural.

Megan McMahon

Postdoctoral Fellow

Pronouns: she, her

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Photo of Megan McMahon

Heather Millar

Postdoctoral Fellow

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Picture of Heather Millar in front of Shift mural.

Cael Parker

Postdoctoral Fellow in Innovation and Human-Centered Design

Pronouns: she, them

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Cael Parker

Jason Vest

Instructor Faculty

Pronouns: he, him

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Jason Vest in front of the Shift Mural at Shift Retail Lab.

da Vinci in Residencies

In Residence positions are an integral part of the VCU da Vinci Center curriculum. They are the practitioners who link our students with the community and local entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem. Rather than solely being driven by academic achievement or research accolades, our in Residence partners are selected based on the power of their community work and their innovative approaches as practitioners in bridging the divide between design, education and real world operation.

Ideator in Residence

Todd B. Waldo
Founder and Principal Consultant at Hugh Helen LLC

Pronouns: he, him, his

Todd B. Waldo is the founder and principal consultant of Hugh Helen LLC, a team dedicated to developing solutions for client success and social good. As a strategic partner, Hugh Helen collaborates with executives and their teams to facilitate deep, transformational work that propels organizations forward. Their approach is grounded in empathy and supported by data, ensuring that every step aligns with the organization’s vision and outcomes. With practice areas including economic development, executive leadership, operations, and technology, Waldo and his team are committed to creating meaningful change for their clients.

 

Todd Waldo headshot

Founder in Residence

April Palmer

Pronouns: she, her, hers

April Palmer is a former top sales performer for Fortune 100 companies across various industries, where she consistently drove double-digit growth in six- and seven-figure portfolios. Today, she helps aspiring entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful businesses by developing strategies that integrate finance, marketing, sales, and customer experience. Palmer's expertise lies in helping organizations achieve the growth needed to secure investor funding and establish a strong market presence. Her work focuses on empowering entrepreneurs to navigate the complex journey of building and scaling a business.

 

April Palmer headshot

Innovator in Residence 

Gopa Nair

Pronouns: he, him, his

Gopa Nair is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in innovation, product management, change management, automation, and digital transformation. He is skilled at optimizing processes to maximize efficiency and cost benefits. As a change agent and transformational leader, Nair understands the unmet needs of both customers and employees. He uses design thinking, agile, and lean methodologies to drive organizational transformation. Nair also provides entrepreneurship training to small businesses through a local nonprofit organization.

 

Gopa Nair, Innovator-in-Residence

Visionary in Residence 

Briana Williams
Founder & CEO of LipLoveLine

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Briana Williams is the founder and CEO of LipLoveLine, a thriving beauty brand. With over 10 years of experience in public relations, marketing, and event management across corporate, nonprofit, and academic sectors, Williams has collaborated with major brands and celebrities nationwide. Holding degrees in strategic public relations, communications, and marketing from Virginia State University and Virginia Commonwealth University, Williams is a creative and ambitious entrepreneur. Her expertise lies in communication, brand strategy, content creation, and coaching on entrepreneurship, crowdfunding, and business leadership.

 

Headshot of Briana Williams.

Innovator in Residence 

Denise Myerson

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Denise Myerson is a CEO, board member, and management consultant with over 30 years of experience focusing on education, training, and workforce development. She is passionate about helping organizations grow by setting strategic direction, ensuring financial governance, and driving innovation. Myerson is the founder and director of Management Consultancy International, an award-winning education and training provider, and the founder and CEO of The Focus Learning Group. Throughout her career, she has consistently demonstrated her ability to lead organizations to success by fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

 

Headshot of Denis Myerson

UX/UI in Residence 

Tyrone Frye

Pronouns: he, him, his

Tyrone Fyre is a versatile UX/UI designer with expertise in user research, information architecture, interaction design, and accessibility. His journey began at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he led the branding and service design of a mentoring program for transfer students. This experience solidified his belief in the power of mentorship. Frye enjoys connecting with others and sharing his design knowledge, whether over a virtual coffee or in person. He is always eager to learn new skills and tackle new challenges in the design world.

Connect with Tyrone:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tfryejr
Email: tyronelfjr@gmail.com
Calendly: calendly.com/tyronelfjr

 

 

Tyrone Frye, Experiential Learning Coordinator and Shift Retail Lab Liaison

Food and Beverage Specialist in Residence

Ryan Evans

Pronouns: he, him, his

Ryan Evans, former director of Hatch Kitchen, has a wealth of experience in helping food and beverage businesses launch and grow. He is the founder and lead consultant at Nickel Bridge Company, a food and beverage consulting and operational support agency. A former restaurateur, chef, and cheesemonger, Evans brings a deep understanding of the industry to his work. He is passionate about mentoring and is available to assist students interested in starting their own food and beverage businesses.