Who We Are
Principal
Holden Thorp became Editor-in-Chief of the Science family of journals on 28 October 2019. He came to Science from Washington University, where he was provost from 2013 to 2019 and professor from 2013 to 2023. He is currently a professor at George Washington University and on leave to serve as the Editor-in-Chief at Science.Thorp joined Washington University after spending three decades at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), where he served as the 10th chancellor from 2008 through 2013.
Founder & Managing Principal
Henry (Hank) Webber is the founder and Managing Principal of Urban Impact Advisors. For the past 35 years, he has made major contributions to Chicago and St Louis and helped lead the University of Chicago and Washington University in St Louis, two of America’s largest and finest research universities.
Principal
Holden Thorp became Editor-in-Chief of the Science family of journals on 28 October 2019. He came to Science from Washington University, where he was provost from 2013 to 2019 and professor from 2013 to 2023. He is currently a professor at George Washington University and on leave to serve as the Editor-in-Chief at Science.Thorp joined Washington University after spending three decades at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), where he served as the 10th chancellor from 2008 through 2013.
Senior Consultant
Brian Phillips is the Assistant Vice Chancellor and Executive Director of the Washington University Medical Center Redevelopment Corporation, a partnership between BJC HealthCare and Washington University in St. Louis dedicated to the long-term stabilization and revitalization of neighborhoods adjacent to the Washington University Medical Campus. Under his 25 plus year leadership, Brian has overseen institutional investments of over $50m into the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood, which has resulted in over $1b in private and public investments.
Senior Consultant,
Head of Operations
Jillian Guenther is an experienced leader with over 14 years of progressive experience in strategic planning, strategy execution and performance monitoring within community and economic development organizations. She is driven by making the complex manageable, connecting dots from goals to actions, and improving the ways institutions can proactively impact vulnerable people and communities. Throughout her career, Jillian has specialized in implementing new initiatives and multi-stakeholder change efforts that advance strategic goals.
Brian Phillips is the Assistant Vice Chancellor and Executive Director of the Washington University Medical Center Redevelopment Corporation, a partnership between BJC HealthCare and Washington University in St. Louis dedicated to the long-term stabilization and revitalization of neighborhoods adjacent to the Washington University Medical Campus. Under his 25 plus year leadership, Brian has overseen institutional investments of over $50m into the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood, which has resulted in over $1b in private and public investments.
Senior Consultant
Daniel Goetzel served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the NationalScience Foundation’s Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate and as the Entrepreneurial Lead for the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines Program. The TIP Directorate and its signature initiative NSFEngines, were created as part of the CHIPS and Science Act. Daniel joined the TIP launch team even before the legislation’s passage and was instrumental in the stand up of the new Directorate and its flagship programs.
Senior Consultant
For over 30 years, Dennis Lower has been involved in establishing technology innovation districts that position regions to be competitive in the national and global technology economy.He successfully developed three innovation districts, the most recent of which was the 200-acre Cortex Innovation Community in St. Louis, Missouri. The Brookings Institution and the Global Institute on Innovation Districts have named Cortex as a national and international best practice.Dennis has consulted with clients in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Middle and Far East.
Daniel Goetzel served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the NationalScience Foundation’s Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate and as the Entrepreneurial Lead for the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines Program. The TIP Directorate and its signature initiative NSFEngines, were created as part of the CHIPS and Science Act. Daniel joined the TIP launch team even before the legislation’s passage and was instrumental in the stand up of the new Directorate and its flagship programs.
