Innovate Alabama, the state’s first statewide public-private partnership focused on entrepreneurship, technology and innovation, has named Cynthia Crutchfield as it founding CEO.
An Alabama native, Crutchfield brings 40 years of experience to the role.
“When it comes to innovation, Alabama offers something that other states do not — a home where the culture of entrepreneurship is not transient, where movers and shakers put down roots,” Gov. Kay Ivey said. “Alabama is a great place to grow a business. More than that, entrepreneurs and innovators are building their lives here. Thanks to the work of Innovate Alabama, a concerted effort is being made to support current and future local startups by giving them better access to resources, capital and talent. With the induction of Cynthia Crutchfield as the founding CEO, I am confident Innovate Alabama will continue to reach new heights to cultivate our state’s economy of the future.”
Born in Montgomery, Crutchfield graduated from Alabama A&M University with a computer science degree. She worked for the Departments of the Air Force and Navy before founding Crutchfield Management Consulting, an IT services and consulting company, in 2021.
“Throughout my career, I have witnessed startups with incredible potential struggle to find success, not because their idea was not strong enough, but because they did not have access to the capital and resources necessary to build a business,” Crutchfield says. “Innovate Alabama’s mission is to solve this exact problem. With a passion for entrepreneurship, supporting underrepresented communities and bettering our state, I am honored to lead the organization as we work to foster an innovation ecosystem to compete in the 21st century economy.”
Crutchfield will start in the CEO position on Dec. 1.
