Press release

Growing entrepreneurs one mentor at a time 
 
Civic Innovation Lab introduces three new mentors to its program

New mentors = more funded ideas! The Lab's unique model provides a combination of start-up funds with volunteer mentorship from local business and civic leaders.  Lab mentors provide business advice, coaching, connections and momentum to our early stage endeavors.  These leaders truly take responsibility for guiding the next generation of entrepreneurs. We welcome our three newest mentors!

Diana Centeno-Gómez is a research biomedical engineer at the NASA Glenn Research Center, where she has been for 26 years. As a NASA subsystem engineer, Diana's main responsibility is to be NASA's expert/steward of the Shuttle's Purge, Vent and Drain (PV&D) subsystem's functions, hardware, and analysis. 

During her time at NASA Diana has had a variety of positions and has also worked at NASA Headquarters in the Office of Aeronautics in Washington, D.C. 

Outside of Diana's role with NASA, she has been actively involved in the Greater Cleveland Hispanic community. She is currently a board member of the Hispanic Roundtable, LATINA, Inc. and the Domestic Violence Center. Diana has received several awards for her community involvement including being named a Woman of Achievement by the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women.  

Matthew Embrescia is president of Second Generation, Ltd, a family investment firm focused on investing in well-managed companies and uncovering unique business opportunities. 

Prior to joining Second Generation, Matthew spent over eight years working in the broadcast industry in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco as a successful sales executive and sales manager for Katz Communications, Cox Broadcasting, KBLX Radio, and Comcast.

In recent years, Matthew and his company have been active investors in a variety of entrepreneurial ventures.  Some examples of those ventures are: USA Parking, a parking and real estate company; Media One Group, the largest radio group in Chautauqua County that owns 5 radio stations in Jamestown, NY and Sweet Home Ashtabula, a radio group that owns a 5 station cluster in Ashtabula, OH.

Dr. Michael Schoop was appointed president of the Metropolitan Campus of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) in May 2006.

Prior to coming to Tri-C, he spent eight years at the City Colleges of Chicago, where he served as dean of instruction at Harry S Truman College, and vice president for academic and student affairs at both Truman and Olive-Harvey College.

His current interest is in the economic and technological forces reshaping the landscape of higher education and how the emerging model of teaching and learning can best serve students, staff, faculty, and members of the larger community.

Prior to working in higher education, Dr. Schoop taught English conversation classes in Japan, conducted due diligence work for an international real estate company, and managed operations for a custom florist.

For more information on all of our Mentors click here.