Drew Honeycutt, who has started and built multiple businesses in industries including software, real estate, and construction, is the new chief executive officer for Innovation Depot.

"Drew's drive to help others launch their businesses aligns with the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Innovation Depot's partnership to provide an epicenter for technology, startups and entrepreneurs in Birmingham," said UAB President Ray Watts, who served as the search committee chair. "I am confident that Drew will continue to elevate the Depot in the national innovation ecosystem. The continued success of Birmingham's technology startups is more important now than ever."

One of the four pillars of UAB's strategic plan, Forging the Future, focuses on research, innovation and economic impact, ultimately supporting the work done at Innovation Depot.

Honeycutt helped launch three successful startups, where he raised funding to develop technology, worked with engineers to develop the product and built sales pipelines to convert paying customers. His most recent success, Funnelfly, was launched through Innovation Depot.

"I'm humbled and excited to work alongside the incredible entrepreneurs of our region to help them incubate and accelerate their businesses from concept to scale," Honeycutt said.

The national search consisted of candidates who represented a great deal of talent and diversity. Honeycutt was selected because of his leadership and years of experience as a startup founder and his deep knowledge of the Birmingham innovation ecosystem.