|
❆ Incoming Chairman: Eli Mercer ❆
Dr. Eli Mercer is a Renaissance man whose background may astound you. Eli earned his BA in International Business, Spanish, French, and German at the University of Texas at Arlington. To deepen his proficiency in languages and cultures, he lived and studied in Berlin, Costa Rica, and attended the legendary Universite’ Sorbonne in Paris, France.
After 6 years launching international startups in Europe and Latin America, he came back to the U.S. to earn his MBA in International Management at Thunderbird School of Global Management, focused on Global Startup and Expansion in Asia and Latin America. He was hired by Thunderbird to launch the Walker Center for Global Entrepreneurship where he spent 3 years hiring a team, raising money, and traveling the world building programs, and linking alumni from various countries and industries for the launch, investment, and growth of new ventures.
He later returned to the University of Texas at Austin where he earned his MS in Science and Technology Commercialization and joined the University of Texas team as a Consultant and Program Manager at the IC2 Institute and as Adjunct Professor in the McCombs School of Business, where he spent 10 years working with leaders around the world building entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems through large-scale collaborations between regional governments, education, and the private sector.
Eli received his Doctor of Education from Kansas State University, where he claims to have sent in some secret plays that won the team this year’s Big 12 Championship.
We first met Eli when he joined NLF as Dean of the Technology, Health, and Business Division at Tarrant County College Northeast. He chaired the Heart of North Texas Committee for three years and elevated our fundraising capabilities while also creating impressive speakers and panels.
Prior to joining TCC, Eli was Principal and Founder of Genesis Consulting and 3D Innovation Labs in Austin focused on global startup and expansion, early stage technology commercialization, and the development of 3D technology in research and development. During this time, he also served as Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Texas at Austin and Adjunct Professor of International Business at Austin Community College in order to give back to the community and help invest in the next generation.
Eli has served on numerous community and non-profit boards since he returned to DFW including the Economic Development Advisory Board for the City of Hurst, the HEB ISD Education Foundation, the Accelerate DFW Foundation, North Texas Community Theatre Company, and Venture Business Impact.
He left TCC in 2020 to become CEO of Kingdom Ecosystems, LLC, a technology startup focused on consulting, community engagement, software, and multimedia solutions to optimize and grow human ecosystems. He currently serves on the Board of Eagle Venture Foundation and teaches one night class each year as Adjunct Professor of International Entrepreneurship at Dallas Baptist University.
Suffice it to say, when Eli says he is too busy to add anything to his schedule, he’s telling the truth.
He is married to his wife Hannah and they are proud parents of Samantha Rose. The Mercers live in Fort Worth and are active members of Venture Church in Keller.
Eli’s primary focus for NLF in 2023 will be engaging our membership and the community to “Take stock in our history while investing in our future.” His three stated priorities for the year include: Improving our digital footprint, membership and growth, and financial sustainability and impact.
| 
