Judith Sheft

Title
Executive Director, New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology
Bio/Description

Judith Sheft is the Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission of Science, Innovation and Technology.  Previously, Judith was involved with regional economic and cluster development having responsibilities at the New Jersey Innovation Institute @ NJIT for the HealthIT Connections entrepreneurial cluster development program, the NJIT I-Corps Site and the Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Judith has been engaged with technology /IP innovation and commercialization efforts working with faculty and students to create startup companies and establishing licensing relationships with corporate partners.  Judith advised external startups at NJIT’s high technology / life sciences business accelerator/incubator, and is on the Board of Advisors to the NJIT Murray Women’s Center and serves as a mentor and coach to students and faculty.   Judith is a member of the NJ – Israel Commission and serves on the Board of Greater Newark Enterprise Corporation, StartUp Newark, Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship Corporation, Einstein’s Alley, SheTek and NJEDA Technology Advisory Board, working to assist early stage tech and life sciences entrepreneurs foster regional economic growth.  She was a co-chair  of Governor Murphy’s transition advisory committee for Technology Government and Innovation (2017), and received an MBA from the Wharton School and has a BS and MS in Mathematics from the University of Illinois, with an honorary doctorate from the Universidad Inca de la Vegas (Lima, Peru).