Eric Mathews is an entrepreneur, investor, author, and innovation strategist with 20 years of experience building companies and entrepreneurial ecosystems. He co-founded Start Co., whose work has supported 300+ startups, helped attract more than $100 million in early-stage capital, and contributed to thousands of new jobs. An investor with 13 exits, Eric is also a three-time author, board director, and the first Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Rhodes College. Previously, he led corporate R&D initiatives at the FedEx Institute of Technology and studied artificial intelligence while earning his M.S. in Cognitive Psychology. His work has been featured in Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and other global media.