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Engineering Leadership Institute College of Engineering

Sierra Pollard, PhD

Headshot of Sierra Pollard, Ph.D.

Adjunct Lecturer

Email: spollard@eng.ufl.edu

Education:

  • Ph.D. Curriculum Design, Liberty College

Bio:

Dr. Sierra Pollard is an innovation expert, educator, and entrepreneurial ecosystem builder who thrives at the intersection of design, space, technology, and community impact. She currently serves as Director of the Blackstone LaunchPad and entrepreneurial programming at the University of Florida, where she architects entrepreneurial ecosystems, industry partnerships, and cross-disciplinary experiences that reach thousands of students across business, engineering, design, and emerging technology programs.

Dr. Pollard’s work extends into the global space industry, where she champions space innovation and leads programming that connects academic talent pipelines with aerospace partners. She frequently speaks internationally on innovation, emerging industries, and the future of work. She is recognized as a global keynote speaker and advocate for students to think critically, prototype boldly, and collaborate across disciplines. Her work demystifies innovation and makes it accessible, actionable, and deeply human.

Beyond academia, Sierra is the founder & CEO of Winnovation Agency®, a strategic innovation consultancy, and the Women Summit, a rapidly expanding community and grant/scholarship initiative dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs. As a community builder and philanthropist, Sierra has launched scholarship programs that support women, first-generation students, and nontraditional learners in pursuing education, entrepreneurship, and specialized training.

Sierra’s expertise spans innovation strategy, space entrepreneurship, design thinking, entrepreneurial education, program architecture, partnerships, cross-disciplinary research, and community storytelling. She is driven by a belief that innovation is not a talent reserved for a select few. It is a skill that can be taught, nurtured, and scaled across industries, regions, and communities. Her work centers on building ecosystems where great ideas have room to grow and where future leaders have the support, structure, and courage to create meaningful change.