Peterson, Larry

Texas Foundation for Innovative Communities, US

Larry Peterson is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and Executive Director of the Texas Foundation for Innovative Communities (TFIC). He has launched, co-founded, and chaired numerous innovation initiatives across Texas and regularly advises governments worldwide on innovation and entrepreneurship policy.

TFIC helps regions design and sustain high-performing innovation ecosystems, drawing on the same principles that power global technology hubs like Silicon Valley, Boston, and Austin. Austin is a unique U.S. case: a once modest government-and-dairy town that, through deliberate strategy, became one of the nation’s leading technology centers. Much of TFIC’s approach builds on prior collaboration with Dr. George Kozmetsky—co-founder of Fortune 500 firm Teledyne, and widely regarded as the chief architect of Austin’s “Technopolis” model.

Today, TFIC is pioneering a Next-Generation Science Park model for North America focused on regional economic transformation. This model emphasizes agglomeration, accelerated innovation and productivity growth, and public–private partnerships, with predominantly private-sector investment.

Mr. Peterson is also a frequent speaker on innovation, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and the design of advanced innovation ecosystems and Areas of Innovation (AOIs)—including innovation districts and science parks.