IIN Council Meeting Recap - Jan. 22, 2026

The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) held its first council meeting of 2026 on Thursday, January 22. The meeting was held virtually on Zoom and included over 35 people from IIN hubs, universities and partners. Council chair Chris Merrett presided.

Meeting highlights included:

• Brian Durham, executive director of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), gave an overview of the state’s community college system. One highlight was that Illinois’ 45 community colleges awarded 70,000 collegiate-level degrees and certificates during the 2024 fiscal year. The ICCB hopes to facilitate opportunities for collaboration between students and the IIN and its hubs through grants and partnerships.
• Chris Merrett, Director of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs(IIRA), presented on behalf of IIRA, highlighting ways the IIN and its hubs can help revitalize rural communities in Illinois through economic development and investment, and by engaging with organizations like the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) and the McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility.
• Gisela Sin (UIUC Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies) summarized her trip to the Americas Competitiveness Exchange (ACE) in Cordoba, Argentina, which resulted in 17 letters of intent for research partnerships and student internships between institutions and the public and private sectors. The IIN is hosting an international partnerships discussion on Jan. 27 to help build on the connections made at ACE - Cordoba.
• Mike Bedell and Craig McLauchlan provided an update on the IIN strategic plan, including inviting council members to schedule meeting to summarize IIN accomplishments to date.
• IIN By-Law revisions were voted on and approved for the following:
  • Creation of Immediate Past Chair Position on the IIN Council
  • Establishment of Communities of Practice
  • Addition and Removal of Standing Committees
• Other IIN priorities discussed during the open discussion portion of the meeting:
  • NIU’s Richard Mocarski provided an update on construction of the Northern Illinois Center for Community Sustainability, NIU’s IIN hub. The facility is expected to be completed by summer 2028.
  • Distillery Labs’ Doug Cruitt talked about the DeSILO program being tested in rural communities around Peoria as a way to improve connectivity and access to resources among the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Distillery Labs also is piloting a business-in-a-box program that provides entrepreneurs with a business idea and basic supplies to start their venture.
  • NIUE’s Marcelo Sztainberg discussed the AI Connector Network, a community of practice hosting monthly meetings to foster partnerships and collaboration.
  • IIN Fellows program has launched. Application information is
  • The IIN Sustainability Conference will be Oct. 22-23 on the SIUE campus.

The IIN council meets several times throughout the academic year to discuss initiatives and planning for the network and each of its 15 hubs. The next meeting is scheduled for March 26, 2026, and will be held virtually. Future IIN council meeting dates and past minutes can be found here.