Alabama Capital Network is pleased to announce that Hayley Van Antwerp of Mobile, Alabama has joined its Board of Directors. Van Antwerp was the founding Executive Director of Innovation Portal, an entrepreneurial incubator serving the south Alabama and Gulf Coast regions, and is a major voice and community leader in building the startup ecosystem.
“We are thrilled to have Hayley join the Board at ACN,” said Joshua Jones, CEO at Alabama Capital Network. “Hayley is known across South Alabama as a champion for entrepreneurship, and she is going to bring much needed insights on how we can continue to increase access to capital for early-stage startups across the state.”
“We were seeking to expand our board to add new perspectives and a stronger connection across Alabama, and Hayley joining our board is a true home run,” said Charlie Perry, Chairman of the Board at ACN. “Her perspective on the unique needs and opportunities across Mobile and the whole southern region will give us an added depth and perspective that will truly enhance our impact.”
Hayley began her career in equity research sales in New York City. She then transitioned into management consulting, working with a number of well-known banks and broker/dealers. Over the next ten years, she worked in a myriad of strategy and management positions in the corporate risk management and global transition spaces at Merrill Lynch/Bank of America. After moving to Mobile in 2013, she continued working for Merrill Lynch/BOA remotely until she accepted the Executive Director position at Innovation Portal, where she remains a proud board member.
“I’m excited about this opportunity to work with startups across the state, and I am particularly excited to assist them in finding capital and raising funds– two areas where help is truly needed,” Hayley noted. “So many early-stage companies struggle to find the funding they need to get their ideas off the ground, and ACN is focused on addressing this gap in our startup ecosystem.”
“It’s great to see ACN actively investing in growing the innovation ecosystem across all of Alabama,” observed Bestor Ward, Chairman of the JL Bedsole Foundation and an active member of ACN. “Bringing Hayley on the board was a great way to strengthen the connections between the various communities of innovation we have across the state. She’s a real asset to Mobile, and I know she will add a lot of value as we all work together to increase access to capital for startups.”
In addition to serving on the board at Innovation Portal, Hayley enjoys serving as a mentor in the Real Advice Mentoring Program (RAMP) and on the boards of the Mobile Museum of Art and Classical Ballet of Mobile. She is a cum laude graduate of Vanderbilt University. Hayley and her husband, Bragg, are the proud parents of four children.
