July 27, 2011
James “Chip” Hanlon was never one to sugarcoat anything.
Speaking to students at a PittBlitz startup-athon last year, he said that being an entrepreneur is an all-or-nothing proposition. A fire either rages inside you to make your vision a reality against what will often feel like insurmountable odds, or you should consider working for someone else.
He had a bemused warning for those who chose the path of the entrepreneur: once you start down that road, you will never be satisfied with the nine-to-five life.
Underneath a gruff, no-nonsense exterior was a patient willingness to do anything he could to help those under his tutelage to navigate the uncertain, exhilarating life of an entrepreneur.
Hanlon, who died on June 16, joined the Innovation Institute shortly after its launch as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) for the newly minted Pitt Ventures First Gear commercialization program, which assists Pitt faculty and students with the early stages of the startup journey to determine whether there is a viable commercial opportunity for their innovations.
“Chip was the perfect guy to initiate our (EIR) program. Not only is he a Pitt alumnus, but he has been a fixture in the Pittsburgh university startup community for decades,” said Paul Petrovich, assistant director of enterprise development at the Innovation Institute.
“Chip was always a Pitt champion. His son, who just graduated high school, will be attending Pitt Johnstown in the fall,” Petrovich added.
In addition to mentoring faculty/student teams through the First Gear program, Hanlon also mentored student teams in the annual Randall Family Big Idea Competition, the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community, comprised of freshman students, and the Pitt Blast Furnace student startup accelerator launched last year. In the latter roles, Hanlon held regular weekly office hours to impart his hard-earned wisdom to students just beginning their college careers.
Greg Coticchia, the Blast Furnace director and a fellow EIR, has known Hanlon since the 1970s when Chip would come in to Spratt’s Music Shop in Brentwood, where Coticchia worked, for guitar lessons.
In a quintessentially Pittsburgh coincidence, the two would wind up crossing paths several times through the years.
“I then worked with him at American Robot, one of Pittsburgh’s early startups in the mid-80’s, where Chip was a key leader in engineering," Coticchia said. "Chip was the classic entrepreneur. He had a gift of seeing things where others didn’t. He had great insights into technology and how it could be applied. He would meet with teams and push them to think about their ideas in ways they had not thought.”
Hanlon was instrumental in the spinout of two companies from the University: PathVu and GrekTech.
Dr. Matthew Jones, who worked closely with Hanlon for GREK’s prototype development and patent application remembers Chip as a phenomenal mentor and friend. “He inspired me to be resilient in developing my concept, despite being faced with significant opposition. He constantly reminded me not to lose sight of the real priority in life ... family."
His fellow EIRs, John Riley and Lorenzo Soletti, recalled Hanlon fondly.
“Chip was always willing to help anyone with anything, be they an EIR, faculty or student. At Blast Furnace Demo Day, he proudly introduced me to a neighbor, who will be entering Pitt this fall and had started his own company," Riley said. "Chip wanted this young man to know firsthand of the support given to Pitt student entrepreneurs. I'm grateful to have known Chip and I wish his family peace.”
Soletti said, “I am truly, truly sorry to hear about Chip's passing. Chip was such a caring person that not only helped enthusiastically so many people at Pitt, including me, but also had such a tangible impact on our commercialization efforts. I am so grateful for his mentorship and friendship.”
A void has been left at the Innovation Institute with Hanlon’s passing, but his wisdom, vitality, and passion for entrepreneurship in Pittsburgh live on in his family and the many lives he touched.