NEXT Studios is excited to welcome Courtney Zaugg, CEcD, EDP as the new Community Innovation Entrepreneur and Partner to the innovation studio.
Courtney is responsible for expanding the Studio work in economic development and community impact through entrepreneurship.
Before joining NEXT Studios, Courtney founded several companies and a not-for-profit to support community-centric initiatives that align with entrepreneurship, economic development, and talent. Additionally, she is a Certified Economic Developer and an Entrepreneurship Development Professional by the International Economic Development Council – one of the first certified in the U.S.
“A growing number of organizations and individuals involved in economic development and philanthropic community impact are interested in entrepreneurship,” said John McDonald, Managing Entrepreneur of NEXT Studios. “We are excited that Courtney and the Studio will be there to help them with ideas, plans, and programs to answer old problems in new ways.”
Courtney leads an initiative that helps veterans and military spouses launch and scale their companies and is a member of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s Advisory Committee to promote smart and effective investments in development and diplomacy. Furthermore, Courtney is an Ambassador for Right to Start, a national nonpartisan movement to advance entrepreneurship as a civic priority throughout the United States, and is a member of the Ecosystem Builder Leadership Project, a coalition providing leadership for the advancement of the entrepreneurship ecosystem-building field of practice.
Courtney is a proud veteran spouse and mother.
You can connect with Courtney on LinkedIn.