April 22, 2024 · News

The Alabama of the future: A Q&A with the woman leading the state’s ambitious effort to build an innovation economy

As the CEO of Innovate Alabama, Cynthia Crutchfield carries with her a virtue she learned from her parents, that “all things are possible” for the people of the state where she was born and raised. Part of that lesson, Crutchfield learned early on, was ignoring — and proving wrong — the people who don’t share the same principles.

Crutchfield has been practicing this lesson since college, when she told an advisor she planned to major in computer science. This was Huntsville, Alabama, in the early 1980s. All these decades later, she remembers exactly what she said, “Blacks don’t actually do well in mathematics and computer science. You should probably choose a trade.”

Crutchfield returned home to her mother and father — who both worked in trades — as a domestic worker and a brick mason, and who also raised nine children, all of whom went on to be successful.

Crutchfield’s mother was livid. “If you want to major in computer science, major in computer science,” she said.

And so Crutchfield did, graduating with honors.

She went on to take jobs across the U.S. providing IT services in the public and private sectors and worked 40 years in the federal market. Eventually, she returned to Alabama to launch a consultancy firm to mentor women- and minority-owned businesses. Her goal, in part, was to help clients secure capital and other resources that haven’t always been accessible to founders like them.

Today, Crutchfield is stewarding nearly $98 million to invest in people who share her vision for a prosperous Alabama. Whether you’re an innovator from rural Alabama or northern California, if you want to put down roots in Alabama, Crutchfield will ensure you, your business and your investments grow.

Innovate Alabama is a statewide public-private partnership focused on entrepreneurship, innovation and technology. With a board of directors that includes Gov. Kay Ivey, Alabama Finance Director Bill Poole and legislative leaders, the organization itself is evidence of a new chapter here: the state’s highest-ranking elected officials, on both sides of the aisle, are committed to growing the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Crutchfield’s focus on entrepreneurial growth in Alabama creates real change in the innovation space by creating opportunities for innovators to grow roots and thrive here. Innovate Alabama’s growing program portfolio includes small business grants, tax incentives, outdoor recreation investment, HBCU engagement and research endowments.

Crutchfield has a vision for Innovate Alabama and how innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs can connect with the organization for support. Innovate Alabama is accelerating its impact by launching Alabama’s largest public funding program for small businesses ever: infusing nearly $98 million statewide through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). This is a game-changer for Alabama’s entrepreneurial landscape.

Innovate Alabama was formed to “develop and implement programs and policies to lead to a more robust, diverse and resilient economy.” What does that mean to you?

Cynthia Crutchfield: I believe that in order for the state to move forward, we can’t leave out pockets of the state. We must foster an entrepreneurial environment welcoming to all. No matter what, we have to figure out how to move everyone forward or the state’s not going to move forward.

We’re facilitating the development of our economy long term. We’re looking at all aspects: access to capital, supporting entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers.

We’re looking at talent development: how we attract and retain talent across the state, which includes our outdoor recreation activities as well.

We’re making sure that all the rural spaces within the state have access and equal opportunity to participate, bridging the digital and economic divide.

We’re working with our K-12 organizations to make sure we are catching our students early in their education process to expose them to STEM and high-tech careers.

And we’re engaging our 14 HBCUs and other higher-ed institutions, making sure that they have exposure and the opportunity to participate in the work that we’re doing.

Innovate Alabama offers a number of programs to small businesses in the state — from grants to networks to tax credits — but which program is most exciting to you?

Crutchfield: I think they’re all my favorites. But the state’s Small Business Credit Initiative sticks out for me because of the potential that it has to support the state and provide a sustaining resource for capital infusion for our companies and to grow high-tech innovative companies inside of the state.

When you look at infusing $97.9 million into our ecosystem in less than four years, it ends up being an evergreen sustaining capability for the state of Alabama that we can grow and grow over time. So, that’s really exciting for me in terms of the potential it brings to the state and how it positions us to build an ecosystem that will last.

I’m excited about the potential of what we’re doing in that I do think that it creates fair opportunity for everyone.

We fought so hard for SSBCI to include companies that are not necessarily high-tech because in order for everybody to prosper, you have to have those companies: Where are people going to go when they want to have coffee? Or they need to get their hair done, and they need to get their lawn landscaped? So, we have to figure out a way to support those companies too. Some people will say that it will happen automatically. Well, it hasn’t so far. So, we have to do something different.

What do you hope to achieve in your tenure? What’s the mark you want to leave on the state during your time in this role

Crutchfield: When I first heard about Innovate Alabama, I heard we were going to be the Silicon Valley of the South, and I think we all got away from that because we don’t really want or need to duplicate Silicon Valley. We want to be our own thing that fits with the state of Alabama.

I want to see an ecosystem where all our citizens thrive. I just want people to be able to say: Here I am. I’m an innovator. I have an idea that could change the world. And I can make it a reality right here in Alabama.

That’s what I would like to see for us in the state of Alabama. We’re creating an economy that we all envision, that would sustain the state longer term, give us the resources and the capabilities to really help grow in the way that we need to in order to sustain the state.

And we’re going to have fun doing it.

Alabama is a remarkable frontier of innovation — discover how you can grow roots here. Bring your idea. Your business. Your product. In Alabama, you’ll get the support of a community committed to seeing you succeed. Whatever it is, we’re in. To learn more about Innovate Alabama and the robust resources available for founders, researchers and students in Alabama, visit InnovateAlabama.org. If you’re a small business looking for capital or a funder looking for low-risk portfolio additions, click here to learn more about Alabama’s SSBCI program.

check out innovate alabama’s hub