Aaron Price Looks to Authentically Represent NJ’s Tech Community

Before You Go

By Jim Pytell, Assistant Editor On Oct 10, 2019

In August, the New Jersey Tech Council (Tech Council) appointed Aaron Price as its new CEO, replacing Jim Barood who previously led the technology trade organization for five years.

With Price’s appointment, the Tech Council also acquired the innovation festival Propelify, which Price founded in 2016. Since its launch, the festival has grown into one of the world’s largest tech events, convening more than 8,000 entrepreneurs, influencers, and policymakers on the Hoboken waterfront. This year’s festival takes place on October 3.

Price says Propelify’s mission is to surround the community with the resources needed to support the entire innovation lifecycle. Connecting innovators with investors, this ultimate tech networking festival can be a key cog in New Jersey’s mission to foster a glowing innovation economy.

Price’s overarching focus as Tech Council CEO will be on providing even more value to the organization’s members.

“Whether it’s more access to funding, more ways to get people together where they have real sales opportunities with more companies within and outside of New Jersey, or a way to create a stronger mentorship network … I see us as the enabler of the community – enabling everyone to be successful,” Price explains. “I want to make sure I’m clear around the needs and value propositions of the entire Tech Council community at large.”

Price points to the state’s numerous universities of higher education as an area of focus when it comes to nurturing high-tech entrepreneurial ideas. He envisions a series of tech talks that shed light on each institution while promoting collaboration.

“I want to make sure we are collaborative with the universities around the state,” Price says. “We are looking at ways to engage the institution itself. How can we engage the student population and professors who, in many cases, have interesting technologies that needs commercialization?”

With New Jersey being one of the most diverse states in the country, it naturally lends itself to bringing together a vast array of unique individuals, each with different backgrounds and ideas. Price additionally wants to promote diversity and inclusion in the tech industry in an authentic way.

The Tech Council plans to put on events that speak broadly to specifically being inclusive and continue to incorporate a diverse group of individuals and mindsets at existing council programs.

“By combining the Tech Council’s deep industry roots with Propelify’s entrepreneurial community, the Tech Council now represents the entire tech ecosystem to empower startup and enterprise innovators alike to accelerate New Jersey’s place in the innovation economy,” Price says. “I look forward to collaborating with our members and partners throughout the state, across the Hudson and around the world as we showcase New Jersey as a powerhouse for innovation and entrepreneurship.”

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