Ken Miles ’07

Overview

Executive Director, Penn Center for Inclusive Innovation & Technology (UPenn)
Philadelphia, PA

• BA, Political Science, Vassar College

Ken Miles (he/him) is a partnership architect and ecosystem strategist focused on community-based models of innovation. His work centers on care as an innovation practice, examining how expertise, culture, and collaboration can improve outcomes and create transformations centering communities most proximate to the solutions they want to make real. He currently serves as Executive Director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Inclusive Innovation & Technology (PCIIT) within the School of Social Policy & Practice, where he develops cross-sector partnerships that translate research into practice, expands understanding of emerging technologies, cultivates leadership, and launches sustainable ventures. Ken’s work advances locally rooted approaches to innovation, responsible technology practices, and reimagines the role institutions play in supporting community-led impact. Beyond his academic role, Ken supports creative entrepreneurs through his consulting practice and works with ecosystem builders. He has served as a recurring judge for the Truist Foundation’s Inspire Awards, in partnership with MIT Solve, and is a former trustee of Vassar.

Advice to Students:

Showing up is a superpower. Build relationships before you need them, and remember, learning how to navigate uncertainty is essential to your future success. Build confidence while having grace with yourself, and regulate your nervous system. Keep a healthy circle around you and reflect on who belongs in it, and what level of access they have to you and your energy. Time is the most valuable asset. Speaking of, spend some time outside in nature. The Vassar Farm, beyond the rugby field, has several acres of trails. Go explore them safely; few Vassar students even know they exist.