Syracuse University Libraries appoints new director of Blackstone LaunchPad program

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University Libraries recently appointed Traci Geisler as director of the Blackstone LaunchPad.

Geisler, effective March 17, succeeded Linda Dickerson Hartsock, founder and former executive director of the LaunchPad, who has transitioned to the role of strategic-initiatives advisor at Syracuse University Libraries, the university said.

Prior to joining the LaunchPad, Geisler served in an investment, program, and contract-management role at the Tech Garden since 2016. In that role, she provided business-development services to incubator member companies and managed procurement, funding programs, and the incubator’s investment portfolio.

The LaunchPad is “dedicated to inspiring, coaching, and empowering the world’s future innovators through connections with subject-matter experts, coworking space, individualized coaching, alumni and peer mentoring, workshops, professional networking events, demo days and talent fairs, competitions for seed funding, toolkit resources, technology platforms, access to accelerators and innovation grant funding,” per the Syracuse University announcement.

In her role as director of the LaunchPad, Geisler will be responsible for creating programs and services that support Syracuse students, faculty, staff and alumni across all disciplines. This includes entrepreneurship resources for those who want to build and create, as well as intrapreneurship resources for those who want to strengthen leaderships skills.

Geisler also has more than 25 years of experience in corporate and finance law in 10 countries. She began her career in communications and sports/entertainment after graduating with a dual degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the College of Arts and Sciences.

She obtained her MBA from the City University of New York and her law degree from New York Law School.