Founders
Benjamin Kwitek, PhD
Benjamin Kwitek is the Director of Innovation at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He leads the Innovation Program and teaches Entrepreneurship and Innovation classes. His favorite courses include Introduction to Entrepreneurship in the Bachelor of Innovation degree program and Managing Innovation for Strategic Advantage in the MBA program. He is also the inaugural Inventor-in-Residence at the Kraemer Family Library.
Benjamin has founded many companies including Gellyfish and InterForm. He has over 25 issued and pending US Patents. His inventions have been licensed by leading global corporations including Dell, Meta (Facebook), and Sony.
He has lectured on entrepreneurship and mentored startup companies in Egypt, Bahrain and The Netherlands for the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Initiative with the US State Department.
Benjamin holds degrees and multiple honors from Colorado State University and the University of Colorado. In 2005, he completed his Ph.D. at Colorado State University where his research, entitled Driving Economic Development, looked at partnerships between colleges and high-tech businesses. He has further studied innovation and intellectual property at Harvard Business School in Boston.
He has appeared in BMW Magazine, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Rhapsody, Robb Report, and newspapers across America. He enjoys performance car driving, mountain hiking, and tennis. He frequently travels throughout Europe and Asia looking for new investment opportunities.
Seth Porter, PhD
Dr. Seth M. Porter was the Dean of the Kraemer Family Library, Chief Innovation Officer, Associate Professor, and Senior Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Government and the Individual (CSGI) at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) until July 2026. He is a co-founder of the C3 Innovation Lab, where he led efforts to enhance UCCS's innovation ecosystem, driving multidisciplinary collaboration across the university and the broader community. Dr. Porter’s leadership provided a roadmap for operational excellence, strategic foresight and futurism, and the integration of advanced technologies to solve real-world problems.
Dr. Porter is now the Dean of University Libraries at Texas Tech University.
Hayley Blackburn, PhD
Dr. Hayley Blackburn brings expertise in innovation, design, and digital scholarship to the C3 Innovation team and the Kraemer Family Library at UCCS. As a Program Director, Hayley oversees the programming and events, press, creative media production, and social channels, ensuring that C3’s stories and research reach diverse audiences through engaging and accessible formats.
In addition to leading creative strategy, Hayley directs the Student Fellowship Program. This initiative fosters hands-on experience in project development, applied research, and community engagement to empower students to innovate and lead in academic and professional spaces.
Hayley’s work at the library and C3 focuses on generative AI and educational technology, building tools and resources that streamline course preparation and enhance learning experiences. With a Ph.D. in Public Communication and Technology, Hayley combines research in new media channels with practical applications in UX design, instructional development, and creative services.
Areas of Impact:
- Directing C3’s press, media, and social platforms
- Leading the Student Fellowship Program
- Advancing digital humanities and creative technology initiatives
C3 Innovation Fund
Gifts to C3 Innovation help support initiatives for the C3 Innovation.
Contact and Learn More
If you'd like to learn more about the C3 Innovation and the exciting work happening, reach out to Ben Kwitek at bkwitek@uccs.edu or Seth Porter at sporter9@uccs.edu.