Pamela Lewis

Biography: Pamela Lewis is the director of the New Economy Initiative (NEI), a collaboration of funders working to build and sustain an inclusive network of support for entrepreneurs in southeast Michigan. Lewis joined NEI in 2011 as a senior program officer, leading NEI’s efforts to build a regional network of high-tech commercialization and business acceleration. She was named NEI’s director in 2016. An engineer by training, Lewis has more than 20 years of experience in process improvement and program management. Before joining NEI, she served as a consultant to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where she was responsible for developing asset maps and overseeing data reporting for Kauffman-funded programs in Detroit, and as NextEnergy’s manager of entrepreneurial programs focused on accelerating clean energy startups. Lewis began her career at DTE Energy, spending 15 years in roles ranging from analyst to manager of process management and continuous improvement initiatives. Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration from Spring Arbor University. In 2016, she was named one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Michigan by Crain’s Detroit Business.