Briggman leaving post as CEO of Activation Capital

Chandra Briggman is leaving her position as president and CEO of Activation Capital, the Richmond tech incubator announced Monday. Her last day is Friday.

Briggman joined Activation Capital, an accelerator arm of the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority, in May 2020; the organization includes a biotech park, startup development and cluster accelerator for pharmaceutical research and manufacturing. During her time at Activation Capital, Briggman played significant roles in raising $31 million to build an innovation center in the Virginia Bio+Tech Park, launching the Alliance for Building Better Medicine, and winning a $53 million federal grant in the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, among other achievements.

According to Monday’s announcement, Briggman plans to “pursue new opportunities to build innovation ecosystems and drive economic development,” but her specific plans were not disclosed.

“At heart, I’m a builder, and what I do well, I have done,” Briggman said in a statement. “The opportunity to contribute to Activation Capital and the Central Virginia community has been a highlight of my career. It gave me an opportunity to sharpen the organization’s strategy, secure the growth capital necessary to flourish and align every action with a mission-centric outcome. Together, we built a team of experts who are focused on execution and excellence during the next phase of Activation Capital. My goal was always to create the team, prove our model and then transition to the next opportunity to build.”

The organization plans to launch a search for Briggman’s replacement, but in the meantime, Kipton Currier, vice president of operations, will lead day-to-day operations, and Activation Capital’s executive team will oversee key initiatives, a spokesperson said.

“Chandra Briggman’s pivotal time at Activation Capital has been defined by impact, and her impressive body of work has energized our region,” said Virginia Commonwealth University President Michael Rao, also chairman of the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority Board. “In 2020, Chandra was recruited from Boston/Cambridge, Massachusetts, to grow the economic impact of Activation Capital. In four years, two of which were at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped reenergize the organization with a new vision and strategy. Chandra executed a bold roadmap that has since grown our regional innovation economy and strengthened Activation Capital’s sustainability model for the future.”