Emily Gresham Furton
Relationship Manager
Co-Founder of StartUP FIU
Emily Gresham Furton served as Assistant Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development at Florida International University (FIU) as well as Co-Founder of StartUP FIU.
She currently serves as the Relationship Manager for the South Florida Risk + Resilience Tech Hub, one of eighteen Tech Hubs nationwide funded by the Economic Development Administration. In this role, Emily spearheads the partnership among FIU, Titan America, the University of Miami, and Carbon Limit to accelerate sustainable, resilient next-generation infrastructure technologies and materials for commercial use, while growing companies and creating jobs for the region.
A passionate advocate of sustainable economic development, Emily co-founded StartUP FIU in 2016 to attract and grow entrepreneurship at FIU and the South Florida community. Under her leadership, StartUP FIU received over $28M in grants to support research innovations, startup development, and community small businesses. Since 2016, StartUP FIU has supported 500 startups and small businesses, which created/retained 900 jobs, and attracted over $30M in follow-on investment and contracts. During the same period, FIU’s patent portfolio grew from 18 patents in total in 2016 to 500 in 2024.
Previously, as Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Implementation, Emily facilitated the development of the FIU BeyondPossible2020 Strategic Plan in 2014 that propelled FIU to its current US News & World Report Top 50 Public University ranking. A proven fundraiser, Emily has raised over $125 million across her roles at the University of Miami, The Miami Foundation, and FIU.
Currently, Emily is a Campaign Executive at Gulliver Preparatory Schools and serves on the Boards of BioFlorida, which represents Florida’s life sciences industry, and the Girls Scouts of Tropical Florida. Born in Bangkok, Thailand, and raised in Queens, NY, she has been a Miami resident since 2002. Emily earned a BA in English from Hunter College and an MBA from the University of Miami.
