About IUC

My name is LeRoy Tyler and I created the concept for Innovation Up Close in 2008, during the Great Recession. In 2005 the economic signs were already pointing towards the recession, The Atlanta Black Pages Business Directory, which was in business for 25 years, went under, because many of our advertisers were struggling to stay afloat before the weak economy caused them to fold up.

The Atlanta Black Pages was the first job I ever had, that caused me to look with anticipation to go to work on Monday morning. It was because it was like an adventure to discover brilliant Black business entrepreneurs from all over the world, doing amazing things, and our publication contributed to telling their story. So it was unnerving to see The Atlanta Black Pages and other businesses that were pillars to Black Atlanta's economy for years, go out of existence so easily. This caused me to look intensely at the dynamic that is innovation and the impact that it can have on individuals and communities, powerfully and suddenly. I started focusing on finding innovation that is significant yet sometimes not obvious to observers and even to its creators. I discovered that there is a lot of it out there.

LeRoy Tyler profile