Somiah Lattimore

Somiah's catalytic tenure at the University of Richmond began in 2021 as the founding Senior Director of the Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship initiative. Her leadership was immediately evident in securing a $1 million gift within six months of her arrival, paving the way for introducing the University of Richmond’s innovation programming to the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem and setting a new benchmark for excellence in higher education.

Somiah's dedication to making a difference in the Commonwealth of Virginia is best highlighted through her strategic planning and leadership as a Managing Director at Lighthouse Labs. She led the drafting of the largest GO Virginia Region 4 grant awarded to date, an impressive $1 million. This grant was further amplified by a $1 million match from Activation Capital, leading to the establishment of Lighthouse University. This pioneering initiative provided access to acceleration, capital, and workforce development, creating over 150 high-paying Virginia jobs and developing an award-winning acceleration curriculum.

Her work with the Commonwealth of Virginia, Activation Capital, and Lighthouse Labs showcases her role as a key architect in helping frame various entrepreneurial support organizations at the state level to impact Virginia's innovation and business community. She is a GMU I-CORP/ICAP mentor and serves on the advisory boards of the Community Foundation of Richmond, Quartr, and CURE.

Somiah's entrepreneurial spirit is a testament to her diverse skill set and adaptability, evident in her exited ventures from CPG to SaaS. As an investor with Extra Credit Ventures she focused on early-stage ventures. As an accomplished designer, her creative work has been recognized with multiple AIGA and ADDY awards, solidifying her reputation as an award-winning art director and designer.

Her achievements in curriculum development mark Lattimore's 20-year academic journey. Somiah led the VCU da Vinci Center's experiential division, redesigning the pre-accelerator, launching a human-centered design curriculum, and teaching innovation and entrepreneurship. At Virginia Tech, she spearheaded the academic center FourDesign to national acclaim and co-designed a new Visual Communication Design curriculum. Her research focuses on human-centered design as a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship. In that vein, Somiah designed curricula and taught at multiple universities, spanning innovation, entrepreneurship, graphic design, and UX/UI.

Lattimore has a BS and MFA from Radford University and an MA in Instructional Design and Technology from Virginia Tech. In her leisure, she enjoys the salty air of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, supports her favorite teams in Lane Stadium and the Dedmon Center with her husband, Adam, and their three lively daughters, Violet, Lilly Blake, and Laney Jane.