Entrepreneur appointed to UT Board of Trustees

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A local technology entrepreneur and the organizer of TEDxToledo has been appointed the newest member of The University of Toledo Board of Trustees.

Will Lucas, the co-founder and CEO of the technology company Classana that connects students with educational and career-related resources, and founder of Creadio that provides custom, live in-store music channels for businesses, was named by Ohio Gov. John Kasich to a term beginning Feb. 24 and ending July 1, 2024.

“I look forward to the opportunity to serve The University of Toledo and our community in this role,” Lucas said. “I am passionate about the future of education and the future of Toledo. The University of Toledo is an important part of creating that future, and I stand ready to help it succeed.”

Lucas, a 2015 graduate of UT with a bachelor’s degree in organizational technology, is the founder, curator and license holder for the local annual TED talks, an acronym that stands for Technology Entertainment Design, bringing together the city’s thinkers and doers since 2012.

“I look forward to Will joining the board and adding his perspectives from his community engagement and professional experiences,” said Sharon Speyer, chair of the UT Board of Trustees.

Business Insider named Lucas among the 46 Most Important African Americans in Technology in 2014 and the Most Influential African Americans in Tech in 2013. TechCruch also listed him in the 40 Diverse People in Tech Who Made Big Moves in 2015.

He serves on the Ohio Casino Control Commission and the Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission.