Eric Madison, founder of StartUpNV and former executive director of CUBE was killed in an automobile accident early Saturday.
Reno has lost an pioneer who enriched the entrepreneurial and start-up culture in the area.
Eric D. Madison, co-founder of StartUpNV, and former executive director for the CUBE, was killed in a head-on collision early Saturday morning in Reno. He was 46. Another vehicle was going the wrong way on I-580 near Mill Street when it struck Madison's vehicle, killing both.
"Eric and all of us at StartUpNV developed big plans for many years into the future for uplifting and supporting the StartUp community throughout Nevada," stated the Facebook post. "We are heartbroken by his loss."
The StartUpNV Facebook page has invited friends to join together at 1 million Cups at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 23 at Swill Coffee to celebrate Eric's life.
Eric graduated in 1993 from the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and worked in many hotbeds of innovation, including Silicon Valley, before settling into Reno.
Eric is a well-known figure in the Reno startup community. Besides his involvement at the CUBE and StartUpNV, he developed the “Pitch Your Idea” program before launching StartUpNV, a statewide business incubator. He has been involved in mentoring other entrepreneurs in several capacities and also served on the board of directors for the MidTown District for more than two years.
"All of us at the Nevada Department of Business and Industry are shocked and saddened by his sudden passing," the department said in a press release.
The Northern Nevada Business Weekly wishes to express our condolences to Eric's friends, family and colleagues. His visionary outlook will be sorely missed.
