Bara Watts

Bara is an accomplished business executive, serial entrepreneur, artists and educator. She began as a choreographer/dancer in New York City where she launched a successful dance school and company.  A decade later she pivoted to work with MGM/UA in New York where she served as an intrapreneur launching new business areas, one which delivered over $10 million the first year.  After being moved to Los Angeles with MGM/UA she joined 20th Century Fox as Director of Worldwide Promotions supporting properties like the Simpsons and Home Alone on a global basis.  She then launched the first full-service alliance marketing company negotiating multi-million-dollar deals with leading studios and companies like Burger King, Pepsi, General Foods and Kraft.  Approached by a New York agency she sold her company and joined Universal Studios as VP of Promotions Home Entertainment. 

When she moved to her home town Cleveland, she launched a web media company focused on workforce development.  This evolved into a full-service consulting agency providing digital and strategic services to leading regional workforce organizations.  In 2017 she joined Oberlin College as Director of Entrepreneurship, overseeing the Center for Innovation and Impact. With Covid, she departed Oberlin and began working as a Startup Coach for FedTech supporting the commercialization of technology from NASA, DOD, VA and the National Nuclear Security Administration.  She also launched a nonprofit, Center for Food Innovation @ Oberlin to leverage food and agriculture technology as an economic development initiative in the region.  Additionally, she has been serving as an I-Corps coach with the University of Akron, as an Entrepreneur in Residence with Case Western Reserve University and volunteers as Board VP for a leading Community Development Corporation in one of the most blighted area in Cleveland.