20 Under 40: Mandy Gettler

Senior Innovation Asset Administrator

UO’s Innovation Partnership Services

I am the senior innovation asset administrator at the University of Oregon’s Innovation Partnership Services, where I co-lead the Women’s Innovation Network, a joint initiative between the UO and Onward Eugene that supports women innovators and entrepreneurs.

I love working across boundaries and disciplines, because I believe liminal spaces are where magic happens. I enjoy figuring out how to do things that others haven’t done before. I strive to be a leader who recognizes the strengths and passions of those around me, and I do my best to provide them with opportunities to shine. My role as a leader is to remove barriers and to help those around me find the courage to make their big ideas happen.

I am continually inspired by the vision and drive of the participants and mentors in the Women’s Innovation Network and by my colleagues’ steadfast commitment to bringing new ideas, processes, and products into our community. 

I balance my professional life by volunteering as an end-of-life doula with Bristol Hospice in Springfield. There, I’ve learned to practice being fully present. Leadership in this context becomes of a softer variety, where I’ve developed a subtler way of allowing people the space and permission to open up and share their stories.