Bruce Balfour

Bruce Balfour, PhD, currently serves as the Executive Director of the Phoenix Forge makerspace at Gateway Community College since August 2019 and as CEO/Partner at Creative Insight Community Development Corporation since May 2017. Balfour has extensive experience in consulting for various developmental initiatives, including economic and arts-based community development, makerspaces, and entrepreneurship. Prior to these roles, Balfour was a Research Consultant and Development Specialist at Penn State University, focusing on innovation community development and social network analysis, and held positions in partnerships and business development at Sandia National Laboratories. Balfour's earlier career included leadership roles in product development and software design at several tech companies. The academic background includes a PhD in Sociology and a Master’s in Community and Economic Development from Penn State University, as well as a Bachelor's in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.