Philip Rugile
Executive Director, Institute For Workforce Advancement (IWA)
Phil Rugile has a long history in both corporate and startup business environments. Phil is currently the Executive Director for the Institute for Workforce Advancement (IWA) and Co-Chair of the Regional Economic Development Council’s Workforce and Education committee. The IWA is a non-profit dedicated to training an advanced manufacturing workforce targeting a broad array of clients, from high school students and adults in underserved/underfunded communities to industrial training programs for employees. IWA is also the regional advocate for the composites industry, taking a leading position on opportunities for growth in renewable energy, transportation, and other sectors. In 2021, Phil created oswsupplychain.org as an informational web platform to engage industry, education, labor unions, and government agencies in conversation to help guide the creation of a robust supply chain for pending offshore wind projects. Most recently, the IWA launched a website – oswlongisland.org – and workshop for offshore wind to help students and young adults find their career pathway in this emerging industry.
Phil is also the Director of LaunchPad Huntington (LPH), a co-working and corporate event space which acts as a bridge to entrepreneurs from many industries for investment, education, and mentorship. His other non-profit engagements include being an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Hofstra University’s Center for Entrepreneurship, member of the Board of Advisors for Minority Millennials, member of the Board of Advisors for the National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship at the Viscardi Center, co-chair of the Workforce Advisory Board at Long Island Harvest.
Prior experiences include Human Capital Strategist at eCommerce company eGifter; Entrepreneur in Residence for Accelerate Long Island; co-founder of 100 Urban Entrepreneurs, a non-profit dedicated to supporting minority entrepreneurship; co-founder of MYMAG, a celebrity-driven marketing company that created unique personalized print and digital products; and stints at numerous media and technology companies such as Reuters, Times Mirror, and others.
