New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), a subsidiary of the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), announced Aug. 4 the appointments of Chrissy Buteas and Elisa Charters to NJII’s board of directors.
Buteas is the president & CEO of the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ), which serves as the trade association for leading research-based biopharmaceutical and medical technology companies in New Jersey. She has held significant leadership positions throughout her career, including VP of Government Affairs at Optimum, chief government affairs officer of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) and president and CEO of the Home Care & Hospice Association of New Jersey.
Her board service includes roles with Middlesex College, NJII, Thanexus, Inc., the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD-NJ) and several other organizations. Buteas holds an MPA from Rutgers University-Newark and a B.A. from Rowan University.
“New Jersey’s innovation economy depends on strong collaboration among diverse partners — from academia and research institutions to private industry, state government and economic development agencies,” said Buteas. “As HINJ works to strengthen the research ecosystem through ongoing partnerships, I am honored to have the chance to serve on the board of New Jersey Innovation Institute. Together, we will continue to advance our state’s technology and innovation initiatives.”
Charters is a seasoned executive strategist with over 30 years of public-sector finance and transactional experience, specializing in the negotiations of major economic development and regional infrastructure. Her highlights include leading valuation of the Port Authority of NY & N.J.’s 23 million square feet of mixed-use portfolio, managing acquisitions in the redevelopment of One World Trade Center post-9/11 and assessing revenue programs as assistant comptroller of port commerce.
Charters transitioned from government to entrepreneurship, founding EAC Business International LLC and more recently Juegos AI Lab, focusing on application programming interfaces and agentic AI modeling. A passionate advocate for education and underserved communities, she co-founded Latina Surge National nonprofit, scaling it from a grassroots organization to an international platform.
Charters is an alumna of NJIT, holding dual degrees in environmental science, and a graduate degree in international finance and business from Columbia University.
“The global AI race is progressing at extreme speed, and this is New Jersey’s AI moment,” said Charters. “NJII is our East Coast gateway to transformative growth across key innovation sectors, uniquely supported by NJIT, our premier R1 translational research institution. State-of-the-art technology and the most prepared technical workforce will forge economic advancement and quality of life in New Jersey for decades to come.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Chrissy Buteas and Elisa Charters to the NJII board of directors,” said NJII President Michael Johnson, Ph.D. “Their extensive backgrounds in health care and economic development will be invaluable as we continue to drive innovation and foster collaboration across New Jersey’s key sectors. Together, we will enhance our mission to accelerate technology and support our state’s growth, ensuring New Jersey remains at the forefront of the innovation economy.”
