Deena M. Wright

Deena Wright is the Senior Fellowship & Program Manager for Chain Reaction Innovations (CRI) at Argonne National Laboratory. She joined CRI in 2018 after eight years in the User Program Office for Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source (APS). In her current role, Deena oversees all aspects of CRI’s two-year fellowship, including onboarding new cohorts, organizing workshops, and facilitating connections with mentors, investors, and industry experts.

In addition to managing the Fellowship, Deena leads the CRI team to ensure alignment, productivity, and ongoing process improvements. She oversees program operations, including staff coordination, budget management, and strategic initiatives, employing innovative approaches to achieve program goals.

Deena also created and manages the Students for Energy & Entrepreneurial Development (SEED) Internship Program, which connects undergraduate students from Chicago-area universities with CRI startups to gain hands-on entrepreneurial experience.

Her contributions have earned her an Argonne Board of Governor’s Award for Distinguished Performance (2021) and Impact Argonne Awards (2022, 2023). Deena holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and an MBA from Lewis University, is a 2021 Chicago Clean Energy Leadership Institute Fellow, and completed the Strategic Laboratory Leadership Program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Executive Education (2024).