The founding Executive Director of the USC Stevens Center for Innovation, Krisztina Holly, is leaving the center to pursue other interests, USC said late Friday. According to the university, Holly decided to leave USC this month to pursue other opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation. Holly had helped to shape the center--funded by Sequoia Capital venture capitalist and USC alum Mark Stevens--helping to strengthen the school's link to the local technology industry, and help spin off technology from the university. Holly took the reins at USC Stevens in 2006, shortly after the center was funded. USC said that Richard Friedman will become interim Executive Director of the center; Friedman has been at the university since 2010, as Senior Director of Technology Advancement and Licensing. USC said so far the center has helped spin off more than 30 companies from USC's research.