How did VentureWell contribute to your leadership development and your professional trajectory?

“Catalytic” is the word I think of when I think of VentureWell. VentureWell was catalytic in forming my entrepreneur mindset as an engineering student; it was catalytic in my financing journey, and ultimately allowed me to see that there are different pathways on the founder’s journey—including coming full circle to join the Ventures team [at VentureWell] and be a catalyst in our innovators’ journeys.

What’s the biggest change or milestone your institution or venture has experienced since participating in VentureWell programming?

There are many! After participating in an E-Team Program hosted at Penn State in 2009, I kept in touch with the VentureWell program team, who mentored and advised me. They supported me in taking the leap to incorporate DayOne Response in 2010 following an OPEN conference, helped me develop my 12-18 month roadmap, and advised me on my first pre-seed investment, including participating in the financing round.

Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at the start of your journey?

It’s hard to choose—I keep coming back to this article I worked on [with The Lemelson Foundation] that highlights my entrepreneurship journey.

Learn more about Tricia’s innovation journey.

What’s the biggest change or milestone your institution or venture has experienced since participating in VentureWell programming?

My company, Medtric, is commercializing an antimicrobial platform technology that employs botanical actives. Our primary shift was pivoting away from a medical device-focused sector to more consumer-oriented, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency–regulated product offerings. The medical space was too crowded, and there were some U.S. Food and Drug Administration–related rule changes (in addition to a high bar to market entry) that made pursuing health/medical products difficult in the United States. As a result, we looked at overseas markets (over-the-counter segment) and ended up licensing to a foreign partner.

Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at the start of your journey?

We came into easy, non-dilutive money when we first started. While not frivolous, we spent that money on expenses and consultants that ultimately did not provide the value or the type of de-risking that we wanted. We could have been more deliberate in maximizing return on the dollar. Having mentors with our best interests in mind and who have similar lived experiences would have been very helpful. You learn hard lessons along the way, and some things you just don’t fully understand (whether technical or business-wise) until you are older and have more grey hairs. Such wisdom only comes with age.

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

With VentureWell, of course! For Medtric, I’d like to see our business expand into the domestic market. It’s been a real desire and dream to be able to have our own products in the consumer space and be able to purchase our technology off the shelf. We’d really like to find the ideal business/commercialization partner that is aligned with our values and mission and can deliver best-in-class products to the customers. We’re still working on developing new technology variations and use cases.

How did VentureWell contribute to your leadership development and your professional trajectory?

I first connected with VentureWell about 10 years ago as an undergraduate in the University Innovation Fellows program, where I assessed my university’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. That experience taught me the value of collaboration, connection, and interdisciplinary work. It gave me the tools to design solutions, lead the student entrepreneurship movement, and later explore entrepreneurship myself through the I-Corps™ Customer Discovery program. VentureWell programs have deepened my curiosity, strengthened my empathetic mindset, and taught me to be intentional about building bridges between people, ideas, and resources that might not otherwise connect.

What’s a key learning or takeaway from the VentureWell program you participated in, and how did it impact your journey?

One of my biggest takeaways was realizing the power of trusting students to co-design the entrepreneurial university they want and need. Like any good design thinking process, when you give people ownership and the space to experiment, you can make a lasting impact.

What’s the biggest change or milestone your institution or venture has experienced since participating in VentureWell programming?

Since participating in these programs and graduating, I’ve seen how the seeds of that early work have continued to grow. The entrepreneurial ecosystem at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez campus has evolved into a more connected and visible network. Concrete initiatives born from those programs—like the creation of the campus’ first makerspace—continue to add value to students’ learning journeys. One of the biggest accomplishments has been seeing the ecosystem’s stakeholders and programs expand their reach beyond the campus, becoming key drivers of innovation in the community.

How did VentureWell contribute to your leadership development and your professional trajectory?

In 2019, a VentureWell faculty grant application initiated a collaboration between Dr. Zen Parry, then a business department faculty member at Salish Kootenai College (SKC), and me, then a life sciences faculty member at SKC. Working with Zen, I learned grant writing hands-on and began viewing biomedical research through a new lens: how it solves problems and creates societal impact. We both loved VentureWell’s mission and found ways to become more involved with the organization. We presented at the virtual 2020 OPEN conference, and I later reviewed faculty grants. Those experiences grew my confidence, expanded my network, and led me to my current role; since May 2023, I’ve been a development officer at VentureWell!

What’s a key learning or takeaway from the VentureWell program you participated in, and how did it impact your journey?

I learned to think about research differently: Start with a real community need and build the science with partners, not in silos. At SKC, this meant framing life sciences work in a Tribal context and weaving in entrepreneurship to connect biomedical ideas to problems worth solving in Tribal communities. I also learned to stay involved with organizations whose mission and vision resonate. This mindset guided how I designed projects, taught, and chose my next steps, and it continues to shape my journey every day.

Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at the start of your journey?

I’d tell my early-career self: Step out of the silo from day one. Collaborate beyond the biomedical community. Work with business, social science, and community partners early and aim your research at solving real problems, not just satisfying academic curiosity. I made that shift later, and it transformed my mindset; I just wish I’d done it much sooner.

Read more about Wendy’s innovation journey.