How did VentureWell contribute to your leadership development and your professional trajectory?
I was the principal investigator for two E-Team Program teams. VentureWell gave me a taste of true partnership, alignment in values, complementarity of skills and resources, a similar work ethos, and an extension of the resources available at the university so my students could have a longer runway. From this partnership, I went on to co-create the E3 partnership with CodePath, which we piloted at Georgia State University three years ago, and is now deployed in 18 universities across 14 states—and growing—training thousands of students every year and connecting them to bigger opportunities.
What’s a key learning or takeaway from the VentureWell program you participated in, and how did it impact your journey?
The value of early funding and external validation for teams of students who may not yet believe in the commercial potential of their venture.
What’s the biggest change or milestone your institution or venture has experienced since participating in VentureWell programming?
The DelivHer venture [which participated in the E-Team Program] has gotten more patents, completed the design, and contracted with manufacturers, which included multiple rounds of designs, testing multiple materials, and getting molds produced, etc. We are ready for distribution. [This fall] we launched the pre-sale, followed by the Kickstarter; they were among the finalists of the Black Ambition prize (founded by Pharrell Williams) at Demo Day in Miami, hopefully getting the funding and national visibility to amplify the launch and secure distribution deals.
Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at the start of your journey?
I would remind myself that it takes 10 years to create an overnight success. #WorthIt
Read more about Isabelle’s innovation journey.