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.