How did VentureWell contribute to your leadership development and your professional trajectory?
I received three VentureWell faculty grants. The first one was a $7,500 planning grant when VentureWell was still the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA). This allowed us to prepare a submission for a $21,000 grant the following year. The grant was seed money for what has become the Office of Academic Innovation at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona! This office curates experiential learning opportunities for Cal Poly Pomona students, faculty, staff, and industry and community partners. We grew from a staff of two in the Student Innovation Idea Lab (iLab) to a team of over 40 focused on student success. My leadership growth from inaugural director of the iLab to associate VP of Academic Innovation can be directly attributed to these grants.
What’s a key learning or takeaway from the VentureWell program you participated in, and how did it impact your journey?
Compared to a recently awarded $7.5 million National Science Foundation grant, a $24,050 VentureWell grant seems small. But the funding enabled us to grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem on our campus into what it is now. Now we can get large grants, but we started with faculty grants from VentureWell that allowed us to conduct small experiments, develop minimum viable products, and create and expand our entrepreneurial ecosystem. I learned not to despise the days of small things. We started small and changed the DNA of a campus!