Faculty

Strengthening Research Translation in Higher Education Innovation Ecosystems

What does it take to grow a strong ecosystem for STEM innovation and entrepreneurship within higher education? VentureWell’s inaugural Ecosystem Futures Fellowship cohort set out to explore that question.

What Emerging Research Institutions Need To Advance STEM Innovation and Entrepreneurship

In recent focus groups, faculty and administrators from HBCUs and Emerging Research Institutions shared their perspective on current challenges.

Judgment and Responsibility in the Age of AI

Following a recent BME-IDEA panel, VentureWell President and CEO Phil Weilerstein reflects on how to prepare the next generation of innovators for a healthcare landscape increasingly shaped by AI.

Grant Proposal Strategies for Securing Funds for Your Institution

In a challenging higher ed funding landscape, use this practical advice to guide your grant-seeking efforts.

8 Class Exercises to Amplify Innovative Thinking

We curated a fresh new list of cutting-edge class exercises to incorporate into innovation and entrepreneurship curriculum.

From Vision to Velocity: Fellows Accelerate Their Impact in Atlanta

The inaugural Ecosystem Futures Fellowship cohort gathered in Atlanta for an On-Campus Immersive Experience in which bold ideas became action plans.

What’s Next in Academic Innovation

VentureWell CEO Phil Weilerstein shares takeaways from a listening session at the 2025 NAI Annual Meeting.

From Strategy to Action: Reflections From the Ecosystem Futures Fellowship New Orleans Gathering

VentureWell’s higher education team convened 26 Ecosystem Futures Fellows from across the country for their first On-Campus Immersive Experience (OCIE).

Five Key Takeaways From “The Philanthropy Pivot”—VIA Learning Series

On July 30, VentureWell hosted a webinar focused on strengthening collaborations between higher education institutions and philanthropic funders.

Why We Flipped the Model: A New Era for Higher Ed Innovation

VentureWell launched the Ecosystem Futures Fellowship to further broaden and deepen our support, focusing on institution-wide transformation, cross-campus collaboration, and leadership engagement.

Empathy in Entrepreneurship Education: Five Ways To Bring Empathy Into the Classroom

Through the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) workshop series, social scientists and entrepreneurship educators offer research-based insights and classroom techniques.

Four Ways To Foster Creative Thinking in Student Entrepreneurs While Developing Their Problem-Solving Skills

With the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) workshop series, educators offer classroom techniques to develop problem-solving skills.

Bringing Critical Thinking Into the Entrepreneurship Classroom: Six Techniques

Through the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) workshop series, social scientists offer research-based insights and classroom techniques to improve critical thinking.

Creating Innovators, Not Companies: Measuring the Success of an Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship Course

José Lugo and Mari Luz Zapata Ramos of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez share how VentureWell funding helped in expanding their entrepreneurship course.

Increasing Student Engagement In Entrepreneurship: Four Key Motivational Tactics

These research-based tactics can help you motivate student entrepreneurs to get engaged and make a real-world difference.

Successful Startup Teamwork Relies on Three Communication Strategies

Teaching communication is part of teaching teamwork is part of teaching entrepreneurship. These techniques are based in academic research.

Shaping the Future of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Deshpande Symposium

Attendees of the Deshpande Symposium identified four key reasons why they found the conference so valuable to their work in higher education innovation and entrepreneurship.

OPEN 2024 Deserves a Spot on Your Spring Calendar—Here Are Three Reasons Why

Still considering whether you might attend OPEN this year? Here’s what you missed at OPEN 2023.

Beyond the Classroom: Challenging the Traditional Teaching Model for Engineering Students

Bayo Ogundipe of James Madison University shares his approach to introducing engineering students to the global nature of innovation.

Five Most Highly Rated OPEN 2023 Breakout Sessions

These five workshop sessions were rated by OPEN 2023 attendees as having “extremely” valuable content and as being “extremely” engaging.