By Chithra Adams
Institutional change takes more than a good idea. It takes readiness, time, community, and sustained support.
We announced our inaugural cohort for the Ecosystem Futures Fellowship in March 2025, marking a new chapter in how VentureWell supports institutional innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E). This year-long, immersive experience brings together 26 fellows from 18 institutions to focus on what it truly takes to build sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems on their campuses.
The Ecosystem Futures Fellowship replaced VentureWell’s legacy Course & Program Grants. We approached this transition intentionally, as both an evolution in our work and a learning opportunity. We wanted to understand how faculty leaders think about institutional change, how they envision partnerships, and how they move from aspiration to action when given the time and space to plan.
What we observed over the course of the fellowship fundamentally shaped how we thought about the next phase of support.
The fellows envisioned big plans: long-term culture change on their campuses. They talked about inclusion, sustainability, and building innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems that could endure beyond a single grant cycle. Their plans ranged from tackling food deserts in their communities and rethinking how faculty are incentivized and supported; to strengthening pathways from research to real-world application; to building cross-campus and regional partnerships that connect students, faculty, industry, and community stakeholders. They leaned deeply into planning, partnerships, and outcomes. And they did so with a level of seriousness and clarity that made one thing very clear.
Momentum matters. After a year of deep planning, trust-building, and collective learning, we did not want to lose it.
From Planning to Implementation
As the fellowship progressed, it became evident that the fellows had done the hard work of being prepared. They are developing thoughtful, grounded plans. They are identifying partners. They are building a community with each other. They are balancing ambition with feasibility.
What they need next is support to move from planning into practice.
Turning plans into action takes time and resources, strong networks, and continued engagement beyond planning. As the fellowship continues, it has become clear that many fellows are nearing the point where their plans begin to take shape in practice. The question before us is not whether they are ready to act, but how VentureWell can serve as a sustained partner as their work moves from planning into practice.
That realization led to the evolution of what is now the Ecosystem Futures Catalyst Grant. Rather than opening the funding broadly, we made the intentional decision to focus this grant on current fellows, supporting them as they move from vision to action.
This decision was about stewardship.
What the Evidence Tells Us
Research on institutional change consistently shows that meaningful transformation requires clear plans, sustained effort, and strong networks of support. Institutional change unfolds over years, not months, and progress depends on being ready at both the individual and institutional levels.
What we observed through the Ecosystem Futures Fellowship reflects this research in real time. Fellows were not starting from zero. They are doing the work to clarify priorities, align partners, and prepare for implementation. The catalyst grant will allow us to meet them at a moment when support can translate directly into action.
Community Is Not a Side Effect. It Is the Work.
One of the most powerful outcomes of the fellowship has been the community it is creating.
Fellows are not developing plans in isolation. They are building relationships, learning from one another, and developing a shared understanding of what it takes to advance innovation and entrepreneurship within complex institutional environments. That collective learning strengthens execution and sustains momentum beyond any single grant.
This is another reason the catalyst grant is focused on fellows. The foundation for carrying the work forward already exists. Building on that shared work is the responsible choice.
Institutional Change Is a Collective Effort
There is a common narrative about change that centers on individual heroes. However, most often Institutional change is built by ordinary people who show up day after day, working within systems, bringing others along, and sustaining effort over time. The fellows embody that reality. They are developing champions, but more importantly, they are building communities around shared visions for change.
Their work invites more people to the table on their campuses. And when more collaborators are welcome at the table, the impact multiplies.
What This Means for the Broader Field
This shift is not just about one grant or one cohort. It is an invitation to learn with us.
We are committed to sharing what we are learning, including what works and what we refine along the way. We believe transparency strengthens the field. The lessons generated through this work will be useful not only to individual institutions, but also to regional, national, and funder communities grappling with how to support innovation and entrepreneurship at scale.
At VentureWell, we think carefully about what sustains. Our goal is not simply to fund activity, but to support lasting change.
We encourage institutions to approach change as an iterative process, grounded in evidence and responsive to context. This work asks us to hold ourselves to the same standard. As we learn alongside fellows, we are continuously refining how we support community, on-the-ground-work, and long-term impact.
Where This Leaves Other Institutions
A natural question that emerges from this shift is where it leaves institutions that are not part of the current fellowship cohort.
That question matters, and it is one we have thought carefully about.
While the Ecosystem Futures Catalyst Grant is intentionally focused on fellows who have spent a year planning and building community, our commitment to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship across higher education has not narrowed. It has expanded.
One of the most important pathways for continued engagement is VentureWell’s membership network, which has been strengthened this year to better support institutions navigating implementation challenges, scaling questions, and developing ecosystems at different stages. Membership provides access to a peer-driven community where institutions can learn directly from one another, share lessons, and seek guidance beyond any single grant cycle.
This model reflects what we have learned through the fellowship itself. Sustainable change does not happen in isolation. It happens through connection, shared learning, and ongoing support. For institutions exploring how to advance innovation and entrepreneurship, VentureWell membership offers a way to engage with the broader VentureWell community, learn from real-world experiences, and remain connected as this work continues to evolve.
Applications for the next Ecosystem Futures Fellowship cohort are expected to open in late summer 2026. Institutions interested in participating are encouraged to join the waitlist to receive updates and application details. Join the Ecosystem Futures Fellowship waitlist.
Looking Ahead
As this work continues, we are paying close attention to what we are learning alongside the fellows. Innovation and entrepreneurship are not static. Institutions evolve. External conditions shift. Effective support must remain responsive.
Institutional change is built by ordinary people who show up day after day, working within systems, bringing others along, and sustaining effort over time.
We ask institutions to approach change as an iterative process rooted in evidence, reflection, and adjustment. That same expectation applies to us. As a support organization, our responsibility is not only to fund or convene, but to learn, adapt, and strengthen how we show up over time.
The Ecosystem Futures Catalyst Grant reflects that commitment. It allows us to remain engaged as fellows move from planning into early execution, while continuing to refine how we support institutional change at scale.
This work is ongoing. The fellowship is still in motion. The learning continues. This is not the end of the story. It is the next phase of shared learning, sustained partnership, and long-term change.
Chithra Adams, vice president at VentureWell, has over 20 years of expertise in program evaluation, learning, and community building. She has extensive experience working with higher education institutions across multiple sectors. At VentureWell, she leads strategic initiatives related to institutional and regional I&E capacity building, data, and evaluation. Dr. Adams holds an M.P.A. and a Ph.D. in Educational Sciences from the University of Kentucky.