Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative

Campus Entrepreneurship Integration and Culture Building

Catalyze and forge connections across an ecosystem of campus and community entrepreneurship programs. Create coherency and serve as a system-level architect.

• Re-launch and lead the Entrepreneurship Circle, a regular gathering among entrepreneurship-focused faculty, staff, and students to build awareness, drive collaboration, and catalyze campus-level initiatives.
• Facilitate an annual Entrepreneurship Seed Grant program to incentivize and support creative and collaborative projects that enhance entrepreneurship infrastructure at the university.
• Collaborate with, and support, student entrepreneurship groups.
• Cultivate trusting and productive relationships with key entrepreneurship groups across the university, including the Leed’s School of Business, Colleague of Engineering and Applied Science, Silicon Flatirons, College of Arts and Science, Venture Partners at CU Boulder, Advancement, Career Services, and CU System I&E.

I&E Initiative Leadership

Oversee all aspects of the I&E Initiative strategy, finances, and operations, in collaboration with the Senior Associate Vice Chancellor and other Research & Innovation Office leadership.

• Supervise the I&E Initiative Program Manager, plus student employees/interns.
• Provide strategic direction to marketing and communications team, to uplift and integrate campus entrepreneurship messaging.
• Grow the I&E Initiative’s funding streams through grants, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and cross-campus philanthropy.

Student And Community Experience And Relationships

Participate in local ecosystem events – listening, forming relationships, and facilitating the exchange between campus and community.

• Design and launch an interactive portal for students and community members to easily navigate CU Boulder’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Continuously discover and evaluate the student entrepreneurial journey and experience, to identify gaps and collectively design solutions with campus partners.
• Establish relationships with peer universities, learning and sharing with other leading entrepreneurship programs.

New Venture Challenge

Lead CU Boulder’s annual startup and pitch competition, the New Venture Challenge (NVC).

• Build on two decades of impact, continue to grow NVC as the venture competition in the region, through a dedication to founder support, community engagement, and continual evolution.
• Develop long-term partnerships with community supporters, mentors, and investors.
• Establish a standard venture building curriculum for participating entrepreneurs that draws from expertise across the campus and provides an accessible path for all students.