What is an Explorer?
Curious Learner
Explorers are driven by curiosity—they’re eager to understand the entrepreneurial world, even if they haven’t defined a specific idea or goal yet.
Opportunity Seeker
They actively engage with new topics, people, and experiences to discover where their passions and strengths align within the innovation landscape.
Path Finder
Explorers use experimentation and reflection to clarify their direction—whether that leads to founding, joining, investing, or something entirely their own.
Programs for Explorers
The ELITE Fellowship provides MD, PhD, and MBA graduates—or those with equivalent experience a paid opportunity to lead the commercialization of cutting-edge health technologies. Fellows gain hands-on experience at the intersection of healthcare, innovation, and business.
The Visiting Experts Program is a Venture Lab program that provides students with the opportunity to meet and learn from alumni founders, entrepreneurs, subject matter experts, and industry experts in one-on-one or small group AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions.
The Food Innovation Lab is a hands-on launchpad for Penn students ready to turn bold food ideas into real ventures, offering a commercial test kitchen, expert support, and industry tools from concept to consumer.
Our Retail Lab is a flexible retail space to showcase successful alumni and student ventures, inspire Penn students, and provide active learning opportunities.
The Engineering Studios @ Venture Lab are a collection of fabrication labs open to the
entire University of Pennsylvania community
- powered by the School of Engineering & Applied Science - to make ideas tangible and testable.
The Studios support both curricular and co-curricular projects with a focus on entrepreneurial endeavors and technology commercialization.
Have an idea for a project, product, or technology? Come talk to us! There's always Studio Technicians here to help.
entire University of Pennsylvania community
- powered by the School of Engineering & Applied Science - to make ideas tangible and testable.
The Studios support both curricular and co-curricular projects with a focus on entrepreneurial endeavors and technology commercialization.
Have an idea for a project, product, or technology? Come talk to us! There's always Studio Technicians here to help.
The Digital Design Studio at Venture Lab is an educational resource to support current Penn student startups of all stages with their branding and marketing, featuring a state-of-the-art audiovisual production studio.
What is an Explorer in the context of entrepreneurship?
An Explorer is someone who’s curious about innovation and startups but still discovering where they fit in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
I’m curious about entrepreneurship, but I don’t know what I want to do—can I still get involved?
Yes—Explorers are supposed to be uncertain. Programs like Visiting Experts gives you space to learn, ask questions without pressure, and figure out what excites you most in the entrepreneurial world.
What kinds of experiences are available to Explorers?
Explorers can attend workshops, speaker series, and mentoring sessions, and they’re encouraged to engage with different pathways and perspectives to expand their understanding.
Where can the Explorer Pathway lead?
Explorers often go on to become founders, joiners, or investors—or use their entrepreneurial mindset to drive innovation in any career they pursue. Some may already identify with another pathway but use the Explorer experience to expand their perspective and explore new possibilities.
What will I get out of being an Explorer?
You’ll still have the opportunities to gain exposure in entrepreneurial thinking, build confidence in unfamiliar territory, and start connecting ideas, people, and opportunities across Penn’s innovation ecosystem.
How do I know if I’m ready to explore entrepreneurship?
If you’re asking questions, curious about how things are built, or excited by the idea of solving real problems—even without a clear plan—you’re already ready to explore.
Latest Explorer Events
25
September
Amy Norman is the Founder and CEO of Nellie, a travel brand whose mission is to connect humans through extraordinary experiences.
23
September
Meaghan Rose is Founder and Former CEO of Rocksbox and building a retail brand in the food space. She is a consumer tech entrepreneur.
17
September
Josh Devon (C'01, W'01) is an expert in the Cyber Security and Cyber Threat Intelligence spaces.
16
September
Hear Prof. Richard Perlman and ETA alumni share stories, lessons, and next steps for exploring Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition.
03
September
Learn to screen and evaluate companies in ETA with Prof. Charbel Zreik. Ideal for students exploring entrepreneurship through acquisition.
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