Explorer

For those who may not yet know what they want to do or where they might fit in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. At Venture Lab, explorers can learn about innovative approaches, gain exposure to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and its key players, and get help in defining their goals and interests.

Top Resources For Explorers

Looking for opportunities to meet alumni founders, entrepreneurs, subject matter experts, and industry experts to explore potential ideas or guidance? The Visiting Expert offers one-on-one or small group AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions.
Don’t know where to start? Meet with one of our knowledgeable staff and craft your entrepreneurial path.
The Startup Internship Awards are awarded to select students who will spend the summer interning at a startup and who demonstrate both a commitment to entrepreneurship at Penn and to pursuing an entrepreneurial career.
The Food Innovation Lab is an 800-sq. ft. facility that supports a unique cohort of food and beverage startups at Penn.
Now Accepting Applications For Fall 2022
The Digital Design Studio at Venture Lab offer its services to the students, faculty, and staff engaged in entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of Pennsylvania and alumni who are part of the global Penn entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The Studios @ Venture Labs are a collection of workspaces and labs that house digital and analog fabrication technologies that empower the Penn community to make their ideas a reality.
Our Retail Lab is a flexible retail space to showcase successful alumni and student ventures, to inspire Penn students and provide active learning opportunities.
Missed our Entrepreneurship Expo? No problem! Check out our recap video and galleries from our kickoff event at Tangen Hall.

Explorer Events & Workshops

05
December
Stepful is an edtech startup that provides a training platform building accelerated and online allied healthcare programs. Carl has over 15 years of experience working at high-growth startups like Uber, Airbnb and Handy. He also served as the global head of direct-to-consumer business at Handy and was responsible for expanding Amino Apps' business internationally.

This is an ideal opportunity for students interested in learning more about edtech, healthcare entrepreneurship, DTC, and high-growth startups.

Sign up for 1:1 Sessions as well (1pm to 4pm): Register Here
18
November
Join the Venture Lab Visiting Experts program on Monday,November 18th as we host Bernardo Garcia (G'21, WG'21), Co-Founder of Felix Pago.
13
November
Interested in how to use AI IRL? Remember when COVID-19 disrupted supply chains across the world?Come listen to Peter Benda (G'92,WG'92) and the Axtom Technologies team explain how they used AI to rebuild and modernize the supply chain of the future.This workshop is perfect for students interested in AI, procurement/supplier processes, and SaaS/B2B.

Founder Fireside Chat with Jim Bankoff, WG'96, Founder & CEO, Vox Media

Moderated by Lori Rosenkopf,Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship and Simon & Midge Palley Professor of Management

A twenty five year veteran of the online industry, Jim developed and led dozens of the most popular websites on the internet including AOL.com, Mapquest, Moviefone, AOL Music, Netscape and AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) as an Executive Vice President at AOL. He initiated and oversaw the drive to open up AOL's content and services onto the web and was the first executive of a major portal to embrace professional blogging with his acquisition of Weblogs Inc. and development and leadership of sites such as TMZ, Fanhouse, BloggingStocks and Engadget.
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Video Companion

Related Articles & Stories

Find out what's happening with founders across the #entrePENNeur community! Want to tell your story? Contact us at venturelab@upenn.edu.
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Venture Lab is pleased to announce the creation of a new Entrepreneur in Residence program, a marker of the continued growth for the newly-formed entrepreneurship center. The newly-established position is a long-term engagement with the center to provide workshops, office hours, and general advising/mentoring to support early-stage student and alumni ventures in our Venture Initiation Program. Open to all Penn alumni, the role doubles as a meaningful way for former participants of the program to return to their innovative roots and support the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem at the university. After a strict selection process, the center is delighted to announce that Doug Baldasare, CEO and Founder of ChargeItSpot, a world leader in cell phone charging stations, will serve as the inaugural Entrepreneur in Residence. Baldasare developed the concept for ChargeItSpot during his time in the program as an MBA student at the Wharton School and continues to serve as CEO.
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