What is a Founder?
Leader
More than just having the idea, founders take ownership, make key decisions, and rally others around a shared mission to move the venture forward.
Visionary
A founder sees opportunities where others see problems—driven by curiosity and a belief that things can be better, they imagine new solutions that don’t yet exist.
Builder
Founders take action to bring ideas to life—testing solutions, forming teams, and building ventures from the ground up.
Programs for Founders
The Venture Initiation Program (VIP) is where Penn’s boldest founders turn ideas into impact. Whether you're just starting out or scaling fast, VIP is your launchpad—a high-energy, founder-first ecosystem designed to help you build, test, and grow.
The Penn Wharton Innovation Fund supports innovative student-led ventures at Penn with funding while equipping its student investment team with hands-on experience in early-stage investing.
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.
Venture Lab’s Social Entrepreneurship Initiative supports Penn entrepreneurs building scalable ventures that deliver both financial returns and measurable social or environmental impact.
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.
Wharton Scale School, held in San Francisco with Wharton’s Lifelong Learning, equips Bay Area founders and leaders with the tools to scale from startup to sustainable growth. Designed for entrepreneurs and senior teams, the program delivers expert insights on navigating the challenges of rapid expansion.
The Startup Challenge is Venture Lab’s flagship and Penn's largest competition, where top Penn student ventures pitch to a live audience for a chance to win over $150,000 in cash and prizes. It’s a campus-wide showcase that connects student entrepreneurs with alumni leaders and accelerates venture growth.
The Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship Alumni Achievement Award is given by Venture Lab and recognizes excellence in the Wharton and University of Pennsylvania startup community. Recipients are chosen by the Venture Lab Advisory Board.
The 2024 Penn Wharton China Entrepreneur Award. is given by Venture Lab and recognizes entrepreneurial achievement in China and worldwide.
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 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.
FAQ
What is the Founder Pathway at Venture Lab?
The Founder Pathway is designed for students in the early stages of building a business (pre-seed). It focuses on helping founders refine their ideas, understand their customers, and develop innovative products and business models.
What does it mean to be a founder at Penn?
Being a founder means taking the initiative to build something new—typically a startup—from the ground up. Founders identify problems worth solving, imagine innovative solutions, and commit to turning ideas into ventures. At Penn, a founder leverages a vibrant ecosystem of support to navigate uncertainty, iterate on ideas, and bring value to real users.
Is the Founder Pathway only for students who already have a business?
No. Venture Lab offers programs that are also designed for students in the pre-seed stage, which means you can be at the idea stage or just beginning to experiment. It’s for those who are actively working to define and validate a business concept—not necessarily those who are already operating a formal company.
Am I eligible to participate as a Founder?
To be eligible for student founder programs:
- You must be a currently enrolled, degree-seeking student at the University of Pennsylvania (undergrad, master’s, or Ph.D.)
- Some programs have specific requirements (e.g., return for one more semester, founder equity agreement, etc.)
Do I have to be a technical person or a business student to be a founder
Not at all. Founders at Penn come from all schools and disciplines—Wharton, Engineering, Design, Nursing, SAS, and more. What matters is that you're committed to solving a real problem and can either build, learn to build, or recruit a team to help bring your solution to life.
What’s the difference between being a founder and joining a startup?
Founders create the venture—they're the originators and decision-makers responsible for vision, traction, and execution. In contrast, Joiners contribute to a venture that already exists. The Founder Pathway is for those leading the charge, not just participating in it.
I’m not sure if my idea is good enough. Should I still pursue the Founder Pathway?
Yes. The Founder Pathway exists to help you refine and test your idea. Many successful founders start with uncertainty. What matters most is your willingness to explore a problem deeply, talk to potential users, and adjust based on what you learn.
What are the first signs that I might belong in the Founder Pathway?
You might be a fit if:
- You’re constantly brainstorming solutions to everyday problems
- You’ve already started working on a business idea
- You feel compelled to lead something of your own
- You’re motivated by independence, experimentation, or impact
- You want to build something that others can’t stop talking about
How do I get started as a founder at Penn?
Connect with the Venture Lab community! This is where you’ll find early-stage founders, supportive peers, and expert guidance.
To stay current on key opportunities like events, program applications, and advising sessions, make sure you're plugged into the channels where Venture Lab shares the latest updates.
To stay current on key opportunities like events, program applications, and advising sessions, make sure you're plugged into the channels where Venture Lab shares the latest updates.
Latest Founders Events
08
May
Join us for an engaging virtual session with Wharton Professor Ethan Mollick in which you’ll explore how artificial intelligence (AI) tools can transform the way businesses scale
17
April
Whether you're into VC, startups, or the future of AI, this is a rare chance to hear directly from someone who’s been on both sides of the table—as an investor and a founder. Come with questions, leave with insight.
Join us for an exclusive AMA with Jack Soslow, former investor at Andreessen Horowitz, where he led AI investments on the Games team and closed 36 deals in just three years. A Wharton alum ('19), Varsity Football kicker, and founder of the Wharton Undergraduate Data Analytics Club, Jack now leads Ciridae, a pioneering Generative AI services firm.
Join us for an exclusive AMA with Jack Soslow, former investor at Andreessen Horowitz, where he led AI investments on the Games team and closed 36 deals in just three years. A Wharton alum ('19), Varsity Football kicker, and founder of the Wharton Undergraduate Data Analytics Club, Jack now leads Ciridae, a pioneering Generative AI services firm.
16
April
Navigating the legal world while launching or growing your startup can be a labyrinth. Whether you're exploring venture formation, creating founders' agreements, drafting your first contracts, or considering taking VC money, understanding the legal aspects can be complicated and confusing.
Have all of these questions or more, especially around technology, security, and corporations? Gain some clarity with an AMA and 1:1 meeting with Venture Lab’s Legal Visiting Expert, Arina Shulga, Fox Rothschild.
For questions, email Margaret Chen (margchen@wharton.upenn.edu)
Have all of these questions or more, especially around technology, security, and corporations? Gain some clarity with an AMA and 1:1 meeting with Venture Lab’s Legal Visiting Expert, Arina Shulga, Fox Rothschild.
For questions, email Margaret Chen (margchen@wharton.upenn.edu)
15
April
Join us for an insightful discussion on Beyond Meat + Perennial, scaling sustainable brands, and transforming global food systems.
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Latest Founder News
