Top Resources For Joiners
VIP-Practicum invites you to roll up your sleeves and join a startup as an early member of the team. Gain invaluable experience that shapes not only your skills but also the trajectory of ventures on the rise.
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.
Founder Programs
Embark on your entrepreneurial journey with VIP-C. Whether you're a first-time founder or second-time entrepreneur, VIP-C offers an inclusive space for abundant learning, networking, and community-building.
Joiner Events & Workshops
01
May
Join us on Friday, May 1, 2026, at Tangen Hall, Second Floor Colloquium to witness the top student-founded startups go head-to-head in a live pitch competition for over $200,000 in cash prizes and in-kind awards.
This year’s competition received applications from student founders across schools at the University of Pennsylvania, demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of innovation at Penn. The finalist teams are building ventures across industries, including travel and hospitality technology, food and beverage technology, cybersecurity, government technology, robotics and automation, industrial and agricultural technology, and media and entertainment technology.
This year’s competition received applications from student founders across schools at the University of Pennsylvania, demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of innovation at Penn. The finalist teams are building ventures across industries, including travel and hospitality technology, food and beverage technology, cybersecurity, government technology, robotics and automation, industrial and agricultural technology, and media and entertainment technology.
09
April
A joint workshop between Venture Lab, International Student and Scholar Services, and Klasko Immigration Law Partners.
17
April
Zach is passionate about leveraging data in the additive manufacturing (i.e. 3D printing) industry. He is a past Venture Lab/Penn alumni.
16
April
Alex was Co-CEO/Co-Founder of LOLA, a mission-driven, omni-channel women’s health brand. She now works at BCG X as the Managing Direct
14
April
Ethan Beard is a longtime technology operator, entrepreneur, and investor, most recently co-founder of Yoz Labs.
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.
PHILADELPHIA, May 5, 2026 — The University of Pennsylvania’s Venture Lab is proud to announce the winner of its tenth annual Startup Challenge: Cloak, founded by an all freshmen team, Rishi Ambavanekar, ENG'29, W'29, and Tyler Sacharow, C'29.
3 Min Read
On Apr 22, 2025, Venture Lab’s Food Innovation Lab and ZenBroth (founded at the innovation Lab!) hosted a tasting and demo cooking session at Tangen Hall.
1 Min Read
Announcing the Finalists of the 2026 Venture Lab Startup Challenge
1 Min Read
At Tangen Hall, Penn’s interdisciplinary hub for makers, designers, and entrepreneurs, two alumni chose to leave a lasting mark by naming state-of-the-art labs that reflect their personal journeys. Amish Jani (W'99 and WG'00) and Svetlana Dunaevskaya (WG'06) share how naming spaces in Venture Lab became a way to invest in future entrepreneurs, honor family legacies, and create a sense of belonging across borders.
1 Min Read
Two Venture lab alumni are among this year’s 84 Scholars from 25 countries!
2 Min Read
PHILADELPHIA, MAY 02, 2025–The University of Pennsylvania’s Venture Lab is pleased to announce the 2025 winner of its annual Startup Challenge: Sync Labs, founded by Melanie Herbert, EE'25
5 Min Read