U News 2 | Vanessa Chan, formerly of the Department of Energy, has a new job
She's the inaugural Vice Dean of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania's College of Engineering.
From the University of Chicago:
The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation announced the 25 teams advancing to the classroom portion of the 2025 Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge (NVC), the University of Chicago’s signature start-up accelerator for MBA students at the Booth School of Business.
Gearing up for a competitive road ahead, each accepted team will participate in 10 weeks of coursework, coaching, and pitch training with the hopes of ultimately being selected for the exclusive NVC Finals event on June 5. A landmark University of Chicago event that has gained significant notoriety among the university entrepreneurship community, every NVC Finals over the last five years has awarded more than $1 million in funding — including last year’s impressive $1.9 million prize pool.
The 25 selected teams can be found at this link.
From the University of Pennsylvania:
The University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Engineering school has named the inaugural Vice Dean of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and it is a familiar name to those in the Department of Energy world. The individual is Vanessa Chan, the Jonathan and Linda Brassington Practice Professor in Materials Science and Engineering. Dr. Chan is an entrepreneur, angel investor, speaker, and educator who is known for her expertise in innovation and entrepreneurship at the intersection of technology and business.
She served as the Chief Commercialization Officer in the U.S. Department of Energy and the Director of the Office of Technology Transitions during the administration of President Joe Biden. In this role, she helped to advance clean energy technologies, notably through the “Pathways to Commercial Liftoff” reports, which provided roadmaps for decarbonizing various sectors, including geothermal and hydrogen. Her impact was recognized through her inclusion as one of the world’s 100 most influential business leaders in climate in Time100’s 2024 list.
Before her tenure at DOE, Dr. Chan was a partner at McKinsey & Company for 13 years, where she co-led the innovation practice, large publicly traded companies in commercializing their technologies. Following her time at McKinsey, she founded re.design, a company dedicated to reinventing consumer products to solve everyday challenges, and sold her products on QVC.
From the University of Virginia:
The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business has announced a partnership with OpenAI, solidifying its position as a leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven business education. The initiative brings ChatGPT EDU to Darden, providing faculty, staff, and students with a secure, compliant, and tailored AI platform designed for academic excellence and organizational innovation.
Darden is among just a few business schools worldwide – including the Wharton School and London Business School – that have partnerships with OpenAI to incorporate ChatGPT EDU. The early implementation provides Darden a competitive advantage and also positions the School to benefit from a secure generative AI platform that will unlock new capabilities in the classroom, research centers, and enterprise operations.
Learn more here.
From Meredith College:
In what is described as a powerful display of community support for women in entrepreneurship, distinguished leaders from across the Research Triangle region are coming together for Meredith College’s Entrepreneurship Challenge on March 1. This event, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Sarah Glova, showcases our commitment to fostering the next generation of women business leaders while highlighting the incredible ecosystem of support available to our students.
Dr. Glova, Founder of Reify Media and a North Carolina Women Business Owners Hall of Fame inductee, will deliver the keynote address drawing from her extensive research on goal achievement and professional development. Known for her dynamic speaking style and commitment to amplifying women’s voices in business, her presentation promises to set an inspiring tone for the day’s events.
The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST in the Kresge Auditorium at the Raleigh-based university.
Like what you've read?
Forward to a friend!