Inspiring Inventions and Ideas: How University Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centers Spark Student Creativity and New Ecosystems

Part of the VentureWell Innovation in Action Learning Series

Monday, November 17, 2025, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

(UTC-04:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

How do universities transform student ideas into inventions that shape industries, communities, and the future?

Join us on Monday, November 17, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. ET for a live, one-hour VentureWell in Action (VIA) Learning Series session:
Inspiring Inventions and Ideas: How University Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centers Spark Student Creativity and New Ecosystems

Hear from leaders advancing innovation and entrepreneurship on campus and beyond:

  • Nina Balan, director of strategic initiatives at The Beach at UNO Research & Technology Park, University of New Orleans
  • Amit Jariwala, director of design, innovation, and experiential learning, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and faculty advisor for the Flowers Invention Studio at Georgia Tech
  • Sadan Kulturel-Konak, professor of management information systems and founding director of the Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development (CEED) Center at Penn State Berks; VentureWell Ecosystem Futures Faculty Fellow

Moderated by: Ernie Davis, senior program officer, Higher Education Innovation, VentureWell

This session explores how university-based innovation and entrepreneurship centers:

  • Ignite creativity and cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets among students and faculty

  • Build partnerships that drive startups, social ventures, and interdisciplinary collaborations

  • Strengthen regional and national innovation ecosystems

About the Speakers

Ashley Huderson

Nina Balan is director of strategic initiatives at The Beach at UNO Research & Technology Foundation, where she connects academia and industry to fuel innovation and entrepreneurship. She helps lead StartupUNO and other initiatives supporting first-generation entrepreneurs and student innovators. Balan also co-manages the LA WindHub and Wind Scholars programs, advancing university-industry partnerships in renewable energy. Named to Gambit’s 40 Under 40 and a graduate of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute, she continues to champion community resilience and sustainable regional growth. Learn more here.

Ashley Huderson

Amit Jariwala is director of design, innovation & experiential learning at Georgia Tech’s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. A Woodruff School Teaching Fellow and Hesburgh Award Teaching Fellow, he leads campus-wide efforts to embed hands-on, entrepreneurial learning through makerspaces, design-build courses, and the Capstone Design Expo. As faculty advisor for the Flowers Invention Studio, he fosters industry partnerships that connect students with real-world challenges and applied innovation experiences. Learn more here.

Leslee Gilbert

Sadan Kulturel-Konak is professor of management information systems and director of the Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development (CEED) Center at Penn State Berks. A former president of INFORMS-Women in OR/MS, she researches how to model and optimize complex systems, redesign facilities for U.S. manufacturers, and strengthen evidence-based innovation education. Kulturel-Konak has led National Science Foundation and VentureWell-funded projects advancing STEM entrepreneurship and currently serves as an associate editor for Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence. Learn more here.