Registration is open for 8th Annual Deshpande Symposium
Innovation culture in academia, entrepreneurship-driven curricula, and technology commercialization will be the hottest of the topics to be discussed at the 8th Annual Deshpande Symposium, to be held June 10-12 at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center in downtown Lowell, Massachusetts. College and university faculty, administrators, and students, as well as business people and entrepreneurs, are invited to attend.
The mission of the Symposium is to assemble academics, policy planners, and practitioners to discuss best practices in integrating entrepreneurship throughout their college and university communities. “There is no question that the global economy of the 21st century is an entrepreneurial economy,” said symposium director NAME HERE. “The Deshpande Symposium provides the time and space for stakeholders in academia and business to gather, share and compare ideas and best practices, and map out ways to nurture entrepreneurship in students and the workforce.”
A history of welcoming authoritative and inspiring speakers
Past speakers at the Symposium have included entrepreneurship visionaries such as:
- Former University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, who has co-chaired the national Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Professor Vladimir Bulovic, an entrepreneur and associate dean for innovation at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- MIT professor Donald Sadoway, who was named one of Time magazine’s “Top 100 Most Influential People in the World”
- Dr. Subra Suresh, former President of Carnegie Mellon University
- Jeff Hoffman, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Priceline.
Meet this year’s keynote speaker
The Deshpande Symposium is excited and pleased to welcome Amy Nelson, CEO of Venture For America, as this year’s keynote speaker. Venture For America (VFA) is a non-profit that prepares recent college graduates for careers as entrepreneurs. Her efforts have more than tripled the organization’s fundraising, and driven VFA’s investment in building out its regional efforts. Amy is deeply committed to having VFA become the go-to path for aspiring entrepreneurs, having conceptualized the organization’s Accelerator program and Seed Fund. Learn more about Amy.
Symposium highlight: The Deshpande Awards
As it does each year, the Symposium will recognize achievements in higher education with the Deshpande Symposium Awards for Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Awards will be given in five categories:
- Excellence in Curriculum Innovation in Entrepreneurship
- Excellence in Student Engagement in Entrepreneurship
- The Entrepreneurial University
- Exemplary Practice in Technology Commercialization
- Outstanding Contributions to Advancing Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education
Early registration rates expire May 6
All Symposium events will take place at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, where accommodations are available while space lasts. Early registration rates expire May 6, so attendees are encouraged to register for the Symposium right away. Furthermore, attendees needing accommodations should reserve rooms at the ICC as soon as possible, as space is limited and there are no other hotels within walking distance of the Symposium.