Given that we live in an economy driven by knowledge (see Drucker, Florida, or Bell), campuses (where knowledge is created and disseminated) have become vital nodes for economic growth and new venture development.
The actions, individuals, and companies we have seen over the past 50 years and the quickening pace of campus entrepreneurship over the past decade or so confirms this.
This is one of the core reasons that we are investigating campus entrepreneurship: there are lots of smart, talented people in and around campuses - from razor sharp 18 year olds to award winning, socially awkward professors.
A mentioned often on this blog, professors are some of the greatest storehouses of knowledge around universities/campuses and students should view them as such.
In the past 4 years I have worked with professors as advisers (at of U of C) and also as full partners (at GMU). I also have a handful of friends and talked with many research subjects who have partnered with faculty members on new ventures.
Entrepreneur.com has an interesting new piece titled ‘Teachers Pet’ (h/t Kevin Clark of GMU) that offers some insight and examples on students partnering up with professors new ventures. (btw, click the image above to watch Van Halen’s classic Hot for Teacher video) From the piece: (more…)
David Miller