ENGINEERING ENTREPRENEURSHIP MINOR

Engineering Entrepreneurship Tracks
Beginning Fall 2024

Updated 03/10/2025

Open to students from all colleges, the mission of our undergraduate program in Engineering Entrepreneurship is to cultivate a diverse community of forward-thinking individuals ready to drive transformative change. We are committed to:

Inspiring Creativity: Encouraging imaginative thinking and exploration in all learning experiences.
Encouraging Collaboration: Promoting interdisciplinary teamwork to solve complex challenges.
Innovating through Design: Applying design principles to develop effective solutions that address societal needs.
Fostering Leadership: Empowering students to become ethical leaders who inspire others and drive positive change.
Engaging with Industry: Building partnerships with industry leaders for real-world experiences and mentorship.

Beginning Fall 2024 all students of the 16-credit hour Engineering Entrepreneurship Minor complete the following:

7-credit hours of Fundamentals in Engineering Innovation
6-credit hours in a chosen track of either Engineering Social Entrepreneurship or Technology Ventures
one approved 3-credit hour elective from their major

For specific course requirements, electives and policy,
please view the Villanova University Undergraduate Catalog.

Students may alternatively opt not to complete the entire minor but rather only complete courses or sections relevant to their future career interests.

The interdisciplinary minor covers a diverse set of topics including:

creativity and ideation frameworks
emerging disruptive technology assessment
design thinking for new product innovation
market research
customer discovery
persona development
intellectual property management

agile prototyping
value proposition development
innovative business model design
product development planning
social engineering
entrepreneurial finance
marketing for startups

Academic Framework and Program Timeline

Generally, a student declares the Engineering Entrepreneurship minor the spring of freshman year or fall of sophomore year. A student may choose to limit their involvement in the program and only complete sections of the minor.

Fundamentals in Engineering Innovation (7-credit hours)

Your focus is on a career path in innovation:
Courses in engineering innovation fundamentals are designed to equip students with the skills and mindset needed to drive innovation. The Fundamentals in Engineering Innovation sequence covers three courses essential to new product innovation: Creative Thinking for Scientist and Engineers, Customer Discovery and Design Thinking, and Advanced Business Model Design. It is recommended that these courses are taken in order.

Through Fundamentals in Engineering Innovation, students will learn processes and strategies for identifying real-world problems, generating innovative solutions, and transforming ideas into viable business opportunities. Hands-on projects provide opportunities to apply innovation principles to real world challenges. Students will gain an innovative and entrepreneurial edge, empowering them to spearhead impactful innovations throughout their careers. Those seeking careers in product development, corporate innovation, or business consulting will particularly benefit.

TRACKS

Technology Ventures (6-credit hours)

Your focus is on a career path in technology-based innovation.
The Technology Ventures track equips students with an understanding of intellectual property and business contract fundamentals, experience in evaluating disruptive innovations, and insights into the drivers of technology innovation. It provides a valued credential for a wide variety of careers including engineering product development, intellectual property management, new business development, and technology scouting.

Engineering Social Entrepreneurship (6-credit hours)

Your focus is on a career path in social impact innovation.

The Social Entrepreneurship track equips undergraduate students with the entrepreneurial skills and cross-disciplinary perspectives needed to drive positive social and environmental impact through mission-driven ventures. Through project-based learning, case studies, and potential cross-campus collaborations, students apply entrepreneurial strategies to engineer innovative and impactful solutions to the world's most pressing sustainability and humanitarian challenges. This 6-credit track includes an approved 3-credit hour course from either Humanitarian Engineering or Sustainable Engineering.

INNOVATE Partnership

The experiential minor is structured so that students work on interdisciplinary teams to develop products/services while learning educational content. The minor is aligned with INNOVATE. Students who participate in INNOVATE can continue to work on their innovation within the Engineering Entrepreneurship minor. When ready, Engineering Entrepreneurship students from INNOVATE can apply to The Launchpad, a stage gated early seed fund with a CEO Mentor network for students to launch their business ventures.

Engineering Entrepreneurship Electives

The approved Elective List complements the minor with content specific to each major in the College of Engineering. Additional electives for VSB and CLAS participants are approved through the Director of the Engineering Entrepreneurship program.

The Engineering Entrepreneurship minor can also be earned through a condensed-yet-intense 8-week summer session. Learn more about the Engineering Entrepreneurship Summer Institute!

Request to pursue a minor
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TESTIMONIALS

“In the job market, everyone wants to see your attitude, that you are ready to accept challenges. That is hugely related to our entrepreneurship classes.”

Abigail Buckenheimer, Mechanical Engineering

“The minor is the reason I landed my job at Microsoft when I graduated.”

Daniel Lorenzetti, Computer Engineering

“The engineering entrepreneurship minor is amazing. What I thought was just going to be a series of lectures on starting a business turned into a series of the most rewarding classes I have taken at Villanova. I had the opportunity to take an idea from a mere dream to completion, culminating in presenting with my team to a group of investors as a part of the Villanova Student Entrepreneurship Competition.”

Nicholas Fonzo, Chemical Engineering

MEET OUR FACULTY

DR. LAURI OLIVIER

Dr. Lauri Olivier is a leader in technology driven innovation, combining deep technical expertise with business acumen. She holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke and an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. Her career spans bench science to venture capital, with notable achievements in commercializing medical devices and launching venture startups such as Elastagen, acquired by Allergan for $95 million. Past roles include Senior Product Development Manager at Raytheon, Director of Technology at startup accelerator Emerging Concepts, Inc., and Clinical Research Scientist at Northwestern University. Her passion for nurturing innovation extends to the classroom, where she has taught entrepreneurship and innovation courses since 2016. Currently, she serves as Director of Engineering Entrepreneurship and Associate Professor of Practice, continuing to shape future innovators.

DR. ROSS LEE

Dr. Ross A. Lee is a Professor of Practice in Villanova University's Sustainable Engineering program. A lifetime member of the American Chemical Society, he contributes to SAMPE, EESD, and IEEE conferences. He teaches graduate courses in Sustainable Materials, Design, and Biomimicry, advising research at various levels. Dr. Lee led the introduction of the PhD program in Sustainable Engineering in 2016. Before joining Villanova in 2008, he was Director of Technology and New Business Development at DuPont, with over 30 publications and patents. He retired from DuPont in 2009 after 36 years. Currently, Dr. Lee teaches Emerging Technologies in Product Innovation and Business Model Innovation in the Engineering Entrepreneurship program, applying his extensive industry experience to academia.

Professor Michelle Histand

Professor Michelle Histand is the Executive Director of the M. Night Shyamalan Foundation, where she works with local and international NGOs that aim to alleviate poverty. She built her design thinking expertise running innovation at Independence Blue Cross for 10+ years. Michelle teaches innovation and entrepreneurship courses at Temple University and joined the Villanova Engineering Entrepreneurship team as an adjunct professor in 2022. Michelle teaches a variety of courses for the program including Engineering a Creative Mindset, Emerging Technologies in Product Innovation, and Design Thinking and Customer Discovery. Beginning Spring of 2025, Professor Histand will spearhead the launch of the new course EGEN 2500 Social Impact Entrepreneurship and guide the new social entrepreneurship track within the Engineering Entrepreneurship program.

Professor Matt Gerstle

Professor Matt Gerstle brings over 15 years of experience in design and strategic marketing to Villanova's Engineering Entrepreneurship program. With an Industrial Design degree from the University of Cincinnati's DAAP College, he has launched 100+ award-winning products, primarily in startups and small businesses. His career includes founding Tassi, LLC and Mountain Racing, Inc., as well as leadership roles at Illumyx and Huggies. Joining Villanova as an adjunct professor in 2023, Gerstle applies his practical experience to inspire students in product development. He currently teaches Design Thinking and Customer Discovery, and Product and Service Prototyping, helping students build customer-focused products and encouraging them to launch their own ventures.

Professor Michael Titus

Professor Michael Titus, a native of Southeastern Pennsylvania, holds degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Villanova University (1999) and a law degree from Villanova Law School (2002). After practicing law for 8 years, he transitioned to Financial Services, leading organizations at Prudential Financial. In 2021, he completed the Sloan Fellows program at Stanford Graduate School of Business, focusing on entrepreneurship, AI, and API platforms. Currently, Titus is SVP of Distribution at DPL Financial Partners, a late-stage fintech startup. He joined Villanova's Engineering Entrepreneurship program as an adjunct professor in 2024, teaching Design Thinking and Customer Discovery, and Product and Service Prototyping, leveraging his expertise in go-to-market strategy and product launch.

Dr. Tom Edwards

Interim Director of the Department of Engineering, Technology and Management at Temple University, Dr. Tom Edwards pursues organizational innovation from the perspectives of research, practical application, and teaching. Tom began his engineering career working on rocket motor and spacecraft projects. He later served as Division General Manager with P&L responsibility for a NYSE listed firm. Tom then accepted the challenge of building a culture of innovation at the company. This practical experience is augmented by doctoral research into what makes organizations innovative. Tom currently serves as an adjunct professor for the Engineering Entrepreneurship Summer Institute, where he teaches both Design Thinking and Customer Discovery, and Product and Service Prototyping.

Jason Craparo

Jason Craparo is the founder and CEO of Hovr, a venture-backed no-code digital marketing and technology company. Under his leadership, Hovr has secured 12 patents and raised $9M from over 30 investors. Previously, he served on the executive team at Juma Ventures, a social enterprise supporting youth education. Jason holds a BA from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Babson College, where he received top university honors. He's active in alumni associations and has an appointment to San Diego's Equal Opportunity Commission. Jason mentors startups and judges business competitions, and has helped prepare contestants for Veteran’s Shark Tank and ABC's Shark Tank. Jason will serve as the 2024-2025 Entrepreneur in Residence for Villanova's Engineering Entrepreneurship program, bringing his expertise to student ventures.