Letter from the Director When Lehigh established its exclusive academicin-residence partnership with the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco in January 2017, it was an exhilarating time of change and growth for our University. The future was ours for the making. We saw an opportunity to create value for our students and our broader community, took a calculated risk in the midst of uncertainty, and applied creativity and innovation to build our own startup, a first of its kind partnership for the advancement of entrepreneurial education: Lehigh@NasdaqCenter. When we set out on our mission to educate, connect, and inspire the next generation of global entrepreneurial leaders, little did we know the transformative impact we could truly have on the lives of students and aspiring entrepreneurs around the world. In our work with students, we often look to the future: to solve big problems, tackle challenges that will make the world a better place, or even simply build something new. At Lehigh, that entrepreneurial spirit is embedded in the very fabric of our university’s history, founded by Asa Packer, one of the greatest entrepreneurs of his time. Though times have changed, and we may use different tools, our spirit remains the same: we forge ahead into the future, building tracks to new lives for the students who walk our halls. Since launching in 2017, Lehigh@NasdaqCenter has built pathways for more than 1600 students from 78 different majors, 48% of whom are female and 48% of whom identify as an ethnic minority. This program has been instrumental in redefining access to the very communities that have traditionally been underserved and underrepresented. Lehigh is committed to empowering all students with the mindsets, skills, and agency to create lives of meaning and impact in the world. We are proud of the integral role we have played and the impactful work we have done in partnering with our colleagues to foster Lehigh University's vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, which prepares the next generation of risk takers and change makers. Whether bound for established businesses or set to start new ones, our students develop an entrepreneurial mindset and the skills needed to transform and innovate. Our programs combine our nationally recognized research with classroom learning and hands -on experience to ensure that students go on to be the leaders that change the world. Over the course of the last 8 incredible years, it has been our greatest privilege to watch as our students have applied their learning to go on and make an impact in their communities. We believe an entrepreneurial mindset can be taught, and we hope you’ll enjoy reading some of the stories of how our program has been able to successfully achieve that. Today, owing to this historic partnership, Lehigh University is poised to take on new challenges and more promising opportunities. Above all, we recognized early on, and believe all the more now, that if a student plans to answer a calling as an entrepreneur, one of the best places to experience entrepreneurship (but by no means the only place) is Silicon Valley. As for what comes next for us, we will be proceeding uninterrupted. We will not only maintain our current presence in Silicon Valley but also enhance our programming in the region and across the country, including at our home campus in the Lehigh Valley, PA. Our hope is to continue to remind our students and the broader Lehigh community for years to come that there’s not just one path to entrepreneurship, there are many. What’s yours? sincerely, dr. Samantha Dewalt Managing Director “Our programs combine our nationally recognized research with classroom learning and hands-on experience to ensure that students go on to be the leaders that change the world.” 01 | Lehigh@NasdaqCenter
We believe that fostering an entrepreneurial mindset in students across all disciplines and from diverse backgrounds will help create tomorrow’s risk-takers and change-makers.” —Joseph J. Helble, LEHIGH UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT Lehigh@NasdaqCenter | 02 what is In 2017, Lehigh University launched an exclusive education-industry partnership with the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco to foster the entrepreneurial mindset in students from diverse backgrounds and across all disciplines to create the risk-takers and changemakers of tomorrow. Since its establishment, Lehigh@NasdaqCenter has accelerated student transformation and societal impact through its inclusive approach to entrepreneurship education, research, and thought leadership. By instilling participating students with the essential entrepreneurial mindsets, skills, and agency, the center has empowered them to make a positive impact on the world. Our programs will continue to connect the Lehigh Valley to Silicon Valley while bridging the academic and professional worlds to build entrepreneurial leaders who transform businesses, organizations, and new ventures for today and tomorrow. Building the next entrepreneurs to transform businesses, organizations, and new ventures for today and tomorrow
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