« Return to I&E Programming

This collaborate series highlights and features speakers from across the University System, aimed at advancing innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) initiatives. These events bring together faculty, staff, and thought leaders from multiple institutions to share insights, best practices, and emerging strategies in the I&E space. By fostering cross-campus dialogue and showcasing diverse approaches to entrepreneurial education and innovation programming, the series strengthens system-wide efforts and encourages alignment around shared goals. It also serves as a platform for building partnerships, and inspiring new initiatives that benefit students and communities throughout the state.

Fall 2026 I&E Speaker Schedule

Consolidating Innovation Resources
Thursday, September 24, 2026, 1:00-2:00p

Chris Rhodes, Executive Director, Innovation District, University of Georgia
The University of Georgia’s innovation ecosystem, while successful in many ways, is relatively young. With the decision to hire an Executive Director of the Innovation District in November 2024, President Jere Morehead set a path to have the different sources and support for innovation on campus work together more productively to have higher output, bigger projects, and a stronger culture of innovation on campus. Chris’s talk will describe the path of bringing together the parts of the Innovation District, plus the ~100 other innovation centers on campus into a cohesive whole, while maintaining the important parts of their independence.

Fostering Decisive Student Founders: Institutional Strategies for Navigating Uncertainty and Building Venture Resilience
October 22, 2026, at 1:00 – 2:00p

Everod Davis, Assistant Dean, School of Business, Middle Georgia University
This session would explore how institutions can systematically coach student founders to navigate uncertainty. As institutions, we recognize that supporting student entrepreneurs will require more than funding and pitch competitions, it will demand that we teach the cognitive and change management frameworks needed to navigate the high-stakes ambiguity which are going to present themselves especially to inexperienced startup founders, our students. 

Integrating Entrepreneurship Education through Experiential Learning
Thursday, December 10, 2026, at 1:00-2:00p

Tatyana Pashnyak, Lecturer, Stafford School of Business, ABAC
This session will highlight ABAC’s new Spring 2026 Start-Up Initiative, an experiential learning model that merges MGMT 4220 Entrepreneurship with a Special Topics course. Through this integrated program, students will develop real-world start-ups, create comprehensive business plans, and engage directly with business and industry mentors throughout the semester. The initiative also features guest speakers who bring diverse professional insights, helping students connect classroom learning with practical entrepreneurial experiences. The session will discuss program structure, community partnerships, and strategies for fostering innovation and career readiness among students.

Archived Speakers