da Vinci Center News

After getting a taste of VCU in high school, fashion major nurtured her passion and summoned pandemic-era perseverance to reach the big city, starting with New York Fashion Week. “She also cited the impact of Charles Ajemian, a Richmond-area innovation technologist who taught her Conscious Capitalism course at the da Vinci Center. Woods said she […]

“Design thinking combines what is desirable, from a human point of view, with what is technologically feasible and economically viable, according to IDEO, a global design company. Many business leaders adopt design thinking as a common-sense approach to solving complex problems.” Learn more>>

“The Virginia Commonwealth University da Vinci Center for Innovation is bringing to VCU the LEGO Serious Play method, a process that combines specific teaching principles, professional development and a specially formulated set of LEGO bricks to create a hands-on learning environment where participants can facilitate a deeper dialogue around problem-solving and design thinking in the […]

“Bet on yourself – from incubation to innovation. Our da Vinci Center for Innovation’s Shift Retail Lab, recognized in 2022 by Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards, is a first-of-its-kind storefront that lets students, past and present, test their products, services and ideas with real-world customers. It’s one of many opportunities available to aspiring entrepreneurs, including our skill-building […]

“Virginia is home to 320-plus VCU alumni-owned businesses, more than 180 based in Richmond alone. VCU alumni reported owning more than 480 businesses in January 2023. Of those, 38% were owned by Black and Indigenous people of color, and 47% were women-owned. And you don’t have to wait until you graduate to start your business: […]

“SISU: The Innovation Institute at Northern Michigan University and Innovate Marquette are partnering to present their inaugural Innovation Week, a professional development conference bringing together thought leaders and creative minds in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Registration is now open for the event, which will be held May 8-10 at NMU’s Forest Roberts Theatre. The schedule features keynote […]

The Dominion Energy Innovation Center, an Ashland-based startup incubator, is adding a pitch competition focused on the nuclear and hydrogen energy sectors to its programming lineup. The DEIC plans to hold the first session of its new Spark Virginia program in late February in Richmond. The program is aimed at budding startup founders in Virginia […]

“With the Acropolis and other classical ancient Greek ruins just a short walk from Fotis Sotiropoulos’ childhood home in Athens, it’s easy to understand why he wanted to be an archaeologist early on. But after discovering his love of mathematics in high school, the path he chose was mechanical engineering, a field that has served […]

Master of Product Innovation Graduate, Julien Reininger was featured in Richmond Magazine for his sustainable vegan snack brand, Jacked! Jackfruit Jerky. Check out the full article to learn about his business and the unique flavors he offers!Learn more>>

“Sandbox regulation ultimately provides more consumer protections. According to the Financial Conduct Authority, or FCA, it improves business models in an isolated software environment such as cryptocurrency. The FCA regulates financial services firms and financial markets in the U.K.Policy such as sandbox regulation helps companies innovate but with oversight. According to FCA, it can build […]