Brandon Price, Ph.D.: Connecting innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership in the Engineering Management master’s program
Engineering Management instructor spotlight
Brandon Price, Ph.D., has spent his career driving scientific innovation, building companies and leading organizations worldwide. Today, he applies those experiences to a different but equally exciting challenge: helping students in Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) College of Engineering develop the judgment, leadership skills and confidence needed to guide people, projects and organizations.
Price is a scientist, businessman, entrepreneur, professor and angel investor with more than 40 years in the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries. As an adjunct professor at the college, Price teaches “Entrepreneurship and Business Planning for Innovation-Driven Startups,” a course shaped by his experience of decision-making with high-stakes environments – from pioneering medical technologies to serving as CEO, raising capital and guiding companies through growth and change.
I never had a business course at all in college… But of course, if you’re a CEO, you’ve got ultimate responsibilities for marketing, sales, finance and accounting. I learned a lot because I did it.
That experience-driven path shapes how he teaches, by emphasizing active learning and decision-making in real-world situations, helping students build practical judgment and confidence.
For early- or mid-career engineering management students in particular, Price believes entrepreneurship education is a natural fit. Engineers, he notes, drive the majority of the world’s innovation, yet often lack formal training in commercialization, market strategy and leadership. His course helps bridge that gap by teaching students how to evaluate ideas, build teams, understand markets and act decisively.
Price’s career began in science. He holds a Ph.D. in theoretical biophysics from the University of Michigan and was among the early pioneers of flow cytometry while at Los Alamos National Laboratory, a technology that helped transform medical diagnostics. Over time, his work took him out of the lab and onto a leadership path that intersected with business strategy and development. In 2001, his contributions to the field were recognized when he was named Biotechnology Leader of the Year by the Virginia Biotechnology Association.
Throughout his career, Price has raised more than a billion dollars for companies and worked with startups and research institutions across North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. He currently advises early-stage companies and serves on international boards focused on entrepreneurship and economic development, including the African Business Entrepreneurship and Research Society. In 2025, his global work in innovation and entrepreneurship was recognized when he received the International Icons of Change and the African Ambassador of Change awards for leadership that creates economic and social impact across borders.
That international perspective is a key part of what he brings to VCU students. Price challenges students to think beyond U.S. borders, reminding them that most future customers, markets and growth opportunities lie outside the United States.
One of his central lessons in entrepreneurship is the importance of urgency. “If you snooze, you lose,” Price said. “It’s important in marketing, it’s important in sales, it’s important in product development.”
For prospective students considering VCU’s Engineering Management master’s program, Price encourages them to look for an academic program that combines technical depth with real-world leadership preparation. “I’m giving them tools, and teaching them how to use the tools,” he said.
The VCU College of Engineering offers innovative undergraduate and graduate degree programs tailored to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving engineering field. As part of a premier research university, students are given the opportunity to perform real-world research in our state-of-the-art facilities as soon as they enroll. Browse videos and recent news to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.
Categories General College