Jim Chung Reflects on 14 Years at GW's Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

As I reflect on my 14-year tenure founding and leading the GW Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, I feel immense pride and gratitude. When I began this journey in 2010, the innovation landscape at GW was just starting to take shape. Trailblazers in entrepreneurship education like GW School of Business Profs. Erik Winslow and George Solomon and New Venture Competition founder John Rollins had already gotten the ball rolling. The GW Entrepreneurs Roundtable, led by Peter Weissman (JD ‘96), advocated further for there to be a central office at GW supporting students and faculty from all schools  in their entrepreneurial pursuits. Thanks to the vision of then President Steven Knapp and Vice President for Research Leo Chalupa, the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship was born. The vision was clear: to cultivate a thriving ecosystem that would nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of our GW community, while also positioning GW as a leading university for innovation.

The Genesis of OIE

Starting OIE was similar to launching a startup. There were numerous challenges, but the excitement of building something transformative from the ground up was exhilarating. The office began with a handful of dedicated individuals and a vision to inspire, educate, and empower the next generation of innovators. Our early efforts laid the groundwork for what would become a dynamic and influential force within GW and beyond. Since then, we have fostered over 350 startups, $1.8 billion in follow-on funding, $4.6 million in NSF I-Corps funding, and international programs in 22 countries.

Growth and Evolution

Over the years, OIE has grown tremendously. The GW New Venture Competition (NVC) has  become one of the largest collegiate entrepreneurship competitions in the nation, and provided hundreds of participants with resources, mentorship, and funding to bring their innovative ideas to life. The NSF I-Corps program is one of the most significant initiatives supporting technology commercialization from academia, with thousands of researchers transforming the culture of innovation at universities  across the United States. OIE has also grown outside of the GW entrepreneurial community to support startup ecosystems locally and globally through programs like the Entrepreneur Development Network DC, GW x Penn West Global Build Fellowship, BuildWithin Tech Apprenticeships, and the Korea Innovation Center Tech Frontier.

Our team has  been the key to driving  OIE’s success as their dedication, creativity, and unwavering commitment have been the cornerstone of our achievements. I am incredibly grateful for their hard work and enthusiasm, and especially want to shout out the current OIE team of Bob Smith, Kate Heath, Sean Connelly, Seraphina DiSalvo, Sarah Leary, Mohammad Dembele, Wince Glory, and Kerry Slattery. I also want to thank Dan Kunitz, Lex McCusker, Scott Stein, Jasmine Bautista, Ash Asher, Brian Coblitz, Dave McCarthy, Ryan Salandy, Jessica Vodilka, and David Powell for their pivotal contributions in previous years.

Of course, the network of colleagues, deans, professors, alumni, mentors, judges, sponsors and community partners supporting OIE has been critical in creating opportunities for our GW community and ensuring the sustainability of our programs. I wish I could name everyone who has played such an important role in the development of OIE, but the list would be overwhelming.

Passing the Torch

As I step down from my role, I am delighted that Bob Smith will be taking over the leadership of the office. Since early on, Bob has been integral to OIE programming, and the GW community is fortunate that he will continue bringing his leadership and experience to our efforts.

Looking Ahead