Across and beyond Grounds there are a number of student communities supporting entrepreneurial initiatives. The UVA Alumni Association suggests that student self-governance “requires that students take responsibility for themselves as constituents and as representatives of the University community.” UVA's Dean of Students refers to this self-governance as “the entrustment of much decision making to students.”
In line with the history and culture of student self-governance at UVA, students and the organizations they manage (CIOs, or Contracted Independent Organizations) are considered key partners in the University's Entrepreneurship efforts. In fact, a great proportion of UVA's entrepreneurship programming is managed in part, if not entirely, by students. What follows is a list of UVA's most active, Entrepreneurship-focused students organizations:
Business Innovation & Design Club
The Darden Business Innovation & Design Club exists to foster a community around, promote the ideals of, and encourage career paths that incorporate design methodologies in leading organizations, solving business challenges, and facilitating innovation.
Enactus
Enactus students apply business skills to community projects to address social, economic, and environmental concerns both in Charlottesville and in the greater global community.
Engineers Going Global
The mission of Engingeers Going Global is to inspire students to be proactive and contextually-aware Engineers who empower communities to attain their basic human needs in a sustainable manner.
Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Group
Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital (aka, EVC) is Darden’s forum for sharing and gaining ideas about starting and building new ventures. The Club provides an opportunity to meet successful entrepreneurs, sponsors educational lectures on the many facets of starting a business, helps students formulate business plans for the spring Business Plan Competition, and assists students in career searches.
Entrepreneurship & Innovations Council
The mission of the Entrepreneurship and Innovations team (aka, EIC) within Student Council is to facilitate the development of student entrepreneurial ecosystem at the University. With support from the Jefferson Trust and in collaboration with the many entrepreneurship-related student and school groups around Grounds, we will achieve our mission, and just maybe, Jefferson’s wish of his students.
Emerging Companies & Venture Capital
The Virginia Emerging Companies and Venture Capital team (aka, ECVC) is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurial initiatives across Grounds, connecting law students with students from other schools and serving as a hub for those interested in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial law.
Forge
Forge develops the skills, networks, and entrepreneurial ability of talented U.Va. students through experiential programs and tight-knit community. The organization offers 10-week programs in everything from entrepreneurship to photography to data science.
Hack.UVA
Hack.UVA is programming event (or, hackathon) during which developers, designers, and entrepreneurs work together to create a web or mobile application/platform from scratch. Prizes are awarded to the top hacks, there is no entrance fee, and all meals are free.
Health Unbound
Health Unbound (aka, HooHUB) helps students access resources such as space and project management for health innovation projects and sponsors students to attend workshops and conferences to build their skill sets. They also encourage students to explore different career opportunities in health by facilitating networking between health fields and students via events such as medical hackathons and making connections between students and companies.
Impact Ventures
Darden Impact Ventures is a student-run venture fund that partners with and supports innovative for-profit enterprises focused on generating financial and social or environmental returns. President, Courtenay Seldon.
Nano and Emerging Technologies Club
The Nano and Emerging Technologies Club (aka, NExT) is devoted to raising awareness of current research and potential applications of nano and emerging technologies, building an interdisciplinary community of students interested in technologies of the future, facilitating interaction with faculty and industry, and promoting science and engineering innovation.
SEED
Student Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (aka, SEED) aims to help small and start-up NGOs worldwide by offering free consulting services in the areas of microfinance, operational efficiency, and marketing strategy. By incorporating best practices, we aim to help foster economic development in local communities. SEED also strives to encourage social entrepreneurship within the University of Virginia community by hosting educational conferences and workshops and serving as a resource for networking between students and active practitioners.
Technology Club
The Darden Technology Club (aka, DTC) is an industry-oriented club dedicated to connecting members to opportunities at tech companies, providing industry knowledge from thought leaders, offering hands on skills training, and providing mentorship and recruiting support.
Virginia Venture Fund
The mission of Virginia Venture Fund (aka VVF) is to educate students about early stage investing by hosting hands on workshops with industry professionals, completing due diligence for partner VC firms, deal sourcing for our network of investors in the Mid-Atlantic region, and advising UVA student startups.