Program details
The Wharton Venture Initiation Program accepts applications three times per year, for fall, spring, and summer semesters (in September, December, and April). University of Pennsylvania students enrolled in degree-granting programs are eligible to apply. Once accepted into the program, students are eligible to remain for five contiguous semesters, subject to satisfactory venture progress which is evaluated at the end of each semester based on students' written re-applications to the program. Program members are expected to engage in:
- membership in a vibrant entrepreneurial community of Wharton and Penn students
- monthly advising sessions
- educational programming (Wednesday bi-weekly 7:30am breakfast sessions)
- networking opportunities
- use of shared office space
How to know if you are ready to apply
- You have conducted significant research on your venture idea, including defining the business model, market opportunity, and competitors.
- Your team is not missing a vital member (for example, if you are a technology company and still seeking a CTO then you should wait until you have filled that position before applying).
- You have had preliminary conversations with potential customers about your product or service and have begun integrating that feedback into your venture's development.
- You can demonstrate how you will benefit from participation in the program as well as add value to the community.
If you are not ready to apply, you should take advantage of other Wharton, University of Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia resources to develop your venture further and apply to VIP in a later semester.
VIP Advisors
Jeffrey Babin
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Jeffrey Babin has more than 20 years of experience developing business strategies for emerging companies as well as Fortune 500 clients. Jeffrey is a Managing Director and founder of Antiphony Partners, LLC , a strategic consulting firm that specializes in helping companies create sustainable value through innovation. Prior to Antiphony, he served as CEO of Corporate Technology Ventures, a company he founded and grew into one of the nation’s premier medical software publishing companies. He serves as a Senior Lecturer and Associate Director in Engineering Entrepreneurship at the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and is the India Country Manager for the Wharton Global Consulting Practicum , both at the University of Pennsylvania. Jeffrey currently holds an appointment as a Lecturer in Marketing and was a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship for the Wharton School . He is the Wharton Venture Initiation Program Advisor and is an Entrepreneurial Fellow for the Weiss Tech House . Jeffrey is a founding member of the Mid-Atlantic Angel Group Fund, a $4.2MM seed and early stage investment fund. Jeffrey earned a B.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from The Wharton School.
Rob Weber
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Rob Weber has focused his entire career around starting and building emerging growth technology businesses. He is currently CEO of AgileSwitch, LLC, a manufacturer of power electronics for renewable energy applications. Prior to AgileSwitch, Rob was a Managing Director of Antiphony Partners, LLC , a management consulting firm that helps companies create sustainable value through innovation. Prior to Antiphony, Rob was President of Intellifit Corporation a provider of guaranteed fit technology for on-line apparel shopping, a venture backed company that was sold in early 2009.
Prior to Antiphony he served as President of knoa, an e-learning software company, where he successfully redefined the corporate product strategy and repositioned the company to capitalize on new market opportunities. Prior to knoa he served as President of Elastomeric Technologies, a leading electronic connector manufacturer. Rob joined Elastomeric as President in 1990, turned the company around and sold the venture backed firm to Tyco International (Formerly Augat Corp) in 1995.
In 1984 Rob became an early team member and served as Marketing Director for Ensoniq Corp, a leading manufacturer of electronic musical instruments and multimedia products, where he led the development of the company's marketing and business plan and venture capital financing efforts through 1988. Ensoniq was sold to Creative Technologies of Singapore. He started his career in venture capital with the investment banking firm of Howard, Lawson & Company.
Rob is a co-founder of Robin Hood Ventures, an angel investment group focused on emerging growth companies, and the Mid-Atlantic Angel Group Fund.
Rob serves as Lecturer and Senior Fellow for the Fisher Program in Management & Technology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches business planning and entrepreneurial management. In addition, he is a faculty member in Penn Engineering’s Executive Master’s in Technology Management program. He is a graduate of the Fisher Program where he earned Bachelor of Science in Economics (B.S.E.) and Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) degrees from The Wharton School and School of Engineering.
