Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Time: 4 to 6:30 pm

Location: Palmer House, 1 Bayard Lane, Princeton, NJ 08542

Objectives

Communicating DFI’s unique value proposition, community building and highlighting DFI projects and progress.

Description

Join us for an evening celebrating Design for Impact — a university-wide initiative helping faculty teams transform ideas into enduring ventures. This intimate gathering brings together DFI faculty teams and stakeholders for an evening of reflection and exchange. The fireside chat will explore how critique and mastery of entrepreneurial tools combine to accelerate ventures and expand their societal impact. The program concludes with a networking reception to deepen connections across disciplines and teams.

Agenda

Panel and presentation followed by happy hour and networking.

4 pm

Registration opens

4:15 pm

Opening remarks

• Manish Bhardwaj, Director of Design for Impact Program in Humanities and Social Sciences
• Nena Golubovic, Director of Design for Impact Program in Sciences and Engineering

Parlor

4:30 pm

Fireside Chat - Critical by Design: Mastering the Tools to Build What Matters

We will discuss how critique and mastery of entrepreneurial tools combine to accelerate ventures and expand their societal impact.

• Elena Araoz, Senior Lecturer in Theater in the Lewis Center for the Arts
• Bryant Adibe, Professional Specialist, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs; Lecturer in Public and International Affairs
• Rita McGrath, Professor at Columbia Business School

Parlor

5:30 pm

Networking

Solarium/All rooms

6:30 pm

Event concludes

---

Join us for Innovation Forum

We hope to see you again tomorrow at 10:30 am in the Frist Campus Center for Innovation Forum, our annual competition and networking event that showcases Princeton University research with commercialization, cultural, or societal potential. Register now.