Tuesday, October 21

Celebrate Design for IMPACT (Private)

Palmer House
1 Bayard Lane

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

  • 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
  • 4:30 pm - Fireside Chat - Critical by Design: Mastering the Tools to Build What Matters
  • 5:30 pm - Networking
  • 6:30 pm - Event concludes

RSVP to Celebrate Design for Impact

Wednesday, October 22

Innovation Forum

Innovation Forum is an annual competition and networking event designed to showcase the groundbreaking research of Princeton University's STEM and Humanities faculty, researchers, postdocs, and graduate students. The event aims to emphasize the broader societal impact of their work beyond academia. Participants will take the stage to present their novel projects to our esteemed judges, vying for a share of $50,000 in prize money. Attendees are invited to connect with the presenters at the demo station and networking reception, offering a unique opportunity to engage directly with cutting-edge researchers and innovators.

Welcome Breakfast (Private)

9:30 am - Frist Campus Center
Multipurpose Room C

This pre-forum event will allow you to network with forum presenters, judges, and other invited guests. 
RSVP to the Welcome Breakfast

Opening Remarks

10:30 am - Frist Campus Center
Multipurpose Rooms A-B

Panel Discussion - Beyond the Pitch: Ventures Built on Context, Critique, and Rigor

10:40 am - Frist Campus Center
Multipurpose Rooms A-B

Great ventures aren’t born from the pitch alone — they emerge from deep context, rigorous analysis, and the willingness to challenge assumptions. This panel showcases how Design for Impact equips faculty teams to pair entrepreneurial critique with the hard skills of venture-building, producing ideas that are not only innovative but durable and socially relevant.

Lunch, Networking & Demo Stations (Public)

11:45 am - Frist Campus Center
Multipurpose Room C

Join the conversation. Over a light lunch, industry experts, business leaders, and faculty members will lead participants in guided conversations focused on the unique intersection of academia, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

Topic 1: What I Wish I Knew: Navigating the Tools of Venture Creation

Entrepreneurship requires more than inspiration — it demands mastery of the practical tools that turn ideas into ventures. This session surfaces the hard-won lessons of strategy, markets, and execution that every founder wishes they had known earlier. Participants will explore how instrumental skills, from business models to scaling tactics, can make the difference between promise and impact.

Topic 2: Critique as Catalyst: How Design Critique Accelerates Ventures

Breakthrough ventures are not built on speed alone, but on reflection, challenge, and refinement. This session introduces design critique as a structured practice that sharpens ideas, reveals blind spots, and accelerates innovation. Participants will see how critique, drawn from design and adapted to entrepreneurship, can transform early concepts into ventures built to endure.

Remarks (Public) 

Innovation Pitches (Public)

1 pm - Frist Campus Center
Multipurpose Rooms A-B

Register to attend Innovation Forum

For questions, please contact Gina Guarino.