Jason Brewster is the Director of Venture Programs for UVA Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology. While at Darden he has worked with over 400 founders to help them create startups.
Darden has a large community of entrepreneurs, and continues to grow resources for students to become founders. There is no shortage of obstacles when starting a venture, the i.Lab provides a structure for students going through the process. In his time at Darden, Brewster has started to see a few patterns pop-up in the creation of startups. From procuring funding and founder dynamics to confirmation bias and reluctance to change a product or idea, he helps guide students.
Become a founder with the i.Lab
Brewster has been a founder many times throughout his career, starting by mowing lawns for his neighbors. He is drawn to the agency that comes with owning your own business.
The i.Lab Incubator supports UVA founders committed to building and growing early-stage ventures they want to see in the world with cohort-based strategic operational, legal, mentoring and financial support. It gives students a business framework to help them grown their ideas.
Who gets to be part of the incubator?
Dedicated founders that have traction with their idea, efforts to market their product effective and students looking to do things in the non-profit space.
The students at UVA and at Darden bring a lot of intellectual capability to the table. They have a passion around startup creation and trying to do things to change and better the world.
Effectuation
Brewster defines effectuation as “doing, and doing now.” Entrepreneurship thrives on the actions of iterating an idea and product to become perfect for market.
Funding isn’t essential when growing a startup (depending on the venture). Brewster says some of the best ideas are hobbies or class projects that can be grown into a larger idea.
Effectuation is just one strategy to creating a successful venture. Listen to Jason Brewster’s full conversation on the ExecMBA podcast below!
