UVA Innovates

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Two scientists in lab coats working in a laboratory with shelves of supplies and a central window in the background. Text reads: "UVA Innovates Annual Impact Report 2024–2025. Empowering Innovators for the Greater Good. UVA Innovates is a platform to catalyze innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Virginia."

UVA Innovates Impact Report 2024-2025

The 2024-2025 Impact Report highlights a transformative year for UVA Innovates, marking a bold new chapter in the University of Virginia’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. Over the past year, we launched three Signature Initiatives—The Foundry, Enterprise Studio, and Commonwealth BioAccelerator—designed to support students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners. In collaboration with Ecosystem Partners across UVA and Commonwealth Partnerships, these efforts are amplifying resources, fostering technological leadership, and driving economic growth across Virginia.
UVA fourth-year student Hunter Hicks is a numismatist, or a coin collector, a passion he picked up at just 10 years old. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)

Meet the UVA Student Building a Rare Coin Empire

University of Virginia fourth-year student Hunter Hicks is turning a childhood passion into a thriving business. Founder of Hicks Coins, Hicks has built a rare coin empire generating over $960,000 in revenue in 2024, all while studying at UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and majoring in economics.
news.virginia.edu
Paul Cherukuri (Photo Credit: Rice University)

UVA Names Paul Cherukuri as Institution’s First Chief Innovation Officer

After a national search, the University of Virginia has named Paul Cherukuri its first chief innovation officer and the Donna and Richard Tadler University Professor of Entrepreneurship, pending approval by the Board of Visitors. He will begin on October 1. He will also hold faculty appointments in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the McIntire School of Commerce.
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Rethinking Startup Funding: What Entrepreneurs Should Do Before Raising Cash

The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business challenges conventional startup wisdom with insights from Professor Saras Sarasvathy, a global authority on entrepreneurial thinking. In her article, Sarasvathy emphasizes that formal funding isn’t essential to launch a successful business. Instead, she advocates for effectuation, a mindset where entrepreneurs build ventures using available resources, relationships, and stakeholder collaboration.
ideas.darden.virginia.edu
An illustration of a human brain in white outline is centered on an orange background with concentric black circles radiating outward from the left and right sides. Illustration by John DiJulio, University Communications

UVA Aims to Improve Brain Cancer Care Using AI

University of Virginia School of Medicine scientists are tapping the power of artificial intelligence to enhance and accelerate treatment for glioblastoma, the deadliest brain cancer. UVA researcher Bijoy Kundu, PhD, and colleagues are developing an AI imaging approach to distinguish between tumor progression and brain changes caused by tumor treatment. It now can take months to make that distinction, leaving doctors uncertain if the tumor is growing and stalling important care decisions.
news.med.virginia.edu
Close-up of a magnifying glass focusing on a question mark puzzle piece among scattered jigsaw puzzle pieces, symbolizing problem-solving and finding answers.

A Playbook for Uncertain Times: What Entrepreneurs Can Teach Us

To help business leaders navigate this uncertainty, Ideas to Action spoke with University of Virginia Darden School of Business Professor Saras Sarasvathy, an expert on high-performance entrepreneurship. As Sarasvathy has found, entrepreneurs become experts at navigating the extreme uncertainty inherent in starting a new venture.
ideas.darden.virginia.edu