Vida Williams, left, and Tabitha Geary Tate joined the da Vinci Center this semester.

Jan. 25, 2017

VCU da Vinci Center announces spring residencies

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By Leila Ugincius

To reflect its evolution from an academic center to an academic and experiential center serving all students, the Virginia Commonwealth University da Vinci Center welcomes two high-profile community leaders in key roles this semester.

Tabitha Geary Tate and Vida Williams join the da Vinci Center as, respectively, entrepreneur-in-residence and innovator-in-residence. Each brings more than 20 years of experience to their positions.

“These two new roles will simultaneously support our students in and out of the classroom while advancing Venture Creation University in the local and national entrepreneurship and innovation community,” said Garret Westlake, executive director of the da Vinci Center.

Students in the center’s product innovation program will benefit from Tate’s extensive marketing and communications experience for Fortune 500 companies. As an instructor at the undergraduate and graduate level, she will be an invaluable resource in the heavily experiential and applied product innovation program.

Tate will also lead VCU’s inaugural Startup Spring Break, which will provide up to 20 VCU student startups the opportunity to engage industry leaders, mentors and investors in an extreme startup boot camp during spring break, March 6–10.

Venture Creation University

Venture Creation University is VCU's strategy for ensuring all students are exposed to innovation and entrepreneurship and have access to entrepreneurial pathways. To find out more about this effort, and to learn about innovation and entrepreneurial programs offered at VCU, visit entrepreneurship.vcu.edu.

Williams, founder and managing partner at the Axis Partners, is a visionary and connector who embodies the type of innovative spirit the da Vinci Center strives to impart in its students. In fall 2016, Williams led the center’s entrepreneurship offering as part of the VCU-SIVA certificate program for visiting scholars from China. Williams brings her extensive experience as an innovator to her Venture Creation course that inspires and mentors budding VCU entrepreneurs.

Williams will also assist on special projects designed to further integrate VCU and the da Vinci Center with the local Richmond community.

A collaboration of VCU’s schools of the Arts, Business and Engineering and College of Humanities and Sciences, the VCU da Vinci Center is a unique collegiate model that advances innovation and entrepreneurship through cross-disciplinary collaboration.