Emerson Consequential Scholars Program
Are you a Stanford post doc, interested in Emerson Consequential Scholars programming? Click here to sign up for information and updates on our upcoming seminar series and post doc programming.
A comprehensive deep-dive into the world of entrepreneurship
The Emerson Consequential Scholars (ECS) family of programs offers Stanford academics a comprehensive deep dive into the world of entrepreneurship and what it means to embrace the entrepreneurial mindset in their work. Through workshops, team projects, case studies, field experiences, reflection, mentoring, seminars, and networking activities, scholars will build the knowledge, skills, and mindset needed to tackle entrepreneurial challenges and incorporate those lessons into their personal and professional development.
ECS offers three distinct programs: a PhD cohort, a Postdoctoral cohort, and a curated Seminar Series. The ECS PhD cohort meets over the Fall and Winter quarter. The ECS Postdoctoral cohort meets over the Winter and Spring quarter. The ECS Seminar Series takes place in the Winter quarter.
Current Cohort
Year-at-a-Glance
PhD pROGRAM
Fall & Winter Quarter
The fall quarter is designed as a 1-unit course that meets for 10 sessions on a weekly basis. Through workshops, team projects, case studies, field experiences, reflection exercises, and mentoring and networking opportunities, students will learn how to foster the entrepreneurial mindset, address critical entrepreneurial challenges, and apply these insights to their personal and professional growth.
The winter quarter is a 1-unit course that meets for 10 sessions on a weekly basis. We dive deeper into communication and storytelling. As a final project, students will create and deliver presentations to venture capitalists based on their research in a venture-style pitch deck.
Eligibility: This program is open to current Stanford PhD students who have successfully completed their departmental qualifying exams.
sEMINAR sERIES
Winter & Spring Quarter
The Seminar Series is a set of curated events that will feature an extraordinary group of leaders who have received their PhD, all of whom have walked a unique path and derived value from embracing an entrepreneurial mindset. These seminars will include speakers such as company founders, senior employees, government officials, nonprofit leaders, and top-tier researchers. Each seminar will be centered on a specific topic, such as artificial intelligence, climate, healthcare, robotics, biotech, and government. The Seminar Series will begin in the Winter quarter and continue through the Spring.
Eligibility: 2024-2025 ECS PhD students will have first priority to attend the Seminar Series. The series will also be open to other PhDs and Postdocs on a first come, first served basis. Note that the Seminar Series will be recorded live, and students from other universities will have the option to participate virtually.
Postdoctorial Program
Winter & Spring Quarter
The ECS Postdoctoral program offers a series of professional development workshops to equip postdoctoral students with a holistic understanding of entrepreneurship, from building diverse and inclusive teams to raising capital. Special emphasis will be placed on applications of the entrepreneurial mindset to building and leading new organizations, whether in academia or industry. This program will begin in the Winter quarter and extend through the Spring. The cohort will meet every other week in the evening at the Emerson Collective office in downtown Palo Alto, beginning in February and ending in June.
Eligibility: This program is open to current Stanford Postdoctoral students only. Applications will open in the Spring.
Teaching Team
Program Information
Both the ECS PhD and Postdoctoral cohort programs will provide scholars with the opportunity to learn about the entrepreneurial mindset and journey, including the skills and possibilities of technology commercialization, opportunity evaluation, and inclusive leadership. The programs recruit scholars whose research and ambitions demonstrate a motivation to make a positive impact on the world, and an interest in applying entrepreneurial principles to do so. In their respective cohort programs, scholars will:
- Develop a network of like-minded individuals from across Stanford’s campus to form relationships that carry forward for a lifetime
- Discover new pathways to translate their research to maximize its impact
- Tap into the entrepreneurial mindset and learn how to incorporate thinking into becoming a better student, leader, friend, employee, or whatever path is chosen next
- Improve written and oral communication skills
- Work with an interdisciplinary cohort to unlock diverse viewpoints and a broader worldview of the complex issues we face today
- Benefit from coaches drawn from faculty, venture capital, corporate, and STVP alumni leaders
towho will provide feedback, offer different perspectives, and serve as access points to Silicon Valley and the overall entrepreneurial ecosystem - Create a presentation of their own research, in a venture style deck
Testimonials
While the Emerson Consequential Scholars program (ECS) is in its inaugural year, STVP has had fellows programs that have served the PhD and PostDoc community over the years. Here is what they had to say about their experiences and why we are excited to offer a new program exclusively dedicated to serving this community of scholars.
Despite growing up in Silicon Valley, I had no clue what all the pieces of the entrepreneurial ecosystem were and how they fit together and didn’t think it was relevant to my research. I not only learned a tremendous amount through the program that could apply to any pursuit, in academia or otherwise, but it introduced me to a world and peer group so intriguing that it set me on an entirely new and unexpected path. Simply put, applying to this program was the most consequential decision of my career.
STVP’s fellow’s program demystified the startup process with guests who are veterans in everything from legal and IP to marketing and fundraising. It also showed a different way to success, where kindness doesn’t have to be at odds with velocity. We formed deep connections as a cohort, and many of us went on to start companies. Those connections have become invaluable. These are the people I have on speed dial whenever I need a sounding board.
The program taught me many aspects of creating and building a company, but the most important thing I took away from the program was the entrepreneurial mindset and applying it to company building and my personal life. Using the mindset has helped me be decisive in my career choices by learning to be more comfortable with ambiguity and being confident in my ability to learn.
One of the most valuable aspects of the fellow’s program for me was the human connection: to connect with like-minded individuals. Unlike an award or a big milestone, the fellowship wasn’t a one-time thing but an ongoing engagement that reinforced innovation/entrepreneurship can mean different things for each of us – it’s not a monolith. Each of us has our own path and journey. The fellowship helped me see innovation not as a single leap, but as a series of small, steady steps. Looking back, it helped me develop valuable habits, and the friendships and connections I formed continue to be incredibly rewarding.
The fellow’s program is the most impactful program I have had the opportunity to be a part of. The skills we learned and practiced are ones I continue to use regularly in my work and personal life. They are applicable to any environment — academia, industry, early-stage startups. From learning to create and be deliberate about team culture, to managing difficult conversations, to understanding fundraising and contracts, it allowed us to be better equipped to recognize, pursue, and deliver on opportunities no matter where they lie.
STVP gave me the tools, frameworks, and network to launch a company from my graduate research. When I entered the Stanford PhD program, I dreamed of leveraging my research to launch a consequential climate company – but had no idea what mattered or how to make it happen. After completing the program, I had a trusted network of advisors and the key first steps to launch Resonant Link with a solid foundation.
The STVP fellows program was one of the most formative experiences I had at Stanford, both in terms of understanding what it means to be an entrepreneur in practice and in providing me with an incredible cohort of similarly minded peers who I am lucky to still count as close friends and supporters today.
Acknowledgements
STVP extends its deep appreciation to Emerson Collective for supporting this program for Stanford students.
Discover entrepreneurial learning opportunities at Stanford with our monthly newsletter!