This spring, the Innovation, Market-Driven Productization, and Commercialization of [deep] Technologies (IMPACT) Program launches at the Wond'ry!

The IMPACT Program empowers undergraduate students to turn innovative ideas into scalable, human-centered ventures.  Funded by a generous gift from the Clark Foundation, the three-year, co-curricular program provides training, mentorship, and funding to support student-led technology development across four focus areas:  Healthcare, Sustainability, National Security, and Beyond Earth.

Launching January 20 with an opening event at the Wond'ry, the program's inaugural cohort includes over sixty undergraduate students.  The first phase--known as Uncover--serves as the on-ramp into deep tech for participants, introducing students to core verticals and providing structured tools for observing, interviewing, and framing complex problems.

During the Uncover Phase, IMPACT students build a rigorous understanding of real-world problems through expert talks, weekly instructional sessions, and fieldwork with stakeholders across the domains. Wond’ry staff lead the instruction, while domain mentors work directly with teams to refine system maps and develop clearly articulated problem statements.

Applications to apply to future cohorts will be announced later this spring.

The Launch Event is open to anyone who wishes to attend.

Luke Balmer (Educational Studies, 2026) is a senior Vandy student and Wond'ry Maker Tech, one of the workers who supports the Wond'ry's Makerspaces.  Luke is also utilizing Wond'ry resources to work on his own innovation: Fabricating Montessori educational materials to be used in newly-created Montessori schools in Cairo, Egypt, to support Palestinian children displaced by the conflict in Gaza.  By combining 3D printing and woodworking, Luke is aiming to create materials that are tactile and universal, functioning across language differences.  Luke is working with Dr. Catherine McTamaney, Professor of the Practice of Education at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College.

The Vanderbilt Innovation Fellows at the Wond'ry are partnering with Nissan North America to survey current drivers for a project to redesign and simplify driving interfaces.

Individuals who complete the survey will be entered a drawing for an invitation to attend a Design Blitz event at Nissan North America's headquarters in Franklin, TN.

Fill out the survey here.

The IMPACT Program at the Wond'ry has a bevy of incredible guest speakers lined up for this semester.  Our first guest speaker, F.O. Wryan Bailey, spoke to students on January 15, 2026 on leadership, systems thinking, and risk mitigation.  We would like to extend our warmest thanks to F.O. Bailey!

Offices
Monday-Friday: 9:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: Closed

Makerspaces
Monday-Thursday: 1:00pm - 8:00pm
Friday: 1:00pm - 6:00pm

Holiday Hours
The Wond'ry will be closed Monday, January 19, 2026 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

By making your tax-deductible gift to our Student Innovation Fund, you help us provide students with the funding they need to turn their ideas into reality. Donate here.