Last year, the Wond'ry celebrated several historical milestones. We launched the Founder program and the grand opening of the new Launch incubator space, located in the Loews Office Tower. The first annual Renaissance Women's Summit helped to create a supportive and empowering community for women entrepreneurs. The Wond'ry launched several new design studios, which partnered with both the Vanderbilt community members and external partners. The Wond’ry Quantum Studio provides students training and resources to prepare them for a career in quantum industry while Project Mojo, in collaboration with Nissan provides them real world experience where they can apply their design thinking skills. We were able to host the TN Maker Fest in person, a celebration of innovation, collaboration, creativity and curiosity which showcased novices and experts of all ages with one major thing in common: a joy for making and creation. And, The Wond’ry was named National Science Foundation Innovation Corps Hub lead institution, with the creation of the Mid-South Hub. Watch some of 2022's memories above, and get excited for a brand new year!

Vanderbilt University invites you to attend the Vanderbilt Innovation Summit, hosted by the Wond’ry, the Vanderbilt Innovation Council (VIC), and several student organizations including Vanderbilt Innovation and Entrepreneurship Society (VINES), Change++, Vandy Blockchain, and Theta Tau. The event will include a Startup Job fair, in which students can find an internship or full-time position at an impactful start-up, followed by a Venture Showcase to display the incredible ideas, efforts and accomplishments within the greater Nashville area and beyond. During the event, a momentous ceremony will ignite the birth of the NSF I-corps Mid-South HUB, an entrepreneurial institution to support academic commercialization, economic growth, and shared prosperity. Come learn and explore what the entrepreneurial community has to offer! Find out more and register here. 

The Health Care Innovation, Design, Equity, & Activism (IDEA) Studio at the Wond'ry is headed into 2023 with a lot of excitement and momentum. We finished up the MIDP IDEA Lab course in November and that team was just invited to pitch at the TigerLaunch Austin regionals in Feb! This is a first for MIDP. The VUSM Changemakers club will be hosting it's first seminar on needs finding for Vanderbilt medical students with special guest, Ryan Starnes, MSHA. MBA. Starnes is the Senior Director of Operations for the VUMC Hospital at Home program. We will welcome our first undergraduate intern for the Spring '23 semester. Mia Moss (Senior, Economics) will help coordinate our expansion of offerings to include undergraduate students.

Our goal is to connect undergraduates with interest in health care systems innovation with projects for their Immersions Vanderbilt requirement. Simultaneously, we'll be continuing to add to our project opportunities for undergraduates, medical students, and residents by expanding innovation consulting services to VUMC faculty looking to translate their ideas into action. These services will include innovation education, advice for next steps, invitations to take advantage of Wond'ry resources, and connections to trainees who can help move their projects forward. 

Sullivan Family Ideator Bootcamps | Hybrid
Immersive, 3-week hybrid (in person and online) bootcamps designed to provide innovators with the tools and resources they need to evaluate an idea.
Cohort A: January 17, January 24, & January 31 | 5p-7p CT
Cohort B: January 19, January 26, & February 2 | 4p-6p CT
Applications are open | Register Here

Sullivan Family Ideator Full Program | Virtual
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/thewondry/programs/ideator/
Start Date: February 11
Application opens on January 20
Builder Program | Virtual
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/thewondry/builder/
Start date: February 11
Application opens on January 20

The Founder Program 
Accepting rolling applications. 
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/thewondry/founder/

The Sullivan Family Ideator Program, Builder Program , and Founder Program at the Wond’ry provide university-affiliated innovators the tools and resources to evaluate ideas and launch an entrepreneurial venture or nonprofit. Our no-cost programs are open to students, staff, faculty, and alumni. Participants can expect to engage with other innovators, mentors, and instructors to get feedback and to refine their projects during the programs. Microgrant funding and pitch opportunities are available. Inquire to learn more. 
Visit the website to learn about all of these programs!

Are you interested in how to apply systems thinking to wicked problems? Map the System is a global systems thinking competition that prepares students to understand and help resolve complex social and environmental problems confronting our communities.
We will have interest meetings on January 10th and 17th, from 2:00-3:30 PM (drop-in) in the Wond’ry 1st floor lounge to go over what the program entails!
Winners will proceed to finals and the global competition in Oxford, England. 
If you would like to go ahead and start the application process, click here. 

To learn more, email Jackie.Hansom@Vanderbilt.edu

The Wond’ry, Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center is launching a new Climate Innovation Accelerator this February that engages exclusively minority-owned small businesses or nonprofits. This 10 week, no-cost, executive education opportunity provides business owners an nonprofits an opportunity to gain insights from a corporate mentor with sustainability expertise and a student team dedicated to providing research and analysis for innovative opportunities that advance future-fit business and sustainability goals. The application deadline is January 20th. 

Cohort Application
Mentor Application
Student Application

To learn more, email Jaclyn.R.Mothupi@Vanderbilt.edu

The Makerspaces will be offering weekly workshops during the Spring semester beginning in late January. There will be a variety of beginner level skill building, crafting, and advanced project based options to choose from. In the Mechanical area there will be molding & casting, laser cutting, intro to CAD, thermoforming, paper making and intro to 3D printing. In the Electronics area there will be beginner level workshops in soldering, using electronic instruments, Arduino programming, mobile app development and sensors. In the FABLab (fiber arts build) there will be Learn to Sew, quilting (in collaboration with the non-profit retextile.org), embroidery, and sustainable and adaptive fashion projects. In our Emerging Tech area you can try out VR games and learn about quantum computing. After you complete one of our beginner level workshops you'll have the opportunity to collaborate on more advanced projects that will continue to build your skills and expand your network in the Making community.

For more information, dates/times, and a full list of our upcoming events please make sure to check our Wond'ry Makerspaces page and Events page or our social media accounts.

The Wond’ry is partnering with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) for a fully-funded research experience for undergraduates. The Johns Hopkins CIRCUIT Program offers undergraduate students an opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research while building skills to make significant contributions to science. Diverging from traditional summer internships, CIRCUIT students participate in a year-long paid cohort-based research experience as integral members of APL project teams and participate in unique, hands-on learning in a fun, collaborative environment. STEM major is not required. Learn more about CIRCUIT and apply to the program here: https://www.jhuapl.edu/circuit/. To set up a time to learn more about the CIRCUIT program, email Kelsey Driscoll at kelsey.g.driscoll@vanderbilt.edu.

There is always something going on at the Wond'ry!

Join Design for America and the Wond'ry for a fun, hands-on design-thinking bootcamp! Learn and apply the different stages of human-centered design thinking in real-life situations to come up with a solution in a limited time 🏃‍♀️🧠🚀. Also know more about DFA and getting involved in a semester-long design-thinking project! Pizza will be provided! 🍕

Tuesday, January 17: 6-8 PM (Commons Center 335)
Wednesday, January 18: 6-8 PM (Wond'ry Makerspace)

Please contact riddhi.singhania@vanderbilt.edu with any questions!

This in-person event, on January 26th, from 6-8 PM, is powered by Advancing Women in Tech, The Wond’ry, Blacks in Tech- Nashville, and Culture of Good. We will explore how women develop and own their personal brand as they navigate through a challenging tech landscape.
Learn from Culture of Good expert George Rogers as he challenges you with short coursework to think through your WHY and your current HOW.

Network with local tech experts and leaders. Learn from our panel as they share their expertise and give actionable advice to accelerate your career. Apply your learning through breakout discussions with other attendees. Leave with next steps to developing your personal, professional, and authentic self. Come ready to take a new headshot, courtesy of our local community sponsors!

Click here to register.

The 7th Annual Turner Family Center for Social Ventures Summit will be centered on the theme Innovation for Good. Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, the world saw a new need for innovative ideas and solutions. At the TFC, we explore business ventures that provide unmet social and environmental needs through new and improved practices. The 7th Annual TFC Social Ventures Summit will provide a platform for innovators and changemakers to showcase and discuss their ideas with the Vanderbilt community - ranging from innovative education to health technologies with local and global impact. The full-day event, held on Saturday, February 18, will feature panel discussions and workshops and will provide space for students and social entrepreneurs to meet and learn from one another.
Date: Saturday February 18, 2023 – 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Location: Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management
Learn more and register here.

We are excited to share an upcoming half-day business summit, “Cultural Transformation: Engage Your Team and Avoid Quiet Quitting.”

Interested in learning how to build positive cultures that attract top talent and engage current employees? Join us on February 23, from 1-5 PM, at Vanderbilt’s Wond’ry Innovation Center for an exciting afternoon focused on positive, authentic corporate culture solutions. Our speakers have built their sessions based on years of global experience, and now they want to share their insight with those interested in creating positive business environments. A limited number of student scholarships will be provided on a first come first served basis! If interested, email Kara Walsh: Kara@EpicPivot.com, to learn more and hold your spot.

We are so proud to be supporting the second annual Renaissance Women’s Summit for women entrepreneurs, hosted by Renaissance Marketing Group and Boss Talks. Join us for a day full of inspiring, empowering, & connecting with like-minded women!  This year the theme is MORE! More speakers, more vendors, more opportunities, more Renaissance women! 

This will be a day-long educational and motivational conference for female entrepreneurs – no matter the stage of their business. The event will cover all aspects of growing or starting your business with an emphasis on marketing; from social media marketing, to branding, accounting and legal matters, influencer marketing, hiring and management, operations and so much more. There will be networking opportunities, workshops, panel discussions, a market featuring Nashville female-owned businesses, a very special keynote, a pitch competition for young female entrepreneurs, cocktails, delicious local food and so much MORE.  
Purchase tickets here: 

We are looking for a highly motivated, dynamic undergraduate or graduate student with report-writing experience to take the lead on drafting a final report for one of the Wond'ry's Industry Collaborators Program projects. Experience writing professional reports highly desired, and familiarity with healthcare is a plus! Flexible hours. If you are interested in this opportunity, please send resume to Kelsey.g.driscoll@vanderbilt.edu or fill out this link.

 The Wond’ry Internship Network (WIN) provides a platform for undergraduate and graduate students from Tennessee-based institutions of higher learning to reach their inner innovator. Students can explore their passions by choosing between a variety of opportunities within one of the many Wond’ry practice areas (Biomedical Innovation, Social Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Innovation Research & Design, Making, the Launch Incubator, and the Wond’ry itself). Through each project, interns not only learn relevant skills but also make an impact by assisting in trailblazing work. To learn more and apply, visit our Work at the Wond'ry page. 

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