Letter from Jeff Reid

JEFF REID

Founding Director, Georgetown Entrepreneurship Professor of the Practice, McDonough School of Business

In January 2021, Jeff Reid was awarded the prestigious Longenecker Fellowship by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the world’s largest community of entrepreneurship educators, in recognition of his lifetime contributions to entrepreneurship education. Georgetown Entrepreneurship has always championed the idea that entrepreneurship is one of the world’s most powerful forces for positive change. That vision guides everything we have done over the years in our mission to inspire an entrepreneurial mindset in every student that comes to the Hilltop.

Supported by our Jesuit values, the distinctive notion of entrepreneurship for the common good has set us apart from other top programs. Our diverse and inclusive community has never failed to rise to the occasion to support one another, promote social justice, and help solve the world’s problems. That’s why I’m proud to present our 2020-2021 Annual Report, a testament to what our brilliant community has achieved — even in the face of a global pandemic.

Four years ago, the Georgetown University Entrepreneurship Advisory Group challenged us to expand our programming. With support from university leaders and generous donors, we met that challenge with the addition of several strategic initiatives, including:

• The introduction of an Entrepreneurship Minor. • Ramping up student engagement with expanded pitch competitions including

Bark Tank/Leonsis Family Entrepreneurship Prize and the multi-round Georgetown

Entrepreneurship Challenge. • Offering support to alumni through the creation of the Georgetown Venture Lab, which recently reopened in a new location overlooking the Georgetown Law Center — and by supporting the creation of the Georgetown Angel Investment Network with our partners in the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Alliance. • Serving communities beyond Georgetown University with programs such as the Pivot

Program for returning citizens, TalentUP program for international entrepreneurs, Hacking for Defense and Diplomacy programs serving U.S. government agencies, and engaging with the growing D.C. startup community.

While the COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges for academia, we believe disruption creates opportunities. Our pivot to remote delivery was smooth and our programs were uninterrupted. We even added significant programs, such as:

• The Georgetown Startup Accelerator, for alumni-owned ventures, spearheaded by

Venture Lab Manager Callie Jacobs. • A virtual COVID-19 Solutions Hackathon for students to brainstorm and create market-based solutions to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus. • Virtual mentorship opportunities for students attending Georgetown University’s Doha,

Qatar, campus. • A new effort to match students with internships in startups and high-growth companies, led by Student Programs Manager David Lange.

As we reflect on the past year, we will keep our eyes on the future. We recently welcomed globally-recognized scholar Gerry George, professor of management, as our new academic leader, and our future plans include an even greater emphasis on entrepreneurship for the common good.

The success of our efforts is dependent on engagement, leadership, and support from our broader community. We thank you for your contributions to Georgetown Entrepreneurship, and we hope you will join us on the Hilltop soon.

Hoya Saxa!