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1. Entrepreneurial-Minded Postdocs in High-Tech Startups: Their Industry Chances and Success

   Ivanitzki, T; Mekonnen, E (June 2025, 10th North American Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, IEOM-2025, Orlando, FL, USA)

   In launching small businesses, particularly in advanced sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), or biotech, disadvantaged groups like low-income people encounter extra challenges in accessing funding and investment. While federal and private sector efforts are underway to support businesses owned by women and minorities, there is still much progress to be made in bridging the investment gap. The Small Business Administration (SBA 2013) started providing $3.5 billion annual support through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, with a directive from the Small Business Act to prioritize women and underserved groups. Typically, PhD degrees at US institutions focus on preparing graduates for academic positions, while only 11% of STEM PhDs would successfully achieve tenure-track faculty positions. To foster innovation and increase the participation of underrepresented minorities in emerging industry startups and secure U.S. competitiveness in the global arena, the National Science Foundation (NSF) introduced the Innovative Postdoctoral Entrepreneurial Research Fellowship (IPERF) program managed by the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). The first evaluation of the IPERF program shows that one-third of the fellows who joined the STEM entrepreneurial program stayed either in their startups or joined other entrepreneurial fields. This seems to be an interesting indicator of the increased entrepreneurship interest of STEM postdoctoral fellows, especially if the vast majority of them represent underserved communities. 

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2. Postdoctoral Fellowship Boosts Underrepresented Entrepreneurs

   Ivanitzki, T.; Johnson, R. (January 2021, Prism)

   Miller, E. (Ed.)

   On the list of racial and ethnic injustices requiring attention in the U.S., venture capital funding is probably not top-of-mind for many. But it is an area needing reform in order to diversify the leadership of companies fueling innovation in the country. Hispanic or Black entrepreneurs receive just 1 percent of venture capital, according to former administrator of the Small Business Administration Maria Contreras-Sweet. “Does anyone honestly believe these communities are the source of just 1 percent of our best business ideas?”. To expand overall entrepreneurship, accelerate innovation, and increase the participation of underrepresented groups in new startup research and high-tech entrepreneurship, the National Science Foundation selected ASEE to manage the Innovative Postdoctoral Entrepreneurial Research Fellowship (IPERF) program in 2019. The goals: emphasize the professional development of underrepresented research Fellows, advance best practices in postdoctoral programs, and expand the participation of underrepresented scholars in innovative research and technology entrepreneurship 

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3. I-PERF: Supporting Underserved Research Fellows

   https://doi.org/10.33548/SCIENTIA657  

   Ivanitzki, T.; Johnson, R.; Levitin, R. (April 2021, Scientia)

   Berg, N.; Bagnall, N.; Deeprose, C. (Ed.)

   Statistics suggest that Hispanic, Black, and female entrepreneurs receive a disproportionately tiny portion of total venture capital funds in the United States. With this in mind, the National Science Foundation created the I-PERF program. I-PERF supports the professional development of research fellows from underserved groups, offering them hands-on experience within promising research and technology companies, with the goal of increasing diversity in the start-up and entrepreneurial landscape. The program is managed by Dr Teddy Ivanitzki, Rashida Johnson, Rachel Levitin and their colleagues at the American Society for Engineering Education. Women and individuals from underserved minority groups often face additional difficulties when trying to secure funding for their businesses compared to white males. Every year, the US Small Business Administration (SBA) awards over 5,000 grants to entrepreneurs, for a total of over $3.5 billion. According to the SBA’s 2013 Annual Report, only 15% of these funds were awarded to firms owned by individuals from underrepresented minority groups, despite the fact that these groups make up about one-third of the US population. A similar pattern can also be observed in the venture capital market. In 2019, a non-profit collaboration aimed at increasing diversity in the venture industry, called Diversity VC, released a report outlining the results of a study that polled 10,000 start-up founders. They found that 77% of venture-fund recipients were white, while only 1% were African Americans and 9% were women. Initiatives aimed at supporting the professional development and business endeavors of individuals from underrepresented minority groups are of crucial importance, as they could ensure that these individuals’ talent is recognized, valued, and does not go to waste. Over the past few years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has introduced and funded a number of projects aimed at supporting start-ups and businesses founded by individuals from underserved minorities, including the Small Business Postdoctoral Research Diversity Fellowship (SBPRDF) program, which started in 2010. The SBPRDF program allowed postdoctoral fellows specialized in STEM disciplines to acquire real-life research experience in entrepreneurial settings and apply their skills within the technology sector. The program placed a total of 79 fellows in companies for periods of two years, 40% of which were women and individuals from underserved minorities. The vast majority of those who participated felt that they had significantly benefitted from the program. The positive feedback offered by those who participated encouraged the NSF to introduce an extension of the SBPRDF program, called the Innovative Postdoctoral Entrepreneurial Research Fellowship, or ‘I-PERF’. The primary mission of the I-PERF program, which was created in 2019 and is managed by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), is to support the professional development of research fellows from underrepresented minorities 

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4. What do you think when you see the word Entrepreneurial?

   Ivanitzki, T; Mekonnen, E (February 2025, Proceedings of the 2025 Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration Copyright ©2025, American Society for Engineering Education)

   When considering the many underserved communities and instances of ethnic injustice that require attention in the U.S., venture capital funding might not immediately come to mind. However, Hispanic and Black entrepreneurs receive only a minuscule portion of venture capital, which is drastically out of sync with their representation in the population. Despite differences in gender and education, 77% of venture fund recipients are White, while only 1% are African American [1]. The 2013 SBA Annual Report revealed that while there was some progress, only 15% of this funding went to women and underserved minority groups [2], despite these groups making up approximately 50% of the U.S. population. The private sector reflects a similar imbalance. According to a 2019 report by Diversity VC [1], a nonprofit promoting diversity in Venture Capital (VC), a comprehensive survey of around 10,000 founders who received venture capital revealed that only 9% were women, and just 1% were Black. This disparity is especially pronounced in the growing sectors of transdisciplinary startups—such as bioenergy, biotechnology, and nanomedical technologies—where cross-disciplinary expertise is becoming increasingly crucial. Entrepreneurs in these fields often face significant obstacles in securing adequate support, a problem that persists even as U.S. innovation contends with unprecedented global competition. This trend prompted Congress to allow eligible agencies to allocate 3% of their small business budgets to support underserved groups, as part of the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011. Consequently, several other agencies have begun using these funds to reach underserved communities. To ensure that the U.S. remains a world leader in R&D, besides SBA and a few other agencies, the National Science Foundation (NSF) launched the Innovative Postdoctoral Entrepreneurial Research Fellowship (IPERF) program. IPERF facilitates the professional development of Black, Hispanic, and female research fellows, typically underrepresented in STEM fields, by offering them invaluable experience within technology start-ups. The program’s goal is to enhance diversity in the high-tech start-up and entrepreneurial landscapes and improve opportunities for underserved groups. Meanwhile, interdisciplinary high-tech startups are growing exponentially, the biotechnology companies within IPERF make up nearly 40% of the IPERF companies. A longitudinal survey of 60 IPERF fellows who left the program between one and four years ago showed that 35% of them were hired by their host companies, still 25 % were working at those startups after three years. Most of the other fellows found jobs within the industry labs (30%) or other startup companies (10%). 

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5. Unlocking Innovation: Empowering Underrepresented Entrepreneurs in Interdisciplinary Engineering Technology

   Ivanitzki, T; Mekonnen, E (February 2025, Collaborative Network for Engineering & Communication Diversity (CoNECD), by American Society for Engineering Education, ASEE, San Antonio, TX, 45156)

   In the realm of unaddressed ethnic disparities in the United States, the issue of venture capital funding is often overlooked. Despite their significant presence in the population, Hispanic and Black entrepreneurs receive only a fraction of venture capital investment, which is a stark contrast to their demographic representation. A staggering 77% of venture capital recipients are White, 9% women, and nearly 2% Latino, leaving just a minuscule 1% for African American entrepreneurs (remaining were Asians and Middle Easterners), regardless of their gender or educational qualifications [1]. Multiple sources claim an even higher population than 80% of White and approx. 1% Black [9, 10, 11, 12, 13]. This discrepancy is particularly evident in STEM and the burgeoning field of transdisciplinary startups like biotechnology, where interdisciplinary knowledge is increasingly crucial. Consequently, emerging entrepreneurs in these sectors frequently face obstacles in accessing adequate support, a challenge that persists into the 21st century amid fierce global competition for innovation leadership. Recognizing this trend, Congress authorized eligible agencies under the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011 to allocate 3% of their small business grant budget to support underserved groups [2]. Consequently, several other agencies began utilizing this fund to reach out to those communities. To maintain its position as a global leader in Research and Development (R&D), alongside the SBA the National Science Foundation (NSF) initiated the Innovative Postdoctoral Entrepreneurial Research Fellowship (IPERF) program. Designed to address the underrepresented researchers in STEM fields, IPERF offers these fellows invaluable experience within technology startups to bolster their professional development and give them valuable tools in the entrepreneurship area, as well as for the authors to create new knowledge about postdoctoral STEM entrepreneurship which might be reused at university levels in the future. The program aims to enrich diversity within the STEM high-tech startups and entrepreneurial spheres, thereby enhancing opportunities for marginalized groups. As interdisciplinary high-tech startups (nearly 70% of them) experience exponential growth, biotechnology companies within IPERF constitute nearly 40% of its participant companies. This paper presents part of the results, focusing on fellows post-IPERF time, i.e., longevity findings, and rapidly growing interdisciplinarity of the high-tech startups. A longitudinal study involving 60 fellows who completed the program over one to four years ago revealed that while the host companies hired 35% at the beginning, 25% still remained at various startup businesses after three years, and the majority (50%) transitioned into roles within industry labs. Through IPERF, highly educated yet primarily theoretical fellows gain hands-on experience in the intricacies of entrepreneurship, with the option to either continue with the current company or embark on their entrepreneurial ventures following the high-tech internship. This practical education not only benefits the fellows themselves but also contributes to the broader objective of diversifying startup leadership in the United States. 

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