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1. 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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2. Expand Underrepresented Participation in High-Tech Start-Ups.

   Ivanitzki, Teddy; Johnson Rashida (February 2023, 2023 Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration (CIEC))

   CIEC panel (Ed.)

   Abstract: When starting small businesses, particularly in high-tech sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins, or the Internet of Things (IoT), women and underrepresented minority groups face additional hurdles in securing funding and investment. Not only is such a discrepancy in investment socially unjust, but it deprives the US of the advantages in innovation and global competition that could stem from the widening participation of the underrepresented population in innovative sectors. Although targeted support to women and underrepresented minority-owned businesses is being provided by the federal government and the private sector, more remains to be done to close the investment gap. The US Small Business Administration (SBA, 2013) provides more than $3.5 billion in funding to over 5,000 startups per year through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Moreover, the Small Business Act provides these programs with a mandate to target women and underrepresented minority groups. Despite this mandate from SBA, only 15% of those funds went to minority-owned companies (SBA, 2013). Funding opportunities from the private sector tell a similar story. Diversity VC, a non-profit partnership promoting diversity in Venture Capital, reported in 2019 that in a comprehensive survey (Azevedo, 2019) of around 10,000 founders receiving venture capital backing, only 9% were women and a mere 1% were Black. In order to i) accelerate innovation and increase participation of under-represented minorities in start-ups of “new industry”, and ii) to ensure US competitiveness in the global market, in 2010, the National Science Foundation (NSF) introduced the Small Business Postdoctoral Research Diversity Fellowship (SBPRDF) program and selected the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) to administer the program. In recognition of ASEE’s successful performance in meeting the objectives of the SBPRDF program, in 2019 NSF/IIP (Industrial Innovation and Partnerships) program leadership selected ASEE to administer the Innovative Postdoctoral Entrepreneurial Research Fellowship (IPERF) program. The overarching goal of the IPERF program is to emphasize and strengthen the entrepreneurial development of underrepresented Fellows. The IPERF program also aims to advance best practices in postdoctoral programs and impart cross-disciplinary expertise in the application of new technologies like AI and IoT in “new industries” based on bioengineering and biochemistry technologies. 

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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. 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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5. Increasing U.S. Competitiveness by Investing in Underrepresented, Entrepreneurial-Minded Postdocs in High-Tech Startups

   Ivanitzki, Teddy; Johnson, Rashida (October 2022, International Association of Journals and Conferences (IAJC))

   IAJC panel (Ed.)

   Abstract Studies have shown that in the United States, women, Black, and Hispanic entrepreneurs are given a disproportionately tiny fraction of venture capital funding, especially when compared to their representation in the population. This investment discrepancy is not only socially unjust, but it also deprives the U.S. of the advantages in discovery and global competitiveness that could stem from these groups’ increased participation in innovative sectors. This is particularly true within transdisciplinary startups, like smart energy or nanomedical technologies, all of which require crossdisciplinary experts. Every new entrepreneur in these fields experiences challenges in finding adequate support. These challenges exist at a time in the 21st century when U.S. innovation is facing unprecedented pressures in competition for primacy. In 1960, the U.S. research and development (R&D) expenditure for defense and private industries was approximately 69 percent of global spending on R&D. In 2016, however, the U.S. share of global R&D expenditure had decreased to just 28 percent due to China’s substantial advances. If this trend continues, China’s R&D expenditure measured by GDP will outperform those of the U.S. by 2030. To ensure that the U.S. remains a world leader in R&D, the National Science Foundation (NSF) launched the Small Business Postdoctoral Research Diversity Fellowship (SBPRDF) followed by the Innovative Postdoctoral Entrepreneurial Research Fellowship (I-PERF). Both facilitate the professional development of underrepresented research fellows by offering them invaluable experience within research and technology companies. This paper provides a pathway for enhancing diversity in the startup and entrepreneurial landscapes, improving opportunities for researchers from underserved groups, and increasing the number of highly competent entrepreneurs within the U.S. STEM community. The startup companies involved in the program, which are also supported by the NSF, comprise a variety of new, mixed STEM fields that were unknown just a few decades ago. 

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