About Jerome

Professor Jerome Engel is an internationally recognized expert on innovation, entrepreneurship, and venture capital, lecturing and advising business and government leaders around the world. Most recently he has focused on lean innovation entrepreneurship and developing innovation ecosystems globally. He is also active in energy and water desalination policy and investing. After a successful business career, Professor Engel joined the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley in 1991 to found the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, where he currently serves as Senior Fellow and Founding Executive Director Emeritus.

At Berkeley he fostered the creation of an internationally distinguished program that provides entrepreneurship education across the University and its constituent community. He was the Founding National Faculty Director of the National Science Foundations’ I-Corps, a US government program that develops entrepreneurial technology commercialization teams at leading universities across the United States. Jerry served in this position for five years. He is an Adjunct Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, Faculty Director of UC Berkeley's Venture Capital Executive Program, and instructs in both the School's MBA and Executive Education programs, specializing in Entrepreneurship, Corporate Innovation, New Venture Finance, and Venture Capital.

He serves on the Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards of several entrepreneurial ventures, venture capital firms, universities and innovation centers around the world. An accomplished author and advisor on building Clusters of innovation, Jerry has also been cited in the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio and other global media.

Professor Engel’s awards and recognitions include the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Lifetime Educational Achievement Award, the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Award for Outstanding Contributions to Advance the Discipline of Entrepreneurship, among others.