Robyn Geron is on a mission to share an entrepreneurial mindset at UT. As the new director of operations for the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Haslam College of Business, she is ready to use existing and new programs to bring entrepreneurship opportunities to students.

Creating pathways for entrepreneurs is familiar to Geron. Before joining Haslam she was the commercialization manager for the UT Research Foundation (UTRF). Before that, she was a patent coordinator, assisting UT faculty and staff in protecting and commercializing innovation created at UT.

She also worked with early-stage ventures that participated in the accelerator program, Techstars, and with senior design teams through the UTRF Maturation Grant Funding Program. Geron helped teams protect their intellectual property or pull together a business plan for an innovation.

“Working with the senior design teams was exciting,” Geron says. “They were eager to learn, grow their ideas and apply new information.”

These experiences coaching entrepreneurs in the beginning stages of their companies piqued her interest in entrepreneurship education.

“I loved seeing the energy of those entrepreneurs,” Geron says. “Every circumstance, student and business is different. You can add your own stamp each time.”

For Geron, an entrepreneurial path is not defined by creating a start-up business.

“Not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, but they might be interested in the behaviors and mental processes of thinking like an entrepreneur,” says Geron. “We want all students to have the chance to explore entrepreneurship, whether they build a business or not.”

Examples of these opportunities include internships and job placements with startup businesses. This creates a hands-on approach, helping students decide if entrepreneurship is right for them.

Geron plans to continue growth in the Anderson Center’s pitch competitions, helping students with business ideas and early-stage businesses win capital to grow and gain traction. Future plans include specialized programs for graduate students, continuing the center’s outreach across campus and developing community programs (including collaboration with Knoxville area business accelerators).

“Continuing to build these opportunities for students will spread the entrepreneurial spirit at UT,” Geron says.