You don’t need to have a startup idea — just curiosity. The Nelson Center helps students uncover what drives them and gives them the tools to build ventures with purpose. We believe the most impactful ideas come from personal passion, lived experience, and a willingness to experiment.
Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship
Build Your Venture
Turn your idea into action. Whether you're just getting started or ready to scale, we offer the resources, guidance, and community to help you build something meaningful.
Build Your Venture
Turn your idea into action. Whether you're just getting started or ready to scale, we offer the resources, guidance, and community to help you build something meaningful.
Start with what matters to you.
At the Nelson Center, we believe entrepreneurship should be grounded in purpose. That’s why we’re inspired by the concept of ikigai — a powerful framework for discovering your path.
What is Ikigai?
Ikigai (生き甲斐) is a Japanese concept meaning “a reason for being.” It’s about finding the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for — a powerful guide for purposeful entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship is a structured process for solving problems that starts with your own Ikigai. We encourage aspiring founders to reflect on the space in which they want to operate and why it matters to them.
That might be driven by personal passion, lived experience, or a problem you’ve observed in the world — from reducing food waste to rethinking accessibility. Your ikigai can help guide what you choose to build and how you build it.
Whether you’re just starting out or deep into building your venture, we’re here to help you find your ikigai — and take action on it.
Brown is the birthplace of my true passion: launching and growing ventures. It's where I first became an entrepreneur, before I knew what that really meant.
Tech Entrepreneur and Executive
Explore Your Next Step
Whether you’re just beginning to explore your ideas or ready to take your venture further, these resources will guide you through every stage of your entrepreneurial journey. From finding mentorship to securing funding and joining a supportive community, we’re here to help you build with purpose and confidence.