On behalf of ODU President Brian Hemphill, welcome to the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Located in the heart of Norfolks business district, we are a dynamic and forward-looking organization keen on expanding the economic ecosystem of Hampton Roads, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Region. We provide a wide array of entrepreneurship services through our Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC), Womens Business Center (WBC), and the Business Development Center (BDC). We do this through popular programs like Double TAP, Boots to Business, Dream Builder, and the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), just to name a few.
In addition to entrepreneurial services, we also foster innovation by leveraging the expertise of our world-class ODU research faculty. Additional partners include the Norfolk Innovation Corridor, Hampton Roads Alliance, Virginia Maritime Association, and Reinvent Hampton Roads. The institutes Navigator program guides innovation-driven entrepreneurs through the commercialization process and provides targeted grant-writing support. For more advanced entrepreneurs, our OpenSeas, and TempO programs provide catered, full-spectrum assistance.
Our flagship programs (VBOC, WBC, BDC, and OpenSeas) form an amazing team that stands ready to provide innovation and entrepreneurial support no matter where your organization falls on our hierarchy of innovation as shown below.