LehighSiliconValley, the Baker Institute’s highly selective, flagship immersion program is always an experience that takes my breath away, but it went well beyond my expectations this year.  As with all the programs offered by the Baker Institute, each year builds on the previous year’s experiences so, heading into LSV2019, several new features had been incorporated. We added Arts Entrepreneurship and Start Up to the tracks students could choose, we recruited “professors in residence” from among our brilliant Bay Area alumni and we prepared the students for the experience in a way that not only gave them context for what they were about to experience but built a community of learners who were comfortable with each other and fully engaged before boarding the plane.

The combination of new features, a more diverse student cohort and well, an audacity that was palpable, LSV2019 got rave reviews from all constituents. Fifty-five students, 50 entrepreneurs, investors and experts, 14 alumni supporters and 12 program leaders were immersed in the Silicon Valley entrepreneurial ecosystem for 10 days in January.  Students tell us their experiences were transformative. The alumni entrepreneurs, investors and industry experts tell us the curiosity, honesty, engagement and maturity of the LSV students is truly inspiring. Follow along below to get a glimpse into the LSV2019 experience.

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- Lisa Getzler

Executive Director, Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity, and Innovation