Apex

Apex Center for Entrepreneurship

At Virginia Tech, we believe that innovation and entrepreneurship can be a powerful force within organizations of all types and sizes, in established businesses as well as new ventures. In any industry, in any position, it takes the entrepreneurial mindset to solve problems, make an impact, and innovate. Led by Apex Executive Director, Derick Maggard, and Center Director, Sean Collins, the Apex Center for Entrepreneurs is an Interdisciplinary Hub at Virginia Tech, offering a wide variety of programs and engagement opportunities for students to learn about and practice in all phases of the entrepreneurship and innovation process.

At Apex, we are a team of innovators, thought-leaders, entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts and startup company champions. Together, we have one common goal: inspiring and empowering our students to turn their passion, purpose, and ideas into action.

Any Hokie. Any Major. Any Year. Apex wants to help you achieve your entrepreneurial aspirations!

Apex Research Mission

Apex seeks to foster multi-disciplinary entrepreneurship research that plays a leading role in shaping scholarly discussions and contributing to the skills, tools, and insights of women and men who seek to change the world through entrepreneurial action.

• Building and sustaining a vibrant, interactive entrepreneurship research culture at VT, through a supportive, institution-wide consortium of faculty, staff, and students, evidenced through: tangible, ongoing scholarly research by all of VT’s colleges; grants to support entrepreneurship research; and, regularly sponsored programs to collaborate and share scholarly work.

• Facilitating global recognition for VT as a world-leading authority on entrepreneurship research, evidenced through: multiple, annual publications in the field’s most prestigious outlets; broad-based participation by multiple faculty and students in the field’s most important conferences; regular invitations for VT faculty to present entrepreneurship research around the world.

• Translating cutting-edge scholarly research into impactful outreach to engage, inspire, and empower current and would-be entrepreneurs, evidenced through: media requests for interviews; practitioner-oriented publications; practitioner-oriented programming via traditional and online out-reach.