Entrepreneurship challenges MBAs to create value from the ground up. It requires curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to learn by doing. At Rice Business, where entrepreneurship runs in our veins, students do not explore entrepreneurship alone. They are supported by a close-knit community, hands-on resources, and alumni who are actively building, scaling, and leading ventures across industries.
Entrepreneurship Industry Week brings that ecosystem to life. Over the course of the week, students will hear candid alumni stories, engage directly with founders and innovators, and experience Houston’s entrepreneurial landscape firsthand.
Here’s a look at what we’ve got planned (you find more event details in 12twenty):
Entrepreneurship in Action: Alumni Stories and Insights
Tuesday, February 17 | 5:00 – 6:30 PM | McNair Hall, AFC
Register in 12twenty
The week kicks off with an alumni panel featuring Rice Business graduates who have built and scaled ventures in the real world. Panelists will share candid perspectives on navigating uncertainty, identifying opportunity, and turning ideas into action.
This session follows the Industry Week Fireside Chat format students know well, combining practical insight with open conversation and time to connect.
Agenda:
- 5:00 – 6:00 PM | Panel discussion
- 6:00 – 6:30 PM | Networking
The conversation will be moderated by Al Danto, Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at Rice Business, bringing additional perspective on innovation across the Rice ecosystem. Come prepared to ask questions, hear what worked and what did not, and leave with insights you can apply to your own path.
The Entrepreneur’s Chair with Theo Williams
Thursday, February 19 | 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM | McNair Hall, AFC
Register in 12twenty
Join us for an intimate conversation with entrepreneur Theo Williams as he reflects on his career journey, leadership lessons, and approach to innovation. This interactive session gives students the opportunity to hear firsthand experiences and engage directly in discussion.
Entrepreneurship Trek
Friday, February 20 | 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Houston
Register in 12twenty
Entrepreneurship Industry Week concludes with a full-day trek across Houston’s innovation landscape. Career Treks give students the opportunity to explore career paths, connect with alumni and leaders, and see how entrepreneurship operates in practice.
This one-day Houston trek includes confirmed visits to:
- The Cannon at West Houston
- Portal Innovations at Helix Park Labs
- Rice University’s The Ion
Students will travel together by shuttle, and full participation in scheduled events is expected. The complete itinerary will be shared once all site visits are finalized.
Ways to Get Involved, Get Support, and Get Moving
Entrepreneurship Industry Week is just one entry point into a broader network of support available to Rice Business students. Throughout the year, students can engage with resources across the Career Development Office and the university, including:
- The Entrepreneurship Career Community on the CDO website
- The Entrepreneurship Association, a student-led organization connecting MBAs interested in entrepreneurship
- Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, supporting technology commercialization and venture creation
- The Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, home to experiential learning and co-curricular innovation programming
- The Ion, Houston’s hub for startups, corporate innovation, and academic collaboration
- OwlSpark, providing hands-on experience and a roadmap from innovation to commercialization
ICYMI: For the seventh consecutive year, Rice Business is ranked the No. 1 graduate entrepreneurship program in the United States by the Princeton Review. That recognition reflects not just coursework, but a community that supports experimentation, learning through failure, and turning ideas into viable ventures.
Entrepreneurship Industry Week is an invitation to explore what is possible, learn from those who have gone before you, and take the next step with intention. We look forward to seeing you there.
