Faculty Entrepreneurial Leadership Program (FELP)
The Faculty Entrepreneurial Leadership Program (FELP) at the University of Illinois empowers top faculty innovators to enhance the commercial and social impact of their research by transforming ideas into marketable innovations and real-world ventures. Through a series of immersive workshops led by distinguished faculty and industry experts, FELP provides foundational business knowledge, essential skills, and a collaborative community of entrepreneurial-minded faculty.
This highly selective professional development initiative brings together exceptional faculty from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield, enhancing entrepreneurial knowledge and self-efficacy without requiring prior startup experience. FELP serves as a time-efficient entry point into faculty entrepreneurship and is offered at no cost, supporting faculty in advancing their ideas from concept to commercialization.
2025 Workshop Schedule
Being an Academic Entrepreneur: Michael Roach
September 5, 2025 | 10:40 am - 3:20 pm
EnterpriseWorks
Designing the Business: Deepak Somaya
October 3, 2025 | 10:10 am - 3:50 pm
Discovery Partners Institute
Building and Managing the Team: Melissa Emily Graebner
October 31, 2025 | 10:40 am - 3:20 pm
EnterpriseWorks
Sourcing Capital & Other Resources: Thomas E. Parkinson
December 5, 2025 | 10:10 am - 3:50 pm
Discovery Partners Institute
(The workshops are organized around the UI Ride schedule)
What our participants have to say...
"Participating in FELP was a most valuable experience, equipping us with essential lessons and insights that are already propelling us forward toward greater success and innovation."
Gene E. Robinson, 2023 FELP Participant
Professor, Entomology; Director, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; Swanlund Endowed Chair; University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
"FELP was a transformative experience! I connected with others who share a passion for innovation for impact. I feel empowered with the tools needed to bring concepts to market. It is an incredible opportunity that ignited my entrepreneurial journey!"
Hei-Chi Chan, 2023 FELP Participant
Associate Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences & Philosophy, University of Illinois Springfield
“Participating in the FELP was an invaluable experience. Learning from other faculty entrepreneurs was particularly inspiring. I highly recommend FELP to any faculty member interested in exploring the commercialization of their research.”
Mohan Zalake, 2023 FELP Participant
Research Assistant Professor, Biomedical and Health Information Sciences, College of Applied Health Science, University of Illinois Chicago
FELP Participants
Fall 2024 Participants
University of Illinois Chicago
- Aritra Banerjee – Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Tanvi Bhatt – Professor, Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences; Program Coordinator, MS in Healthspan Promotion and Rehabilitation
- Carolyn Dickens – Interim Associate Dean for Faculty Practice and Partnership, College of Nursing
- Sriram Ravindran – Associate Professor, Oral Biology, College of Dentistry
University of Illinois Springfield
- Yona Stamatis – UIS Music Program Director; Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Mehmet Eren Ahsen – Assistant Professor, Business Administration, Gies College of Business
- Claudius Conrad – Professor, Carle Illinois College of Medicine and Cancer Center at Illinois
- Florin Dolcos – Professor, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
- Paolo Gardoni – Alfredo H. Ang Family Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Grainger College of Engineering
- Sebastiano Giadinella – Assistant Research Scientist; Project Engineer, Prairie Research Institute
- Asma Hatoum-Aslan – Associate Professor, Microbiology Department, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Samar Hegazy – Teaching Assistant Professor, Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle Illinois College of Medicine
- Anton Ivanov – Assistant Professor, Business Administration, Gies College of Business
- James Lowe – Associate Dean of Online Programs and Extension; Associate Professor, Pathobiology & Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine
- Moses Okumu – Associate Professor, School of Social Work & Center for African Studies
- Dren Qerimi – Research Assistant Professor; Associate Director, Illinois Plasma Institute, Grainger College of Engineering
- Mike Tissenbaum – Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction & Education Psychology, College of Education
- Allison Witt – Director of International Programs; Teaching Associate Professor, Education Policy Organization and Leadership, College of Education
- Xun Yan – Director of BA in Linguistics; Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
- Tony Zhang – Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, Finance, Gies College of Business
- Federico Zuckermann – Professor, Pathobiology & Veterinary Program in Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine
Fall 2023 Participants
University of Illinois Chicago
- Paul R. Carlier – Director, UICentre; Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy
Ahmet Enis Cetin – Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering - Danilo Erricolo – Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
- Paul H. Goldspink – Research Associate Professor, Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine
- Jae-Won Shin – Associate Professor, Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, College of Medicine
- Katherin M. Warpeha – Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
- Mohan Zalake – Research Assistant Professor, Biomedical and health Information Sciences, College of Applied Health Science
University of Illinois Springfield
- Hei-Chi Chan - Associate Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences & Philosophy
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Chung-Yi Chiu – Associate Professor, Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences
- Ned O'Gorman – Professor, Communication, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
- Nancy McElwain – Research Professor, Human Development & Family Studies, College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences
- Ruby Medenhall – Kathryn Lee Baynes Dallenbach Professor (Soc & African American Studies); Associate Dean, Carle Illinois College of Medicine
- Liviu M. Miricia – William H. and Janet G. Lycan Professor of Chemistry, Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
- Suguna Pappu – Associate Professor, Carle Illinois College of Medicine; Neurosurgeon, Carle Neroscience Institute
- Gene E. Robinson – Swanlund Chair, Entomology; Director, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
- Pengfei Song – Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
- Ryanb L. Sriver – Associate Professor, Atmospheric Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Yilan Xu – Associate Professor, Agricultural & Consumer Economics, College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences
- Mike Yao – Professor of Digital Media, Charls H. Sandage Department of Advicertising; Director, Institute of Communications Research
- Yang Zhao – Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
What campus leaders have to say
“FELP is perfectly aligned with campus efforts to elevate entrepreneurship, planting seeds to help researchers envision their ideas in new and potentially game-changing ways. From our flagship small business incubator, EnterpriseWorks, to a wealth of entrepreneurial training and educational programs, Urbana-Champaign is a hotbed of research translation—and societal transformation.”
Susan Martinis, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
“Through FELP, we are fostering an environment where innovation thrives and UIC faculty can transform their research into real-world solutions. This program accelerates entrepreneurship across our campus and drives meaningful social and economic progress within the many diverse communities we serve.”
Karen Colley, Provost, University of Illinois Chicago
FELP Co-Sponsors
FELP was born out of a partnership between the Discovery Partners Institute and the Gies College of Business, supported by a generous gift from Don and Anne Edwards. Just as importantly, it represents a collaborative endeavor across the innovation ecosystem(s) of the University of Illinois and owes its existence to the support and sponsorship of many valuable stakeholders who were instrumental in bringing this initiative to fruition.
Specifically, in what is surely an incomplete list, we would like to express our deep gratitude to:
- Chicago: Provost’s Office, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Council of Deans
- Springfield: Provost’s Office
- Urbana: Provost’s Office, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Council of Deans, Institute Directors, Grainger College of Engineering, Research Park, EnterpriseWorks, Office of Technology Management
- System: Office of the Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation
FELP Leadership Team
Elias Kourpas
Clinical Professor of Business Administration and Academic Director of Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Major and Diane and Steven N. Miller Faculty Fellow
Deepak Somaya
Professor of Business Administration and Diane and Steven N. Miller Professor and Edwards Scholar
Questions? Please contact felp@business.illinois.edu.