Rosanna Garcia

About Rosanna Garcia

I am an accomplished academic leader, entrepreneur, and advocate for inclusive innovation with over two decades of experience in higher education and venture creation. As the Paul R. Beswick Endowed Chair of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, I lead initiatives that empower students and faculty to address complex societal challenges through sustainable, inclusive, and responsible innovation. My work integrates academic rigor with real-world impact, fostering a culture of collaboration across STEM and business disciplines.Throughout my career, I have championed diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM innovation and venture creation, designing programs like the Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs at NC State University and and supporting initiatives that support underrepresented populations in STEM such as the Racial Equity in Technology Entrepreneurship Conferences. As a co-founder of multiple startups and the current CEO of Vijilent, a SaaS company employing military spouses, I bring practical startup expertise to my teaching and leadership. My research in innovation, venture creation, and benefit corporations has been cited over times globally.Whether mentoring students, leading interdisciplinary teams, or securing grant funding from organizations like the NSF and MacArthur Digital Foundation, I am dedicated to creating opportunities that bridge the gap between innovation and equity. My personal mission is to inspire the next generation of diverse leaders to make meaningful contributions to their communities and the world.My research has revealed that racialized minorities and women often do not identify as entrepreneurs, instead referring to themselves as business owners. This insight drives my preference for using the term \"venture creation\" rather than \"entrepreneurship,\" as it better reflects the inclusive, collaborative approach I champion.I\'m a huge advocate of GAIs, one which helped me write this statement. Let’s connect to explore opportunities for collaboration in innovation, entrepreneurship, and social impact!Specialties: Predictive Analytics, Jury Research, Entrepreneurship, Legal Tech

Experience

1. CEO, Co-founder

   Vijilent Inc

   Jan 2015 — Present

   Vijilent delivers intelligent online people search and social media discovery for the legal industry. I started the company after sustaining $18K in damage to my home rented through Airbnb. Start a free trial at

Education

• Michigan State University - Eli Broad College of Business

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Innovation & Marketing

  1998 — 2002

• UC Santa Barbara

  BS, Chemical Engineering

  1979 — 1984

• University of Rochester - Simon Business School

  Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Marketing & Finance

  1986 — 1988

Skills

• Teaching
• Entrepreneurship
• Public Speaking
• Statistics
• Spss
• Data Mining
• Quantitative Research
• Marketing Research
• Science
• Innovation Management
• Market Research
• Survey Design
• University Teaching
• Qualitative Research
• Marketing Strategy
• Quantitative Analytics
• Consumer Behaviour
• Powerpoint
• Microsoft Excel
• Research
• Machine Learning
• Statistical Modeling
• Research Design
• Analytics
• Project Management
• Higher Education
• Marketing
• R
• Agent-Based Modeling
• Data Analysis
• Product Development
• Analysis