Symposium Overview
As entrepreneurial ecosystems continue to evolve, Venture Builders - also known as startup studios or venture studios - have emerged as a distinctive model for systematically creating and scaling startups. Operating at the intersection of investment, operational support, and strategic ideation, Venture Builders offer a compelling context for both rigorous academic investigation and applied innovation practice.
This blended academic-practitioner symposium will explore academic and practitioner papers which advance understanding of the Venture Builder model: its structures, impacts, challenges, and opportunities. Comprised of empirical research, theoretical contributions, reflective practice-based insights, and policy perspectives, this symposium will foster a cross-disciplinary dialogue that deepens knowledge and informs action across academia, industry, and government.
Pricing
For practitioners
£125 - symposium only
£175 - symposium and dinner
For academics
£60 - symposium only
£110 - symposium and dinner
Details
This event is open to all - please book your place using the form below.
All tickets include refreshments throughout the day, lunch and a drinks reception.
Access
Symposium
This event will take place in the Lee Hall which has step-free access and an accessible toilet.
Dinner
The dinner will take place in the Combination Room on the first floor of our main building. It has step-free access with a lift and there is an accessible toilet located on the first floor of the building.
Contact
For general inquiries, please contact: networks-admin@wolfson.cam.ac.uk
Organising Committee
- Chris Coleridge
Chris Coleridge is the Associate Professor of Management Practice at the Judge Business School, and a Fellow of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge. His research interests include collaborative innovation, top management teams in ventures, networks and innovation ecosystems. He was an entrepreneur in the 1990s, before becoming an academic in entrepreneurship and strategy, and enjoys engaging with the ‘practical’ side of entrepreneurship alongside continuing his work at Cambridge Judge Business School and Wolfson College. He is also a member of the Strategy and International Business subject group and actively contributes to both academic and business communities.
- John-Erik Hassel
John-Erik Hassel is an experienced serial entrepreneur and researcher, with a doctorate in entrepreneurship. He has built multiple companies from scratch to successful exits, bringing practical insight into entrepreneurship, strategic growth, and startup development. In affiliation with Karlstad university in Sweden, his recent research focuses on entrepreneurship support organizations and specifically venture builders, exploring how new companies can be systematically created through structured processes. With a background that spans management consulting, international business, and board-level leadership, he bridges academic rigor with business experience.
Wolfson College Research Networks
The Wolfson College Research Networks are the College’s central hub for research activity, fostering excellence in learning, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Organising and curating a diverse programme of academic events, the Research Networks support the College’s research hubs and initiatives, and facilitates knowledge exchange by connecting scholars across disciplines within Wolfson, the wider University, and industry.
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