Batten Institute

Corporate innovation is crucial for value creation. What does that have to do with gender diversity? A new global study shows the real influence and impact of gender diversity on boards; when it comes to greater balance, so come greater innovation outcomes. And the effects may be evident sooner than you think.

Raising venture capital isn’t for the faint of heart, but the challenges are magnified for female founders. Professors Saras Sarasvathy and Elena Loutskina share insights on barriers women face to raising risk capital and how to overcome them.

MIT Professor Cynthia Breazeal, a keynote speaker at a recent Psychology of Technology Conference led by Darden Professor Roshni Raveendhran, shares insights about a new generation of social robots and their impact on human flourishing.

Studies show that gender bias in the venture capital (VC) industry hurts both female founders and has negative financial consequences for VC firms. Darden Professors Morela Hernandez and Roshni Raveendhran show how algorithm-aided, data-driven approaches can help investors mitigate bias and make better and more equitable funding decisions.

Technology is reshaping the way we live, work, play and interact. Darden Professor Roshni Raveendhran, whose research sits at the intersection of psychology and technology, shares her insights about the opportunities novel technologies, such as artificial intelligence, create for humanity and the risks they pose.

Despite its origins in manufacturing, lean thinking has shown the potential to transform other process-oriented industries, including healthcare. According to Darden Professor Elliott N. Weiss, when it comes to process improvement and eliminating waste, lean is as effective in the hospital as it is on the factory floor.

Odds of survival are slim when it comes to startups. One essential variable that goes into the equation: geography. New research supported by Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has produced the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem quality index, which measures the health of a location based on five key characteristics.

With a global population projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, food production will require innovative new methods for producing more food, more sustainably. Here, Darden Ideas to Action highlights one company trying to do just that: Beanstalk, founded by brothers Mike and Jack Ross in 2017.

The myth of the iconic founder amplified by the media is as misleading as it is seductive. David Touve, senior director of ventures at UVA Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, dispels some of the most common misconceptions about entrepreneurs.

Digital technologies are redefining business landscape, disrupting markets and industries. Darden Professor Michael Lenox offers insights on how large incumbent firms can tackle the challenges of digital transformation.