National Collegiate Investors & Innovators Alliance Inc, operating as VentureWell, is a 501(c)(3) public charity based in Hadley, Massachusetts. Established in 1995 with support from The Lemelson Foundation, the organization cultivates a pipeline of inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs dedicated to solving global challenges. VentureWell fosters collaboration among the brightest minds from research labs, classrooms, and beyond to advance innovation and entrepreneurship education while providing unique opportunities for STEM students and researchers to realize their potential and create lasting impact.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$67.3M
+25.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.9M
+6.8% YoY
Grant Count
50
-29.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$37K
+51.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
VentureWell's mission centers on cultivating inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs driven to solve the world's biggest challenges and create lasting impact. The organization promotes invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship through:
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education: Supporting educators in implementing hands-on, experiential learning approaches
- Student Innovation Programs: Funding E-Teams—groups of students, faculty, and advisors working to commercialize novel ideas
- Technology Entrepreneurship: Grants to faculty to start programs focused on technology entrepreneurship and product development
- Commercialization Support: Helping student innovations move from concept to market
Primary funding areas include Education, Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, and Human Services.
Grantmaking
VentureWell administers multiple grant programs:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
VentureWell's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. The organization maintains a membership of nearly 200 colleges and universities across the United States.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Fiscal Year (2024):
- Total Assets: $67,322,326
- Total Revenue: $116,586,489
- Total Expenses: $110,811,872
- Total Giving: $5,691,603
- Staff: 155 employees
Previous Fiscal Year (2023):
- Total Assets: $53.6M
- Total Revenue: $93.3M
- Total Expenses: $89.9M
- Total Liabilities: $25.7M
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $67,322,326 | $53,617,163 | $38,455,706 |
| Revenue | $116,586,489 | $93,331,215 | $81,594,297 |
| Expenses | $110,811,872 | $89,870,589 | $72,236,568 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,088,852 | $106,610 | $111,931 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
150 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include 2twelve90 Llc ($562,500), Johns Hopkins University ($65,000), Washington - Seattle Campus University of ($65,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2TWELVE90 LLC Mount Pleasant, SC | WFF Advanced Mobility Venture Studio Operations | $562,500 |
| Agpreneur Inc San Francisco, CA | International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) 2023 Moonshots for Development Award for development of AI for climate reilience. | $50,000 |
| Akron University of Akron, OH | Funding, hands-on workshops, peer networking opportunities, and expert coaching for student teams working to commercialize their high-impact science and technology inventions. | $20,000 |
| Alliance for Sustainable Energy LLC Golden, CO | Funding, hands-on workshops, peer networking opportunities, and expert coaching for student teams working to commercialize their high-impact science and technology inventions. | $7,500 |
| Angel Capital Association Overland Park, KS | Grants to help fund and support faculty with innovative ideas to create new or transform existing courses and programs to help students develop novel, STEM-based inventions and gain the necessary entrepreneurial skills needed to bring these ideas to market. | $10,000 |
| Arizona State University Tempe, AZ | Grants to help fund and support faculty with innovative ideas to create new or transform existing courses and programs to help students develop novel, STEM-based inventions and gain the necessary entrepreneurial skills needed to bring these ideas to market and funding, hands-on workshops, peer networking opportunities, and expert coaching for student teams working to commercialize their high-impact science and technology inventions. | $50,000 |
| Association of University Technology Managers Washington, DC | Funding for new initiatives that will develop into useful resources for the VentureWell community and beyond. | $11,350 |
| Benedict College Columbia, SC | Grants to help fund and support faculty with innovative ideas to create new or transform existing courses and programs to help students develop novel, STEM-based inventions and gain the necessary entrepreneurial skills needed to bring these ideas to market. | $30,000 |
| Black Women Talk Tech Inc New York, NY | Grants to help fund and support faculty with innovative ideas to create new or transform existing courses and programs to help students develop novel, STEM-based inventions and gain the necessary entrepreneurial skills needed to bring these ideas to market. | $10,000 |
| Bowie State University Foundation Bowie, MD | Funding for new initiatives that will develop into useful resources for the VentureWell community and beyond. | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abigail Barrow | Chair | 1 | — |
| Todd Warren | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Mike Marasco | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Gilda Barabino | Director | 1 | — |
| Carol Dahl | Director | 1 | — |
| Monica Dean | Director | 1 | — |
| Jose Estabil | Director | 1 | — |
| Randy Lewis | Director | 1 | — |
| Rodney Priestley | Director | 1 | — |
| Youseph Yazdi | Director | 1 | — |
| Jerry Engel | Emeritus Board Member | 1 | — |
| Mike Malone | Emeritus Board Member | 1 | — |
| Donna Petkanics | Emeritus Board Member | 1 | — |
| Paul Yock | Emeritus Board Member | 1 | — |
| Philip Weilerstein | President & CEO | 35 | $346,432 |
| Mark Marino | VP, Growth Strategy | 35 | $221,971 |
| Christopher Desrosiers | VP, Fin & Admin (Non-Director) | 35 | $226,861 |
| Ursa Scherer | VP, People & Culture | 35 | $217,990 |
| Demetria Gallagher | VP, Higher Ed Innov. Ecosystems | 35 | $215,628 |
| Christina Tamer | VP, Ventures | 35 | $190,418 |
| Rebekah Neal | VP, Commercialization | 35 | $176,297 |
| Jennifer Holme | Chief of Staff, Asst. Sec. (Non-Director) | 35 | $148,221 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does National Collegiate Investors & fund?
VentureWell's mission centers on cultivating inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs driven to solve the world's biggest challenges and create lasting impact. The organization promotes invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship through: • **Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education**: Supporting educators in implementing hands-on, experiential learning approaches • **Student Innovation Programs**: Funding E-Teams—groups of students, faculty, and advisors working to commercialize novel ideas •…
How do I apply for a grant from National Collegiate Investors &?
VentureWell administers multiple grant programs: **Grant Amounts**: Typical awards range from $2,500 to $562,500 **Total Giving**: $5,691,603 (most recent fiscal year) **Program Areas**: • **RADX Program**: VentureWell serves as the network partner and administrator for the National Institutes of Health's Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Initiative, which aims to expand innovative diagnostic technologies for SARS-CoV-2 testing across the country • **I-Corps Program**: Courses that engage parti…
Where does National Collegiate Investors & make grants?
VentureWell's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. The organization maintains a membership of nearly 200 colleges and universities across the United States.
What size grants does National Collegiate Investors & award?
In 2024, National Collegiate Investors & awarded 50 grants totaling $1.9M — an average of about $37K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is National Collegiate Investors &'s EIN?
National Collegiate Investors &'s EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1727335. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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