The UC Berkeley Innovators in Residence (IIR) Program is a selective, community-driven experience designed for students who have already engaged deeply with entrepreneurship—through startups, incubators, VC, Challenge Labs, or comparable experiences. Rather than an introductory course, the program serves as a curated forum for high-potential builders to collaborate, refine their thinking, and accelerate their ventures within a trusted, high-signal network.

Modeled after the Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) framework used in leading venture capital firms, the IIR Program brings together a small cohort of founders, operators, and innovators into a private,high-trust environment. The program prioritizes depth over scale, fostering candid conversations around real challenges in building—product decisions, growth, team dynamics, and fundraising—while emphasizing shared accountability and meaningful peer relationships.

Residents actively work on their own ventures throughout the program while participating in a structured set of experiences, including private dinners, closed-door roundtables, and small-group advisory sessions with alumni, community mentors, SCET faculty, and speakers. 

These sessions are designed to move beyond surface-level learning, enabling participants to engage in direct, tactical problem-solving and receive high-quality feedback from peers operating at a similar level. The program emphasizes learning through execution and peer insight, rather than passive instruction.

A core pillar of the IIR experience is mentorship and contribution. Residents act as both learners and leaders within the broader UC Berkeley entrepreneurship ecosystem. In partnership with programs such as the SCET Innovation Fellows and Challenge Labs and the eHub at Haas, participants design and facilitate workshops, mentor early-stage teams, and translate their own experiences into actionable guidance. This model reinforces entrepreneurial thinking while developing skills in coaching, leadership,and communication.

The program also integrates elements of design thinking and experiential learning, applied directly to real ventures and real interactions. Through engaging with guest founders, operators, and investors in small, discussion-based settings, residents gain insight into decision-making, pattern recognition, and the realities of building and scaling companies.

Ultimately, the Innovators in Residence Program is designed to cultivate a lasting, high-signal community of individuals committed to both building impactful ventures and supporting one another’s growth. By the end of the program, residents will have strengthened their ventures, developed a more refined approach to entrepreneurship, and built a close, enduring network within Berkeley and beyond.

As Innovators in Residence, participants leave with more than experience—they leave with a trusted community, deeper clarity in how they build, and a platform for continued collaboration and impact.