“Startup Campus is a vital exploration of how leading universities like UC Berkeley are redefining their role in society. As someone whose work emerged from an ecosystem that values both fundamental science and entrepreneurial risk-taking, I see in this book a blueprint for the institutional evolution we need. Rich Lyons shows how universities can stay true to their academic core while becoming engines of innovation and impact. This is a must-read for anyone who believes in the power of science and education to change the world.”— Jennifer Doudna, UC Berkeley biochemist, CRISPR pioneer and Nobel laureate, Innovative Genomics Institute founder
“UC Berkeley has shaped generations of tech pioneers—including me. Startup Campus distills the culture, policies, and spirit that made Berkeley a cradle of innovation, offering invaluable lessons for campuses everywhere.”— Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google and Executive Chairman of Alphabet Inc. co-author of Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit
“Berkeley has always been a place that fosters and honors scholars who can help us see the world around us in a wholly new way, those who turn conventional thinking upside down and make great intellectual leaps that change the world. Strangely, within Berkeley, that was once thought of as apart from entrepreneurial journeys beyond the academy. This book tells the marvelous story of how a few people shaped Berkeley’s deliberate, rapid, and inspiring path to entrepreneurship excellence. It's a great story, and one that is sure to inspire other universities on their own journeys."— Paul Alivisatos, President, University of Chicago, pioneer in nanomaterials development
“Startup Campus demonstrates the power of the agile and scaled home for infinite creativity that UC Berkeley has become since the 1960s. This power has driven trillions of dollars of new economic energy and its replication is possible throughout the country by studying this fantastic American innovation story.” — Michael M. Crow, President, Arizona State University, author of The Fifth Wave: The Evolution of American Higher Education
“Berkeley’s entrepreneurial spirit transforms world-class research into real-world impact, advancing breakthroughs in human and environmental health. Supporting this engine of discovery means accelerating solutions for the challenges that define our time."— Barbara Bass Bakar, former Chief Executive Officer for several major retail firms, Founder of ACHIEVE, a high school scholarship and enrichment program
“UC Berkeley has been the home of revolutionary discoveries in science and technology for many decades. Sometimes less appreciated is how many of those have been translated into very successful products and companies across the digital, biotechnology, materials, chemistry, climate tech, and other sectors. This book is a must read for anyone interested in how visionary leadership built a campus entrepreneurship culture that spawned more venture capital funded startups than any other university.”— Brook Byers, cofounder of Kleiner Perkins and venture capital pioneer
“A key ingredient in the recipe for Silicon Valley and the U.S. technology industry, is the critical role of the University. This book charts the evolution of UC Berkeley’s enormous contribution and commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship that has fueled the growth of the technology industry, while maintaining its public mission and academic excellence. Berkeley’s story is a valuable road map for every University to realize its potential to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship that contributes to the improvement of our society and the student experience.”— Larry W. Sonsini, Senior and Founding Partner of Wilson Sonsini
“I was there when entrepreneurship at Berkeley was still an experiment—before incubators, before venture labs. I watched a bold mix of academic rigor, risk-taking, and cross-disciplinary energy turn Berkeley into one of the world’s engines for startups. This book captures that evolution and, for me, brings to life a personal journey that helped shape what academic innovation can become - a Startup Campus."— Steve Blank, Serial entrepreneur and creator of the Lean Startup methodology
“Public universities are America's greatest innovation and there is no better example than Berkeley. It changed my life. Here's the story of how a great school also became a vital center of entrepreneurship.”— Scott Galloway, Haas 1992, Professor of Marketing, NYU Stern and co-host Pivot and Prof G Markets podcasts, serial entrepreneur
