The Emerson Consequential Scholars program (ECS) is for pioneering PhDs and Postdocs seeking to build consequential companies, organizations, and labs. ECS is expanding to MIT after building the program at Stanford over the last 10 years. Through the program, scholars cultivate knowledge and skills, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a broad network to build upon their research in order to address real-world problems.
Participants learn directly from entrepreneurs and academics who have built and scaled their own enterprises, explore innovation hubs in Boston and Silicon Valley, and sharpen their storytelling skills culminating in a capstone pitch experience. ECS is a launchpad for PhDs ready to build the future.
ECS is a partnership between Emerson Collective and Sutter Hill Ventures.
Alumni Features
Testimonials
The [...] program was one of the most formative experiences I had at Stanford, both in terms of understanding what it means to be an entrepreneur in practice and in providing me with an incredible cohort of similarly minded peers who I am lucky to still count as close friends and supporters today.
Peyton Greenside
CEO, BigHat Biosciences
[The] program demystified the startup process with guests who are veterans in everything from legal and IP to marketing and fundraising. It also showed a different way to success, where kindness doesn’t have to be at odds with velocity. We formed deep connections as a cohort, and many of us went on to start companies. Those connections have become invaluable. These are the people I have on speed dial whenever I need a sounding board.
Cody Coleman
CEO, Coactive AI
One of the most valuable aspects of the fellow’s program for me was the human connection: to connect with like-minded individuals. Unlike an award or a big milestone, the fellowship wasn’t a one-time thing but an ongoing engagement that reinforced innovation/entrepreneurship can mean different things for each of us—it’s not a monolith. Each of us has our own path and journey. The fellowship helped me see innovation not as a single leap, but as a series of small, steady steps. Looking back, it helped me develop valuable habits, and the friendships and connections I formed continue to be incredibly rewarding.
Saad Bhamla
Associate Professor,
Georgia Institute of Technology
