A wound-care startup. A boutique food brand. A land management app. A wine label.
These ventures operate in very different industries, but they share a common origin: their founders learned how to build them in Seattle at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business.
At Foster, entrepreneurship isn’t treated as a buzzword or a single career path. It’s a discipline students develop through mentorship, experiential learning, and access to one of the most dynamic innovation ecosystems in the world.
Some students arrive with ideas they want to pursue, while others want to launch products and services within established companies. What every student finds is an environment designed for growth.
That training happens across MBA and master’s programs, as well as in the Master of Science in Entrepreneurship, where students learn to evaluate opportunities, test ideas, and turn concepts into viable ventures.
At Foster, entrepreneurship means learning how to build.
FACULTY WHO TEACH HOW VENTURES SUCCEED
That growth philosophy is shaped by Foster faculty, whose research examines how companies form, scale, grow, and compete.
Professors like Benjamin Hallen and Emily Cox Pahnke study the dynamics that determine why some ventures gain traction while others fail. Their research explores how entrepreneurs secure funding, build credibility, work with boards and investors, and navigate uncertainty in competitive markets.
Those insights don’t remain confined to academic research; they’re part of the curriculum. And because Foster maintains a low faculty-to-student ratio, faculty can work closely with students as coaches and advisors as ideas evolve.
Students also receive valuable advice and support from alumni who are experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and industry pioneers. Alumni from across the Pacific Northwest regularly converge on campus as mentors and speakers to share practical insights on launching and scaling ventures.
AN INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM FEW UNIVERSITIES CAN MATCH
Learning entrepreneurship at Foster is strengthened by the broader innovation ecosystem at the University of Washington, one of the world’s leading research institutions.
The University of Washington ranks #8 among global universities and is classified as a Tier 1 research university under the Carnegie Classification. (Only about 3.7% of U.S. universities earn this designation, reflecting the highest levels of research activity and funding.)
That scale of discovery fuels opportunities to learn entrepreneurship and innovation.
Foster’s Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship connects students with business competitions, mentorship opportunities, incubators, and a network of alumni founders and investors.
Students can also tap into the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) for mentorship from global entrepreneurs and investors who work with founders to scale breakthrough technologies.
Over at CoMotion, the innovation hub, aspiring entrepreneurs can turn ideas into companies. Over the past five years, CoMotion has supported 52 new startups and has generated more than $19.9 billion in economic impact.
The foundation for many ventures is the University of Washington’s research enterprise. The university attracts more than $1.7 billion in annual research funding, creating a pipeline of discoveries across medicine, engineering, agriculture, environmental science, and technology. Plus, entrepreneurship programs at the University of Washington recently ranked #5, reflecting the university’s strength in venture support, faculty expertise, and student-led startups.
For students exploring innovation, Seattle and the University of Washington offer opportunities to collaborate with scientists, engineers, clinicians, investors, and thought leaders who can help them lay the foundations for new companies and products.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACROSS FOSTER’S MBA AND MASTER’S PROGRAMS
Foster offers several pathways for students to develop entrepreneurial skills and pursue new ventures.
Graduate students can explore innovation through programs including the Full-Time MBA, Hybrid MBA (primarily online), Executive MBA, and the Master of Science in Entrepreneurship.
MBA students can use the curriculum to test and develop new ideas or apply entrepreneurial frameworks to launching new products and services within established organizations.
For aspiring founders who want to focus intensively on venture creation, the Master of Science in Entrepreneurship offers a one-year immersive experience centered on evaluating opportunities, building prototypes, refining business models, and pitching investors.
SEATTLE: A CITY WHERE BUILDERS THRIVE
Seattle adds another ingredient: a culture of entrepreneurship that rewards experimentation. In the Pacific Northwest, generations of builders have created innovations ranging from commercial aircraft and software platforms to sports equipment and travel apps.
Recently, Seattle was ranked the best place to live in the U.S. and among the top 10 in the world. It’s also ranked among the world’s healthiest and most active cities. Locals will tell you that Seattle blends a dynamic economy with easy access to mountains, waterways, one of the nation’s largest bike path and trail systems, and a diverse (and healthy) food scene. That environment encourages exploration, and many of the region’s innovations reflect that spirit.
FROM CLASSROOM TO LAUNCH
The ventures introduced at the beginning of this story illustrate what that process can produce.
Foster MBA alumni Todd Cutter, Josh McDonald, and Dr. Kunal Joshi launched NaturaCur Wound Healing, a healthcare startup focused on advanced wound-care and burn-care technologies.
MS in Entrepreneurship alum Zane Dunham founded NoWhere Foods, a line of craft non-alcoholic beverages and foods inspired by American landscapes.
MS in Entrepreneurship alum Aaron Kennedy founded Outway, a software platform designed to help land managers and park rangers coordinate mapping, tracking, and reporting.
MBA alum Janna Rinker developed and launched Métier, a wine label created within Washington’s acclaimed DeLille Cellars.
Each venture was founded at Foster with the same underlying skills, knowledge, support, and network. Foster is where students learn how to build what comes next.
The University of Washington’s Foster School of Business is one of the nation’s top-ranked public business schools, located in the heart of Seattle’s innovation economy. With over 60,000 alumni worldwide and connections across industries, from consulting and technology to aerospace, healthcare, and beyond, Foster offers a Full-Time MBA experience built on real-world engagement. Students gain personalized career support, mentorship from business leaders, and access to companies that shape the global economy, all backed by a world-class research university.
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