Mission & Vision

The mission of BPEP is to foster entrepreneurship among UC Berkeley’s postdocs, visiting scholars and graduate students, through education, awareness, and hands-on opportunities. We connect aspiring entrepreneurs with mentors, resources, and partners. Situated in a vibrant business climate and with access to the greatest pool of postdoc talent in the world, BPEP catalyzes productive collaboration on scientifically complex challenges with lasting economic benefits.

The vision of the Berkeley Postdoc Entrepreneurship Program (BPEP) is to create an empowered UC Berkeley postdoctoral and graduate student community by providing them tools to translate their research to products via startups.

"Idea to Funding" Workshop Series

The Berkeley Postdoc Entrepreneurship Program organizes a monthly workshop series titled "Idea to funding". Since most postdocs and graduate students might potentially start their entrepreneurship journey, the workshop series will primarily focus on education and resources needed for the very initial stages of the journey. Check out the calendar and make sure you register for future events.

Upcoming Events

2026 Spring

Event of the Month

Ideas & Skills Collision: Bridging Research & Business- A BPEP- Haas Initiative

Applications due: April 3rd, Friday April, 2026; 6.00 pm PST

Location:  Haas School of Business

Collaborator Matchmaking for Postdocs, Researchers, and Haas MBAs

Turn your breakthrough research into a startup. Skills Collision is a joint initiative between BPEP and the Haas School of Business designed to connect innovative researchers with experienced EWMBA students.

How it Works

This two-phase program bridges the gap between the lab and the market by pairing technical founders with business-minded collaborators:

  • Phase 1 (Intake): Apply with your startup-ready research or idea.

  • Phase 2 (Matchmaking): Join a curated evening of networking and feedback with Haas MBA professionals to explore team formation and market potential.

Why Participate?

  • Expertise: Access deep industry knowledge and business acumen from the #1 EWMBA program in the country.

  • Networking: Build personal connections with fellow Cal scholars and industry professionals.

  • Translation: Evaluate how to turn your campus research into products that benefit the world.

Apply Now

Submit your research summary for review by MBA participants. We will facilitate a mutual exchange of information followed by an invite-only matchmaking session.

Please fill this application form

Deadline: April 3, 2026

2026 Events

April 

Skills Collision: Bridging Research & Business

May 21

The Professor-Founder: How Faculty Can Build Companies and Maintain Balance

Past event Playlist

Bench to Market : Idea Evaluation and Commercialization for Product-market Fit (BPEP 2015)