Françoise Lepage Center for Global Innovation
entrepreneurial invention. multigenerational hope
Innovative Educational Environment
In collaboration with entrepreneurial leaders such as Hap Klopp (founder of the North Face and Hult Professor), Carlos Baradello (Managing Director of Sausalito Ventures and Hult Professor), local partners at cFire, Dominican faculty in all three colleges, and University leadership, the Center facilitates the prototyping of innovative educational environments at Dominican. This initiative includes research related to innovative pedagogy and business models in higher education, contributing to the development of an entrepreneurial university. Dominican was founded as a teaching college, and the Center helps the University leverage its long history of pedagogical leadership to drive innovation in education, fostering successful intrapreneurial initiatives within the institution.
Student Experience
Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship (GIE) Minor Immersion Experience
The Lepage Center enables Dominican students to learn about global innovation and entrepreneurship first-hand through a global practicum experience. This includes facilitating 10-day, fact-finding trips to countries around the world. In 2023, 10 students visited South Korea with the Director of the Lepage Center and Dr. Sarah Lee, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior and Management. The trip included visits to innovation centers at leading universities, startups and established KOSPI-listed companies, as well as cultural K-POP performances and historic sites. Many students reported that the experience was "transformational," providing invaluable insights into global innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems. A similar trip is planned for the summer of 2025, further enhancing students' exposure to international business development and innovation processes, including those in Silicon Valley.
The Françoise Lepage Center for Global Innovation: Fostering Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The Françoise Lepage Center for Global Innovation at Dominican University of California, founded by Dr. Françoise Lepage and Dr. Denise Lucy, is a hub for innovative research and global innovation. Situated in the heart of the Bay Area ecosystem, the center leverages its proximity to Silicon Valley to drive entrepreneurship and innovation across various sectors, including biotechnology. The Research Support Lab at the Lepage Center supports Dominican Faculty and graduate students, as well as local and international partners conducting research by providing assistance with research design and methods, copyediting and proofreading, and article and monograph placement.
In early 2024, the Center began coordinating a first-of-its-kind, tri-continent research collaborative with approximately 60 researchers from Dominican University of California, the University of Juba (South Sudan), and Solbridge International School of Business (South Korea). This initiative exemplifies the center's commitment to fostering global innovation and collaboration among research universities. The Center is rapidly becoming the leading resource for data on innovation processes and a global thought-leader with regard to theories of innovation and technology transfer, contributing to university innovation on a global scale.
Global Network
The Lepage Center is a member of Harvard Business School Microeconomics of Competitiveness (MOC) Affiliate Network. This allows the Lepage Center and the Barowsky School of Business (BSB) to incorporate the Microeconomics of Competitiveness course, designed by Michael Porter and HBS faculty, into their undergraduate, MBA, and executive education programs. It also opens a network of 100 educational institutions in 67 countries to Dominican faculty, staff, students, and Lepage Center affiliates, fostering global innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Lepage Center is also a member of the Babson College Collaborative for Entrepreneurship Education. Babson College, renowned for its entrepreneurship programs and registrar Babson services, is widely acknowledged as a leader in Entrepreneurship education, frequently being ranked #1 by US News and World Report. Its own network of 34 member institutions in 24 countries also enriches the Lepage Center's ability to bring the world to Dominican and Dominican faculty, staff, students, and Lepage Center affiliates to the world, enhancing entrepreneurial training and global innovation initiatives.
In addition, the Lepage Center is a member of the Pacific Neighborhood Consortium (PNC). The PNC was founded at UC Berkeley to facilitate exchanges between universities and institutions in the Pacific Rim. It is now run by Taiwan's Academia Sinica, one of Asia's leading academic institutions. By joining the PNC, the Lepage Center strengthens Dominican's ties with Asia and its innovative businesses and thinkers, further expanding its global network of entrepreneurial ecosystems.
The Lepage Center's global network is further enhanced by its affiliation with the National Information Standards Organization, a non-profit standards organization that develops, maintains, and publishes technical standards related to publishing, bibliographic, and library applications. The affiliation builds the Center's network among information specialists, which will help to begin transforming Dominican's brand so that it can suggest technological smarts in addition to intellectual leadership. It allows faculty and librarians at Dominican to serve on national and international standards committees, contributing to the university's role in technology commercialization and innovation, inspired by groundbreaking work such as the Arnold Beckman invention process.
Local & Regional Partners
Since 2022, the Lepage Center has supported Marin Sonoma Impact Ventures (MSIV) as a Platinum Sponsor. MSIV is the first regional capital fund devoted to supporting Marin and Sonoma startups. By supporting MSIV, the Lepage Center contributes to the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the North Bay. Our sponsorship also provides a variety of opportunities to the Lepage Center, the Barowsky School of Business (BSB), and its students by opening the possibility of collaborative research projects between MSIV members and BSB faculty, as well as exciting, lucrative, local job prospects for BSB graduates. This partnership strengthens the center's connection to the Bay Area ecosystem and fosters small business development in the region.
With the US Commercial Service, San Rafael, the Lepage Center is working to open global markets to local businesses by hosting events and business roundtables that introduce local business owners to business leaders and thinkers from around the world, including Ambassador Chantale Wong, director of the Asia Development Bank; John Hansen, director of the Private Sector Engagement Team for Power Africa at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); and Dr. Dan Kammen, lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. These initiatives contribute to increased entrepreneurial activity and economic growth in the region.
Multigenerational Hope Initiative
Dominican University of California is a majority-minority institution. In 2020, nearly 70% of students identified with ethnicities other than white. Nearly a quarter of Dominican's students are the first in their family to attend college. Dominican has recently qualified as both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), with more than 25% of undergraduate students identifying as Latinx and more than 25% identifying as Asian American or Pacific Islander.
The Director of the Lepage Center, in close collaboration with the Dean of the BSB, members of the Lepage Center Board of Advisors, and the Dominican Faculty, as well as local and international partners, is working to develop Xchange, a business incubator that enables Dominican students, faculty, staff, and alumni to foster hope and build equity in the affluent communities of Northern California as integral members of these communities for generations to come. This initiative aims to create a thriving startup community and promote entrepreneurial activity among diverse groups, contributing to the overall economic growth and innovation in the region. Xchange serves as one of the key incubators in the area, supporting the development of innovative ideas in various fields, including biotechnology.
Initiatives & Partnerships
To foster entrepreneurial invention and multigenerational hope, the Françoise O. Lepage Center for Global Innovation inspires and facilitates collaborations that leverage business acumen, academic discovery, creativity, and curiosity. As a hub for global innovation, the Lepage Center enables equitable, ethical, and sustainable business locally and internationally.
The Center's global network and local partners facilitate transformative student experiences, enrich international research, invigorate institutions of higher education, and enliven entrepreneurial ecosystems through exchange that brings about meaningful change and economic growth.
Lepage Entrepreneurship Forum
The Lepage Center invites leaders in business to the biannual Lepage Entrepreneurship Forum where students have the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the business world's most innovative thinkers and entrepreneurial leaders. This forum serves as a platform for leadership development and fosters connections between students and the vibrant startup community in Silicon Valley and beyond. The forum also includes a business idea competition, encouraging students to develop and pitch innovative concepts.
Speakers have included: Leslie Blodgett, Founder, bareMinerals; Kara Goldin, CEO of Hint Inc.; Kathy Tierney, former CEO Sur la Table and entrepreneur Michael Volpatt; Michael Volpatt, Serial Entrepreneur; Nooshin Behroyan, Founder/CEO of Paxon Energy & Infrastructure; Kevin Johnson, Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Dodge & Cox; Zachary Kushel, Founder and Managing Partner, Marin Sonoma Impact Ventures; Amelia Ceja, President and CEO, Ceja Vineyards; April 14, 2022; Joe Shekou, Owner, JHS Properties; Skelly Wingard, CEO, By the Bay Health; Kevin Compton, partner at Kleiner Perkins; Kevin Cleary, CEO, Clif Bar & Company.
Innovative Educational Environments
In collaboration with entrepreneurial leaders such as Hap Klopp (founder of the North Face and Hult Professor), Carlos Baradello (Managing Director of Sausalito Ventures and Hult Professor), local partners at cFire, Dominican faculty in all three colleges, and University leadership, the Center facilitates the prototyping of innovative educational environments at Dominican. This initiative includes research related to innovative pedagogy and business models in higher education, contributing to the development of an entrepreneurial university. Dominican was founded as a teaching college, and the Center helps the University leverage its long history of pedagogical leadership to drive innovation in education, fostering successful intrapreneurial initiatives within the institution.
Student Experience
Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship (GIE) Minor Immersion Experience
The Lepage Center enables Dominican students to learn about global innovation and entrepreneurship first-hand through a global practicum experience. This includes facilitating 10-day, fact-finding trips to countries around the world. In 2023, 10 students visited South Korea with the Director of the Lepage Center and Dr. Sarah Lee, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior and Management. The trip included visits to innovation centers at leading universities, startups and established KOSPI-listed companies, as well as cultural K-POP performances and historic sites. Many students reported that the experience was "transformational," providing invaluable insights into global innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems. A similar trip is planned for the summer of 2025, further enhancing students' exposure to international business development and innovation processes, including those in Silicon Valley.
The Françoise Lepage Center for Global Innovation: Fostering Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The Françoise Lepage Center for Global Innovation at Dominican University of California, founded by Dr. Françoise Lepage and Dr. Denise Lucy, is a hub for innovative research and global innovation. Situated in the heart of the Bay Area ecosystem, the center leverages its proximity to Silicon Valley to drive entrepreneurship and innovation across various sectors, including biotechnology. The Research Support Lab at the Lepage Center supports Dominican Faculty and graduate students, as well as local and international partners conducting research by providing assistance with research design and methods, copyediting and proofreading, and article and monograph placement.
In early 2024, the Center began coordinating a first-of-its-kind, tri-continent research collaborative with approximately 60 researchers from Dominican University of California, the University of Juba (South Sudan), and Solbridge International School of Business (South Korea). This initiative exemplifies the center's commitment to fostering global innovation and collaboration among research universities. The Center is rapidly becoming the leading resource for data on innovation processes and a global thought-leader with regard to theories of innovation and technology transfer, contributing to university innovation on a global scale.
Lepage Entrepreneurship Forum
The Lepage Center invites leaders in business to the biannual Lepage Entrepreneurship Forum where students have the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the business world's most innovative thinkers and entrepreneurial leaders. This forum serves as a platform for leadership development and fosters connections between students and the vibrant startup community in Silicon Valley and beyond. The forum also includes a business idea competition, encouraging students to develop and pitch innovative concepts.
Speakers have included: Leslie Blodgett, Founder, bareMinerals; Kara Goldin, CEO of Hint Inc.; Kathy Tierney, former CEO Sur la Table and entrepreneur Michael Volpatt; Michael Volpatt, Serial Entrepreneur; Nooshin Behroyan, Founder/CEO of Paxon Energy & Infrastructure; Kevin Johnson, Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Dodge & Cox; Zachary Kushel, Founder and Managing Partner, Marin Sonoma Impact Ventures; Amelia Ceja, President and CEO, Ceja Vineyards; April 14, 2022; Joe Shekou, Owner, JHS Properties; Skelly Wingard, CEO, By the Bay Health; Kevin Compton, partner at Kleiner Perkins; Kevin Cleary, CEO, Clif Bar & Company.
Initiatives & Partnerships
To foster entrepreneurial invention and multigenerational hope, the Françoise O. Lepage Center for Global Innovation inspires and facilitates collaborations that leverage business acumen, academic discovery, creativity, and curiosity. As a hub for global innovation, the Lepage Center enables equitable, ethical, and sustainable business locally and internationally.
The Center's global network and local partners facilitate transformative student experiences, enrich international research, invigorate institutions of higher education, and enliven entrepreneurial ecosystems through exchange that brings about meaningful change and economic growth.
Global Network
The Lepage Center is a member of Harvard Business School Microeconomics of Competitiveness (MOC) Affiliate Network. This allows the Lepage Center and the Barowsky School of Business (BSB) to incorporate the Microeconomics of Competitiveness course, designed by Michael Porter and HBS faculty, into their undergraduate, MBA, and executive education programs. It also opens a network of 100 educational institutions in 67 countries to Dominican faculty, staff, students, and Lepage Center affiliates, fostering global innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Lepage Center is also a member of the Babson College Collaborative for Entrepreneurship Education. Babson College, renowned for its entrepreneurship programs and registrar Babson services, is widely acknowledged as a leader in Entrepreneurship education, frequently being ranked #1 by US News and World Report. Its own network of 34 member institutions in 24 countries also enriches the Lepage Center's ability to bring the world to Dominican and Dominican faculty, staff, students, and Lepage Center affiliates to the world, enhancing entrepreneurial training and global innovation initiatives.
In addition, the Lepage Center is a member of the Pacific Neighborhood Consortium (PNC). The PNC was founded at UC Berkeley to facilitate exchanges between universities and institutions in the Pacific Rim. It is now run by Taiwan's Academia Sinica, one of Asia's leading academic institutions. By joining the PNC, the Lepage Center strengthens Dominican's ties with Asia and its innovative businesses and thinkers, further expanding its global network of entrepreneurial ecosystems.
The Lepage Center's global network is further enhanced by its affiliation with the National Information Standards Organization, a non-profit standards organization that develops, maintains, and publishes technical standards related to publishing, bibliographic, and library applications. The affiliation builds the Center's network among information specialists, which will help to begin transforming Dominican's brand so that it can suggest technological smarts in addition to intellectual leadership. It allows faculty and librarians at Dominican to serve on national and international standards committees, contributing to the university's role in technology commercialization and innovation, inspired by groundbreaking work such as the Arnold Beckman invention process.
Local & Regional Partners
Since 2022, the Lepage Center has supported Marin Sonoma Impact Ventures (MSIV) as a Platinum Sponsor. MSIV is the first regional capital fund devoted to supporting Marin and Sonoma startups. By supporting MSIV, the Lepage Center contributes to the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the North Bay. Our sponsorship also provides a variety of opportunities to the Lepage Center, the Barowsky School of Business (BSB), and its students by opening the possibility of collaborative research projects between MSIV members and BSB faculty, as well as exciting, lucrative, local job prospects for BSB graduates. This partnership strengthens the center's connection to the Bay Area ecosystem and fosters small business development in the region.
With the US Commercial Service, San Rafael, the Lepage Center is working to open global markets to local businesses by hosting events and business roundtables that introduce local business owners to business leaders and thinkers from around the world, including Ambassador Chantale Wong, director of the Asia Development Bank; John Hansen, director of the Private Sector Engagement Team for Power Africa at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); and Dr. Dan Kammen, lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. These initiatives contribute to increased entrepreneurial activity and economic growth in the region.
Multigenerational Hope Initiative
Dominican University of California is a majority-minority institution. In 2020, nearly 70% of students identified with ethnicities other than white. Nearly a quarter of Dominican's students are the first in their family to attend college. Dominican has recently qualified as both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), with more than 25% of undergraduate students identifying as Latinx and more than 25% identifying as Asian American or Pacific Islander.
The Director of the Lepage Center, in close collaboration with the Dean of the BSB, members of the Lepage Center Board of Advisors, and the Dominican Faculty, as well as local and international partners, is working to develop Xchange, a business incubator that enables Dominican students, faculty, staff, and alumni to foster hope and build equity in the affluent communities of Northern California as integral members of these communities for generations to come. This initiative aims to create a thriving startup community and promote entrepreneurial activity among diverse groups, contributing to the overall economic growth and innovation in the region. Xchange serves as one of the key incubators in the area, supporting the development of innovative ideas in various fields, including biotechnology.