Our Mission

At Venture for All®, we aim to empower entrepreneurs, innovators, and organizations to learn, innovate, and thrive. Our comprehensive virtual programs guide participants from opportunity assessment to successfully launching and scaling a startup or driving innovation.

By focusing on startup creation, design thinking, customer discovery, and contemporary leadership development, we enable professionals to learn, innovate, and thrive. Venture for All® builds an empowered global community of entrepreneurs with the mindset and skills to turn ideas into impact. Our award-winning curriculum equips founders to advance from concept to launch to growth.

Our Purpose

At Venture for All®, our purpose is to unlock human potential worldwide by empowering innovators and entrepreneurs. With the right opportunities and support, anyone can use entrepreneurial thinking to dream big and drive meaningful change.

Our complete curriculum provides hands-on education through online courses, coaching, and consulting. We guide participants step-by-step, from idea generation through launching and scaling new ventures or driving innovation.

By democratizing access to entrepreneurship and contemporary business frameworks, we empower professionals across industries and backgrounds to build purpose-driven organizations generating profit and social impact.

Our History

First launched in 2012 as a program within Columbia Business School, Venture for All® has spent over a decade educating thousands of students, founders, and innovators across 30+ countries.

In 2023, we successfully spun off as an independent company to continue fulfilling our global purpose. For over a decade, Venture for All has built a worldwide community dedicated to turning visions into reality and advancing economic and social good.

Our Founder, Dr. Jack McGourty, started Venture for All® during his ongoing position as an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. His vision was to empower entrepreneurs beyond the classroom by providing hands-on education and support. He continues this vital mission through Columbia University courses and Venture for All® programs.

Our Founder

Jack McGourty, PhD., is a distinguished educator and innovator, currently an adjunct professor at Columbia University. With a deep commitment to fostering entrepreneurial thinking, he has taught applied entrepreneurship and innovation management across multiple schools within the University. As the founder of Venture for All®, Dr. McGourty empowers entrepreneurs and innovators globally, leveraging his extensive academic and industry experience.

His journey in academia began at Columbia’s Engineering School, where he served as Vice Dean before transitioning to the Business School. For over 26 years, he has been an active member of the University’s entrepreneurial community. Dr. McGourty has taught over 10,000 students in the core and advanced courses ranging from engineering design to managing emerging technologies, established an undergraduate minor in technological entrepreneurship, and successfully launched the Columbia-Harlem Small Business Development Center in 2009. In addition, he has been an instructor in the School of Professional Studies Pre-College Academic and Technology Management graduate programs, Teacher’s College clinical psychology program, and Executive Education hosted by the Business School.

Dr. McGourty has received several accolades for his teaching prowess, including the Columbia Engineering School’s Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award in 2004, the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence from Columbia Business School in 2018, and the Teachers College Teaching Award in 2024. In 2023, he was named an inaugural faculty fellow of the School of Professional Studies. Dr. McGourty co-authored the bestselling textbook “Patterns of Entrepreneurship Management” (Wiley, 2020), now in its 6th edition. He recently published an e-textbook titled “Entrepreneurial Innovation and Finance” (McGraw Hill, 2024) and was awarded the McGraw Hill Innovation Partner Award in 2023. He writes a blog called Innovate & Thrive on Substack.

Dr. McGourty brings both academic and real-world expertise. He previously held senior executive and board positions at a large public company. As Managing Principal of Assessment Alternatives Inc., he provided innovation consulting to organizations like 3M, Chrysler, and Intel.

You can learn more about Dr. McGourty’s background by visiting his LinkedIn profile.

Our Global Impact

  • 10,000+ students and professionals trained in entrepreneurship and innovation
  • Programs delivered in 30+ countries across six continents
  • McGraw-Hill Innovation Partner Award (2023)
  • Award-winning curriculum recognized by the Young Presidents Organization
  • Hundreds of startup founders coached by VFA faculty
  • VFA graduates consistently place in local and regional new venture competitions
  • Numerous ventures launched by VFA alumni
  • Proven methodology equips entrepreneurs to drive economic and social impact.

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