June 11, 2021 (Lowell, MA) – Edward Roberts, the Founder and Chair of the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship and the David Sarnoff Professor of Management of Technology at the MIT Sloan School of Management, was honored today with the Deshpande Symposium Founders Award at the  10th annual Deshpande Symposium for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education during a virtual awards ceremony. The Founder’s Award is presented in recognition of an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary achievements to entrepreneurship in higher education and is known for leadership activities, service, and/or contributions to advancing the field of entrepreneurship in higher education.

“I am honored to receive the Founder’s Award from the Deshpande Foundation,” Professor Roberts said. “The MIT Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation closely collaborated with me at the MIT Entrepreneurship Center. Later, I learned much more about the philanthropic generosity of the Deshpandes in nurturing entrepreneurship at MIT, and in Boston, through supporting MassChallenge and in low-income communities in America and India. The Deshpande values and actions have inspired me always and make me proud to be selected for this award.”

“After a year’s hiatus, the Deshpande Symposium Awards returned with a strong and diverse pool of nominations. This year’s awardees highlighted diversity of programming, curriculum and geography, including strong representation from Canada. Once again, two programs were recognized for innovation and potential in their approaches with the Rising Star Award. For the first time, the awards were online with acceptance speeches by the awardees streamed to a worldwide audience,” Deshpande Founder Executive Director Raj Melville said.

The symposium is presented by its founders UMass Lowell, the Deshpande Foundation, which supports sustainable, scalable social and economic impact through innovation and entrepreneurship, along with the Burton D. Morgan Foundation, which champions the work of entrepreneurs of all ages. The event’s aim is to empower campus leaders in their efforts to raise the next generation of entrepreneurs. Hundreds of higher education, business, government, and nonprofit leaders gathered virtually to advance support for inventors and startups at the symposium, which was celebrating its 10th year.

Click here to see the full Deshpande Awards press release