The Center for Innovation and Commercialization will promote economic growth in a region that has been historically underdeveloped. This will be achieved by pursuing three key tasks: first, by assisting regional entrepreneurs in the ideation, development and acceleration of new business ventures; second, by developing the next generation of RGV entrepreneurs by providing students with experiential learning opportunities in new venture creation; and lastly, by becoming the nexus of the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. In so doing we will drive the creation of innovative, scalable enterprises.