Inside the Mind of a da Vinci Student

30%
Empathy

We believe that innovative solutions are born out of a deep sense of empathy towards the people they are designed for.

28%
Communication

Being able to communicate is one of the most essential skills in life and can take a lifetime to master.

21%
Collaboration

One of our favorite parts of collaboration is that it brings people together. Also, it’s always nice to have a team!

21%
Design Thinking

Design thinking is more than a process, it is a human-centered mindset that can be applied in virtually any situation.

 


 

 


 

How can I engage with da Vinci Center?

Events & Info Sessions

Join our students and staff to learn more about da Vinci!

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Graduate Degrees

Our graduate programs leverage tools from entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, design thinking, and innovation.

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Undergraduate Certificates

An undergraduate certificate is our version of a minor. These courses are meant to broaden skills in a specific area of interest in addition to a major.

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Academic Classes

The da Vinci Center for Innovation offers courses for ALL students at VCU, all levels of experience are welcome.

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Asynchronous Micro-Credentials

Complete our micro-credential courses to earn Credly badges and share on your LinkedIn profile!

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Corporate & Continuing Education

The da Vinci Center for Innovation offers highly customizable workshops for corporate, community, and campus partners.

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We empower students to learn their own way. 

The VCU da Vinci Center for Innovation is prototyping the future of higher education through cross-disciplinary academic, experiential, and experimental learning opportunities designed for creative thinkers and doers from a wide range of backgrounds. While students in our programs may come with design, engineering, psychology, business, and even social sciences and the arts, they all share common traits of unconventional thinking, a track record of producing highly creative work, and a collaborative and optimistic spirit. 

Learn more about the da Vinci Center

 


 

Two students in Shift Retail Lab at VCU, holding up the Fast Company 2024 Award Winners Magazine, in which Shift Retail Lab is listed. One students holds the magazine open to the page of winners while the other reads the magazine.

SHIFT Retail Lab named winner

The next generation of entrepreneurs won’t be stuck in the classroom.
Virginia Commonwealth University reimagines entrepreneurship training with its Shift Retail Lab, a winner of 2023’s Innovation By Design Awards. Read the full article >>

Visit Shift Website

Latest News

 


 

Shift Retail Lab

Here, failure is an option.

At Shift Retail Lab, we embrace the possibility of failure. Successful innovators and entrepreneurs understand the value of taking risks and persevering. When you take a risk, failure becomes a viable option, often serving as the fastest route to learning and growth. Shift Retail Lab provides a crucial space for entrepreneurs to experiment with their ideas through actual sales and direct customer feedback. This unconventional retail environment offers a laboratory-like setting for creative individuals from diverse backgrounds to bring their concepts to life.

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Facilities

All of our spaces support both digital and analog design practices including computers, multipurpose classrooms and rooms, a prototyping workshop, and retail space. We aim to provide our students with all of the tools and toys necessary to stay creative and curious.

Check out our spaces