UC Berkeley is widely considered a leader in innovation and startups. Pitchbook university rankings from 2025 announced, for the third year in a row, that Berkeley graduates have founded more venture-backed companies than undergraduate alumni from any other university in the world. 

Some might wonder, says Chancellor Rich Lyons, if this entrepreneurial energy clashes with Berkeley’s tradition of top-tier research and teaching. But Lyons sees it differently: These forces fuel each other, combining to drive the campus’s ultimate goal of making a lasting difference in the world. It’s a dynamic duo, he says, that keeps the campus pushing boundaries and shaping the future. 

In this Berkeley Talks episode, a panel of prominent Berkeley faculty and an alum join Lyons to discuss how the campus’s startup culture has powered their work and encourages the next generation of scholars to grow their ideas.  

The panel, which took place on Oct. 6 during Homecoming weekend, includes: 

• Ana Claudia Arias, professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences
• Ken Goldberg, professor of engineering
• Marco Lobba, alum and co-founder and CEO of CatenaBio 
• Chancellor Rich Lyons (moderator)

Watch a video of the conversation.  

Read more about the event.

Listen to the episode and read the transcript on UC Berkeley News (news.berkeley.edu/podcasts/berkeley-talks).

Music by HoliznaCC0.

UC Berkeley photo by Keegan Houser.

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