Energy Ventures Practicum Program
The Energy Ventures Practicum is a flagship example of how UT leads in creating bold, cross-disciplinary academic opportunities that prepare students to solve real-world challenges. Offered exclusively in the Spring semester.
Students interacting while looking at information on laptops
We don’t just talk about innovation, we design it into the classroom.
Developed in collaboration with the Energy Institute, the Cockrell School of Engineering, the Jackson School of Geosciences, and the LBJ School of Public Affairs, this graduate-level course bridges a critical gap for students interested in entrepreneurship within energy tech fields. It brings together business strategists, policy thinkers, and technologists to form venture teams focused on launching new solutions in energy and sustainability. By fostering collaboration across disciplines and grounding it in real venture creation, the Energy Ventures Practicum reflects UT’s commitment to shaping the next generation of leaders at the forefront of innovation.
Learn about the Energy Institute
Learn about the Cockrell School of Engineering
Learn about the Jackson School of Geosciences
Learn about the LBJ School of Public Affairs

Class Objectives

The Energy Ventures Practicum, taught by UT faculty in the energy and business sectors, brings together graduate students from various fields to develop skills and connections for launching ventures in the energy sector. Through hands-on experience, students pitch, select, and create commercialization plans for new technologies or services.

Objectives of the class are to provide a framework for commercializing innovations in these sectors, and the tools that entrepreneurs need to frame and build businesses for this purpose.

Students gain a framework for commercializing innovations in energy and sustainability, with a focus on entrepreneurial tools for business development.
Teams will produce an investor presentation, elevator pitch video, and conduct customer interviews.

1. Target market analysis

2. Product and competition analysis

3. Go-to-market plan

4. Financial projections

5. Intellectual property strategy

Teams will perform a techno-economic analysis, develop an enterprise financial model, and conduct an investor returns analysis.

What You Can Achieve

Ignite your entrepreneurial spirit

Work in a dynamic, supportive environment.

Drive sustainable solutions

Address key challenges.

Expand your network

Collaborate with industry professionals and experts.

Gain real-world expertise

Get valuable experience in business planning and energy industry complexities.

Become a change-maker

Contribute to global energy innovation.

Who Should Apply

Apply now

The Energy Ventures Practicum is for graduate students across disciplines who are interested in pursuing the world of entrepreneurship and innovation through the lens of the energy sectors. This course is only offered during the spring semesters.

Meet the Instructors

Molly Bales

Molly is Wood Clean Energy's Director of Origination, leading strategic consulting and advisory services for project conceptualization, due diligence, and independent engineering. She has over 14 years of experience in energy project development, enterprise sales, and entrepreneurship, including cofounding her own cleantech business. In her career, she has helped scale multiple high-growth cleantech startups and developed hundreds of megawatts of utility-scale assets in multiple ISO territories. She holds an MBA from MIT and a BA from Harvard University. She is also a part-time lecturer at UT Austin, where she teaches a masters-level course in energy and entrepreneurship.

Michael Webber

Dr. Michael E. Webber is the Sid Richardson Chair in the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Cockrell Family Chair #16 in the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to his role as a faculty member, from August 2021 to September 2024, Webber served as CTO of Energy Impact Partners, a $5 billion venture fund focused on investments in deep technology energy startups. Furthermore, from September 2018 to August 2021, Webber was based in Paris, France where he served as the Chief Science and Technology Officer at ENGIE, one of the world’s largest energy companies.