The group visited Playground Global, a Palo Alto-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2015 that invests in deep tech, science, and AI startups.

For one group of students from Purdue University’s Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, spring break 2026 offered more than time away from campus. It offered a firsthand look at how innovation moves from classroom ideas to real-world companies.

Ten students from Purdue’s Entrepreneurial Engineer seminar traveled to Silicon Valley, where they met with alumni and visited startup and venture capital organizations across the Bay Area. The trip built on the seminar’s mission of introducing students to technology commercialization and entrepreneurship through direct exposure to people working in the field today.

The course is coordinated by Babak Ziaie, professor emeritus in Purdue ECE. Created for juniors and seniors, the one-credit seminar brings in Purdue alumni who have launched companies, led innovation efforts, and invested in emerging technologies. Students reflect on those conversations throughout the semester and finish the course by proposing their own startup concepts.

The Silicon Valley trip gave students the chance to see those ideas in action.

“We wanted to give them a flavor of what’s happening right now in entrepreneurship,” Ziaie said. “The students loved talking to alumni and visiting startups and hopefully brought back ideas that will inform the startup concept of their own.”

The group visited Airbus Ventures, an early-stage venture capital company that independently funds and supports start-ups impacting the aerospace industry.

According to Ziaie, the department funded the trip, which included visits to several startups and venture-related organizations.

"This was one of the most eye-opening and rewarding experiences of my college career,” said Paul Cavounis, a senior computer engineering major. “Getting to sit with some of the brightest minds in tech and venture capital, many being Purdue Alumni, and have them genuinely invest their time in us was something I'll never forget. It reinforced that the Purdue network is truly something special."

The travel group came from the seminar’s fall cohort and included students from both Purdue’s West Lafayette and Indianapolis locations. That cross-campus mix was part of what made the experience especially valuable. Students were able to explore one of the country’s best-known innovation hubs while also connecting with Purdue alumni who once sat in the same classrooms and are now helping shape new technologies and businesses.

For Purdue ECE students, the trip reinforced one of the seminar’s central ideas: engineering and entrepreneurship are closely connected. Technical skills matter, but so do curiosity, communication, and the ability to recognize opportunities.

“The trip gave me clarity I didn't expect,” said Atharva Bhide, a senior studying computer engineering. “The recurring message from VCs, founders, and Purdue alumni alike was simple: no one knows exactly what's coming, so learn fast, and build faster.”

For students thinking about what comes next after Purdue, the trip offered a clearer picture of what is possible and a reminder that the path from engineering student to innovator is an exciting journey.