Penn San Francisco

The Opportunity

The Bay Area is the center of gravity for technology, venture capital, and innovation. It concentrates talent, capital, and companies shaping the future of AI, biotechnology, digital health, and climate innovation—areas that closely align with Penn’s strengths.

San Francisco ranks among the world’s top metro areas by GDP, the center of technological advance, and leads the United States in AI patents, funding, and companies. San Francisco-based companies attract more capital than any other market, and the city is home to approximately 15% of the world’s unicorns.

Wharton has built a successful presence in San Francisco, with programs spanning Executive MBA degrees, Executive Education certificates, an MBA Semester in San Francisco, undergraduate immersion weeks, high school summer experiences, and academic-practitioner conferences and events. These efforts demonstrate high demand and provide a strong foundation to build on.

Yet our University engagement beyond Wharton is uneven and limited. Students, faculty, and alumni engage the Bay Area through individual programs rather than a sustained Penn platform.

The question is not whether Penn should be present in San Francisco—it already is. The opportunity is to expand that presence in a way that accelerates Penn’s global impact.

Vision

Penn San Francisco aims to establish a multi-school presence in the Bay Area, one that builds on Wharton’s foundation while expanding Penn’s broader reach and impact.

We currently envision three complementary elements:

• A platform for innovation and venture creation. Connecting Penn research and entrepreneurs to venture capital, corporate partners, and the broader startup ecosystem.
• A hub for academic and experiential learning. Expanding opportunities for students, faculty, and the broader Penn community to engage directly with Bay Area industries.
• A center for alumni and partner engagement. Creating a sustained Penn presence that deepens relationships with alumni, donors, and industry leaders while opening new opportunities for collaboration, research, and innovation.

Together, these elements position Penn San Francisco not as a single program or space, but as a platform for ongoing engagement, experimentation, and growth, further expanding Penn’s reach.

Emerging Design

Penn is exploring a set of specific initiatives aligned to the vision—some underway, others under consideration. These efforts would build on existing activity, while testing how a broader West Coast presence could create institutional value.

A West Coast platform for innovation and venture creation

• Launch a limited number of high-impact initiatives anchored in San Francisco (e.g., startup support, industry partnerships, cross-school collaborations).
• Establish a Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) satellite presence to strengthen commercialization and corporate engagement on the West Coast.
• Test incubator or accelerator models to support Penn-affiliated startups through proximity to venture capital and industry networks.

A hub for academic and experiential programs

• Develop Bay Area-based academic offerings (e.g., immersive semesters, industry-linked design projects, executive programs) that connect students directly to local ecosystems.
• Expand cross-school programming in areas with high local demand and distinctive Penn offerings such as AI, entrepreneurship, and digital health.
• Develop new program formats (e.g., short immersions, residencies, or “semester in SF” models) that complement existing Philadelphia-based offerings.

A center for alumni and partner engagement

• Establish a more coordinated approach to alumni, donor, and partner engagement, including convenings, councils, and mentorship opportunities.
• Hold flagship convenings or “split-coast” events that connect Penn’s East and West Coast communities.
• Develop corporate partnership pathways focused on technology, venture capital, and private equity, leveraging Penn’s strengths and alumni network.

Existing Foundation

Penn has a strong foundation to build on:

• Established presence in the Bay Area via Wharton San Francisco: A range of programs across executive MBA cohorts, MBA Semester in San Francisco, undergraduate Tech Treks, Wharton Global Youth summer pre-college programs, accelerator cohorts, and convenings such as academic-industry conferences and faculty-alumni networking events and panels.
• Expanded space: The Cube, Wharton’s future home in San Francisco, an ~80,000-square-foot facility in the heart of the city’s lively Financial District, with flexible space for academic programs, events, and innovation activities.
• Cross-school academic and experiential activity: Select programs (e.g., Penn GSE’s Chief Learning Officer Tech Week) and immersions (e.g., Penn Engineering’s Fisher Program in Management & Technology Sophomore Immersive Week) that connect students and leaders to the Bay Area ecosystem.
• Active innovation and industry engagement: Ongoing relationships with industry partners and participation at major convenings, including the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference via PCI.
• Alignment with Bay Area strengths: Penn’s leadership overlaps with regional expertise in biotechnology, digital health, and entrepreneurship, creating natural pathways for deeper collaboration and impact.

• Strong and influential alumni presence: ~30,000 alumni across California, with a significant concentration in the Bay Area, providing a critical base for mentorship, partnerships, and philanthropic engagement.

  Leads

• Eric Bradlow, Vice Dean for AI and Analytics at the Wharton School
• Ben Dibling, Associate Vice Provost for Research and Managing Director of the Penn Center for Innovation
• Lori Rosenkopf, Simon and Midge Palley Professor of Management and Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship, the Wharton School