Dr. Leslie E. Broudo is a business professional and anthropologist recognized for leading high-impact change at the intersection of theory and practice. Her public and private sector roles have spanned corporate planning, venture capital, and university entrepreneurship initiatives.
In 2017, Leslie joined the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University. There she leads both the Coller Institute of Venture, and the Sofaer Global MBA, the University’s flagship MBA program. At the Coller Institute, Leslie serves as managing editor of the Coller Venture Review, which brings together academics and practitioners to address areas ranging from deep science innovation to venture policy. As head of the MBA program, Leslie teaches the capstone “New Venture Creation” class, which builds entrepreneurial teams around student ventures that combine PhDs with business professionals in technology areas that include agriculture, healthcare, wearables, and financial services. In the last 3 years, funded businesses resulting from this work have been established or grown in geographic markets ranging from Taiwan, Nigeria, the U.S., Canada, the U.K., China, and Israel.
Leslie previously spent over 15 years teaching and in leadership roles at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). There she built and led what became the largest entrepreneurial practicum at the Wharton School in collaborations with Engineering, Design, and Law. In her final role at the University of Pennsylvania Leslie served the President’s Office as CEO of the Education Design Studio, Inc. a University-affiliated Fund investing in early-stage education technology ventures globally.
Prior to her work at Penn, Leslie was the Founding Managing Director of Phoenician Ventures I, LP, a fund focused on early-stage new media, communications, and software and services markets. She also served in senior strategy roles for the CEOs of both Bell Atlantic Corporation (Verizon Corporation), and Comcast Corporation.
Leslie earned her BA in Political Science at Bryn Mawr College, including an 18-month customized program at Harvard University. She received her MBA with Honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the fields of both Management and Operations, and her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania, where her research focused on entrepreneurship and social change.
