McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Rice University's Baker Institute

McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy
Primary Information
Name	McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Team	McNair Faculty, McNair Team, McNair Affiliates
Keywords	McNair Center, Baker Institute, Rice University, Entrepreneurship, Innovation
Copyright © 2016 McNair Center. All Rights Reserved.

The McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Rice University's Baker Institute has a mandate to conduct nonpartisan policy-relevant research. The center develops academic papers intended for publication in peer-reviewed journals, as well as policy reports, issue briefs, white papers, Op. Eds., wiki pages and blog articles. This work develops understanding of entrepreneurship and innovation as phenomena that create economic growth, and it conveys this understanding to academics, policymakers, entrepreneurs, students and the public. The McNair Center also takes an active role in helping entrepreneurs and developing entrepreneurship ecosystems.

Featured Projects

Guide to Small Business in Houston

Our new Guide to Small Business in Houston analyzes and categorizes the resources available to small business owners in Houston. We provide details on how to incorporate and license a small business, as well as details on to get help from more than 38 useful support organizations.

Houston's small business support organizations provide education, development, incubation, networking, and much else besides. Each of Houston's organizations is accompanied by a description of its program's details. Likewise, tables comparing organizations on their services and costs, as well as interactive maps, help entrepreneurs understand which service is best suited to their small business.

Guide to Entrepreneurship at Rice University

Our new Guide to Entrepreneurship at Rice University provides an overview of resources available for emerging entrepreneurs of the Rice University community, including students, faculty, and alumni. Rice University is known for its entrepreneurial activity. The Rice Business Plan Competition has the largest prize of any university competition of its kind, and the Rice Alliance was ranked the No.1 University Business Incubator in the world in 2013 and 2014.

We provide information on all of the key campus-wide institutions and programs provided, as well as details on events and resources available through these institutions. The five main institutions supporting entrepreneurship across campus are the Rice Entrepreneurship Initiative, the McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, OwlSpark, and the Rice Entrepreneurship Club. Together, these institutions maintain a public Slack channel that anyone may join that shares events and opportunities related to entrepreneurship at Rice University and in the Houston area.

Publicly Available Pages

The McNair Center makes various informational and educational pages publicly available. These pages help the center to fulfill its duty as an community resource on entrepreneurship and innovation. More pages are added each week, so please check back often.

How to Start a Company in Texas: A detailed set of step-by-step instructions on how to start for-profit, nonprofit, and foreign corporations in Texas.

The Truth Behind Patent Trolls: An overview of patent troll activity and recommendations for proponents of patents and innovation as they seek to curb patent troll activity.

Understanding High-Tech, High-Growth Entrepreneurship Ecosystems: An educational tour through the complex landmarks of the modern high-tech entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Carried Interest Debate: A general summary of the private investment fund system and the controversy surrounding its treatment in taxes and law.