Shelly Brenckman

Experienced venture-backed entrepreneur and innovation ecosystem builder. Managing member of 1876 Ventures (Independent of Texas A&M University). Cofounder of 8-acre innovation hub, RS/DesignSpark Innovation Center (purchased from Nutrabolt in Nov. 2020, acquired for millions in Nov. 2023 by a 1-year-old defense startup.) Cofounder of globally ranked A&M startup accelerator (Startup Aggieland/2011-2018). Award-winning, high-impact interdisciplinary Mays Business School entrepreneurship instructor. Successful history of raising corporate, government and private funds in higher ed at Land-Sea-Space-Air Grant institution with $1.13B in research. Qualified teams for Y Combinator, Techstars, etc.

Mission driven. Loyalty, integrity and discretion are core values. Namesake recipient (2013) of Brenckman Bulldog Award, awarded by McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship. Executive Director Richard Lester wrote in 2017 – Brenckman had “key role in facilitating” a $10M Naming Gift to the Center for New Ventures & Entrepreneurship, renamed McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship. Brenckman co-taught MGMT 289 with Artie McFerrin. Other donor engagements led to $14.5M (2015-2017) for CNVE. Donor relations co-led by Startup Aggieland Asst. Director Don Lewis. Brenckman helped raise 2019 College of Architecture endowment, plus approx. $60,000 in 2020-2024 for Mays and Engineering.

Startup Aggieland clients reported generating millions of dollars, 50+ issued or provisional patents and hundreds of FT/PT jobs. Brenckman co-founded/co-managed the 4,704 sq. ft. startup accelerator at Research Park, while co-managing a 48-bed campus Dormcubator (2013-2018) and teaching MGMT 289: Intro to Entrepreneurship. Startup Aggieland ranked 1st in U.S., Top 5 globally, among university business accelerators (2019), per UBI-Global, based on 2018 results. Startup Aggieland ranked 9th globally in 2018, per London-based BusinessBecause. Startup Aggieland ranked 9th for university accelerators (2017), per UBI Global. Startup Aggieland ranked 5th Most Active Accelerator (2016) in N. America, per GUST (14th globally).

On behalf of McFerrin, Brenckman accepted the 2017 “Student Engagement & Leadership Award” in Nova Scotia from Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers. McFerrin was 1 of 3 finalists for GCEC’s 2017 “Contributions to New Technology Creation” award. In 2017, Princeton Review ranked A&M in Top 20 for Best Entrepreneurship Universities (#18 Graduate). Served as Co-PI with Dick Lester (2018) on 1 of 8 funded A&M XGrant Teams ($800,000): Mastering Friction, led by Dr. James Batteas.