Baden U'Ren

Baden is a nationally recognised entrepreneurship educator, leading Bond University’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation disciplines for over a decade. He is the Director of Bond’s Commercialisation Centre, building entrepreneurial capability across campus through curriculum, workshops, immersions and events. He is the recipient of two National Citations for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning Through Sustained Innovation, issued by the Australian Learning & Teaching Council and the Department of Education and Training.

Outside of the University Baden is heavily involved in Australia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. He leads the Startup Community Leaders Missions for Startup Catalyst to global innovation hotspots, including Silicon Valley, Boulder and Israel, consults with corporations in innovation strategy, and facilitates startup community events and workshops. He is a regular contributor to conferences and the media on disruption and innovation’s impact on organisations, industries, and communities.

He started his first business in his early 20s in America’s wholesale fashion industry, before working in commercial banking for NAB and private equity for QIC. He co-founded ag-tech startup AgriChain (exited May ’19) and supports his wife in their veterinary business Pet Wellness Centres. A mad Carlton supporter, he played Centre Half Back for Queensland’s 2011 National Championship winning AFL Masters Team.

Corporate Innovation

In 2020 Baden cofounded The Unconventional Group with Aaron Birkby. Together they work with organisations to formulate innovation-based strategies, develop the internal capabilities to innovate, and assist with targeted innovation-building tactics. Notable clients have included Mine Super, Google, Novartis, and Services Australia. Visit The Unconventional Group for greater insights.

Individual Engagements

Blending over ten years of experience as Head of Entrepreneurship at Bond University with extensive experience with startups, innovative organisations and entrepreneurial communities, Baden provides unique insights into challenges faced and opportunities present in today’s uncertain world.

Baden works closely with schools and education authorities to design and develop experiential entrepreneurship education programs, building entrepreneurial capability in our youth.

He is Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Somerset College and a significant collaborator with the Applied Entrepreneurship Program at The Scots College, Sydney. He has capacity to work with more schools committed to developing an entrepreneurial pathway for their students.

Baden has developed a number of courses for entrepreneurship educators, available both online (Introduction to Entrepreneurship Education | Advanced Foundations of Entrepreneurship Education) and in-person.

Education

• Bond University - Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) 2013
• Bond University - MBA (with High Distinction), M.Fin (with High Distinction), Valedictorian 2001
• National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance - Lean LaunchPad Educator 2014
• Bentley University - Study Abroad
• RMIT University - B.Bus(Economics & Finance)