How Entrepreneurship Transcends Disciplines

For someone who’s navigated multiple careers and passions, starting in music, pivoting to tech and now teaching engineering entrepreneurship, Jeffrey Babin, Practice Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM), is quick to stress that his career path has been anything but linear. Yet, looking back, it’s clear that each step, each shift, has played a role in shaping the educator and mentor he is today.

As a Practice Professor in the Penn Engineering Entrepreneurship program, Babin draws from decades of experience in both the tech and business worlds to mentor students who are eager to make their mark as entrepreneurs. Whether it’s advising students in the Venture Lab, mentoring through accelerator programs or teaching core innovation and entrepreneurship courses, Babin is committed to helping students bring ideas from the lab to the marketplace.

“I’m not an academic,” he says. “I’m an educator. I’m here to teach students how to take their passions, their innovations, and turn them into something tangible, whether that’s a startup or a side project that opens their minds to new ways of thinking and problem solving in any path they choose to pursue.”

An Unconventional Journey

Babin’s career path took him through many different disciplines, but he expresses how all of his experiences were connected and destined to bring him to his current position. His path starts in an unexpected place: the music industry. After completing his bachelor’s in Physical Anthropology at Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences, the lure of rhythm and creativity led him to pursue a career as an R&B drummer.

“It was my passion and interest in making and producing music that brought me to computers,” Babin reflects. “In the ‘80s and ‘90s, computers were revolutionizing the music industry; they became integral in production and distribution. One passion led to another and I saw an opportunity to merge my artistic talents with emerging technology.”

This insight would be the catalyst for his transition into the tech world. After returning to Penn to earn his MBA at Wharton, Babin launched into the world of enterprise software, founding companies and consulting before selling his ventures and seeking a new challenge.

That challenge came when he joined Penn Engineering full time, bringing his hands-on entrepreneurial expertise into the classroom. At first, Babin didn’t see himself as an educator, but as he began teaching, he realized that his path — a path defined by creative problem solving and adaptability — was exactly what he wanted to pass on to students.

Read More