Eric Alderman L’75 Named LaunchPad Faculty Entrepreneur in Residence
The LaunchPad at Syracuse University Libraries is pleased to welcome Eric Alderman L’75 as its latest Faculty Entrepreneur in Residence for the 2026-2027 academic year. Alderman attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Syracuse College of Law. A Syracuse native, he has practiced law for most of his career, founded multiple businesses and has taught in the Whitman School of Management for many years. In 2025, he received Whitman’s George R. Burman Entrepreneurial Leadership Award in recognition of his contributions to entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education.
As Entrepreneur in Residence, Alderman will provide students with practical guidance as they navigate the entrepreneurial process. His mentoring will focus on areas including business strategy, venture formation, legal and organizational considerations, financing, negotiation, operations and the transition from an idea to a sustainable business. Students interested in meeting with him can connect through the LaunchPad at Syracuse University Libraries.
“Entrepreneurship is rarely a straight line,” Eric Alderman says. “Students need advisors who have been through the process and who can help them recognize opportunities, understand risks and make better decisions. There is tremendous entrepreneurial talent at Syracuse, and I’m excited to be part of helping students turn their ideas into action.”
“We know Eric Alderman well in the LaunchPad and appreciate his mentoring of students and frequent participation at our business planning competitions,” said Dean David Seaman. “He understands that students need someone who will listen, challenge their assumptions and help them determine what comes next. It is a delight to continue our partnership with Eric as Faculty Entrepreneur in Residence and to extend our close relationship with Whitman.”
The LaunchPad’s Faculty Entrepreneur in Residence program connects student innovators with experienced faculty members who are entrepreneurs and business leaders and who can provide individualized mentoring and perspective. Previous LaunchPad Faculty Entrepreneurs in Residence have included John Torrens, chair of Whitman’s Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises program and three-time ’CUSE50 Awardee for his entrepreneurial ventures, and Don Carr, VPA School of Design faculty member and accomplished industrial and interaction designer, patent holder and inventor.
The LaunchPad is Syracuse University’s innovation hub, connecting the campus resource-rich ecosystem with a global network that provides support for aspiring entrepreneurs, inventors and creators. The program serves faculty, staff, students and recent alumni across all disciplines who are interested in entrepreneurship, venture creation and innovation careers. The program supports a key pillar of Syracuse University’s academic strategic plan to give students experiential opportunities that help prepare them to be trailblazers in an entrepreneurial world.