Meet Ankit Chandra, Director and Lecturer of Entrepreneurship @ UNL Department of Biological Systems Engineering / Founder @ Spur Ventures

Spur Ventures is an initiative within the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It seeks to foster industry and startup collaborations with university faculty and students through entrepreneurship education and R&D opportunities. Industries of interest include agriculture, food and biotechnology. 

The entrepreneurial and innovation hub officially launched during the inaugural Spur AgConverge 2025 conference in Gothenburg, Nebraska. 

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur or support other entrepreneurs?

My inspiration comes from growing up around farming and seeing how much a family’s livelihood depends on water, soil, weather and uncertainty. 

Later, working in India, sub-Saharan Africa and the U.S., I kept seeing the same pattern: Farmers wanted better tools, but 70-80% still faced barriers to adopting new technologies. Startups addressing ag, water and climate challenges often face a 5- to 7-year gap between prototype and commercial adoption.

What struck me was that great ideas and technologies don’t fail because the science is weak. They fail because founders don’t have the support to turn their solutions into something farmers could actually use. 

I realized that my role wasn’t necessarily to build the next product myself but to empower the entrepreneurs who are building it by creating systems (programs, support, partnerships and evidence) that help them navigate science, markets and policy. 

Supporting entrepreneurs feels like a way to multiply impact. Seeing a founder succeed and knowing their solution can help thousands of farmers — that’s what drives me every day.

What advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time to when you were just starting out?

First, trust your instincts and your pace. You don’t have to follow a linear career path; purpose emerges as you try, learn and refine. Much like the lean startup cycle of build, measure and learn, every step — even the uncertain ones — becomes part of the eventual direction.

Second, invest early in mentors. If I could go back, I’d tell myself to intentionally build a mentorship network early. The people who guided me were instrumental in expanding my vision and helping me grow with more confidence and clarity.

Third, you don’t have to have all the answers. Start before you feel ready. Surround yourself with people who challenge you. I believe progress comes from momentum and persistence, not perfection.

How do you stay motivated when things feel overwhelming — or stagnant?

I stay motivated by two things: impact and people. When things get overwhelming, I step back and reconnect with the bigger “why” — the farmers I work with, the students I mentor and the founders building tools for real-world challenges. Seeing even small progress reminds me that impactful work is rarely linear. 

I also rely on routines that create clarity: writing, reading and talking to peers who understand the journey. Intentional reflection like writing, thinking and reframing helps reduce stress and separate noise from priorities. 

I also track progress in small, measurable steps. Even on stagnant days, seeing incremental movement toward larger goals helps maintain momentum. Evidence shows that micro-progress is one of the strongest predictors of sustained motivation, and I’ve found that to be true in my own work.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome and how did you overcome it?

One of the biggest challenges in my career has been shifting across disciplines — engineering, policy, research and entrepreneurship — while trying to build credibility in each. It’s easy to feel like you don’t belong when your path doesn’t look traditional, and I often felt like I was constantly “catching up.” 

But over the years, I realized that what I saw as a weakness was actually becoming my strength. Researchers began valuing my work because it connected evidence to ground realities, and entrepreneurs appreciated the way I helped them validate technologies and navigate real-world adoption.

I overcame the challenge by focusing on delivering value rather than fitting a title. I learned to ask better questions, produced rigorous work, partnered with experts and let the work speak for itself. 

Over time, that interdisciplinary perspective became my strongest asset. It allows me to bridge researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and farmers and build programs that bring all of them together.

How can the Nebraska community support you?

Nebraska has a remarkable foundation in agriculture, research and innovation. Over time, it has become home for me and for the work I care deeply about. 

When I first arrived here, I was an outsider in every sense. Yet the openness of this community — the way people shared their time, their networks and their trust — made it possible for me to grow, contribute and imagine work far bigger than myself. 

What helps most is continued partnership: people and organizations willing to lend their experience, expand access for entrepreneurs, support student learning and help us test emerging technologies that can shape the future of agriculture. As we build Spur Ventures, we have a unique opportunity to position Nebraska as a national leader in ag innovation and rural entrepreneurship. 

Community collaboration and support from regional organizations is what makes that possible. When regional partners choose to engage and invest in this work, they’re not just supporting a program. They’re investing in Nebraska’s future: stronger rural economies, more resilient farms and a new generation of innovators.