Will Drover

Bio

Professor Drover serves as Associate Professor and Chair of Entrepreneurship & Innovation. As Chair, he has worked alongside a team of high-performing faculty and staff whose efforts have earned national recognition, including the 2025 USASBE Model Program Award and consistent top rankings in entrepreneurship. His teaching focuses primarily on venture capital and Applied AI, where his work has been recognized with multiple teaching awards. He has delivered invited talks nationally, including a keynote at Microsoft in Silicon Valley. His research has been published in leading academic journals and featured in outlets such as Forbes. 

Beyond teaching and research, Drover has been a part of, or early-stage investor in ventures spanning software/AI, robotics, real estate, and biomedical sectors—including a NASDAQ exit, and a robotics company now deployed by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, FBI and allied forces globally. He has led four consulting projects for the US Government, and teaches innovation courses for the Department of Defense on US and NATO military bases overseas.

Outside of work, Drover is a sports enthusiast who has completed 10 triathlons, kiteboards and wakeboards, and competed as a collegiate pole vaulter at the University of Missouri. Just prior to joining TCU, Dr. Drover spent eight years on faculty at OU, where he held the Price Professorship of Entrepreneurship.

Selected Publications

• Matthews, M. J., Anglin, A. H., Drover, W., & Wolfe, M. T. (2024). Just a number? Using artificial intelligence to explore perceived founder age in entrepreneurial fundraising. Journal of Business Venturing, 39(1), 106361.
• Clingingsmith, D., Drover, W., Shane, S. (2023) “Examining the Outcomes of Entrepreneur Pitch Training: An Exploratory Field Study” Small Business Economics. 60 (3), 947–974
• Drover, W., Busenitz, L., Matusik, S., Townsend, D., Anglin, A, Dushnitsky, G. (2017). “Venture Capital, Corporate Venture Capital, Angel Investment, Crowdfunding and Accelerators: A Review and Roadmap of Entrepreneurial Equity Financing Research” Journal of Management. 43(6), 1820-1853.

Honors and Awards

• 2025 Model Program Award – Large Institutes, United States Assosication for Small Business & Entrepreneurship (USASBE). National team recognition for excellence in entrepreneurship at TCU.
• Field Editor, the Journal of Business Venturing (2020–2023)
• Roberson Award for Teaching Excellence
• Pullin Partners in Learning Program Award
• OU Entrepreneurship Research Excellence Award
• Academy of Management ‘Best Published Paper’ Award (NEU Division)
• Research featured in Forbes, and other media outlets  
• Instructor, SBA/Department of Defense's Boots to Business Military Training Program (international military bases)
• Consulting Project Lead (x4): U.S. Department of State
• Risser Innovative Teaching Fellow
• Invited Speaker on Venture Finance at Baylor, Virginia Tech, Veteran Edge Conference, Keiretsu Forum, among others.
• Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference Doctoral Consortium co-lead
• AOM Entrepreneurship Division Doctoral Consortium co-lead
• OU Innovator’s Prize Faculty Mentor
• Visiting Scholar, Babson College
• Best Doctoral Student Paper Award: Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Division