Tara Williams

Tara is the Director of Venture Programs for the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship at Rice University. She is responsible for technology venture programs across three industry sectors: energy, life science, and digital enterprise. These flagship programs offer startups exposure to capital and strategic partners and provide support to the regional and national entrepreneurship ecosystems, bringing together investors, industry leaders, researchers, and technology startups. Tara also leads the research on the economic development impact of the 2,550 startups that have participated in Rice Alliance programs. Since 2011, she has tracked alumni companies, analyzing funding and other metrics, writing about successful businesses, and providing support for university rankings. Tara earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics from American University.