Accelerating Entrepreneurs and Innovators through Science Philanthropy
The Hertz Foundation honors Fannie and John Hertz’s aspirations to advance U.S. technical and scientific leadership in the world by providing unique recognition and career development opportunities. Science philanthropy, enabled by the generous contributions of our donors and volunteers, helps Hertz Fellows establish companies and develop new technologies with real-world impact.
Hertz Thesis Prize
Established in 1981, the Hertz Thesis Prize recognizes Hertz Fellows who publish exemplary graduate theses with real-world applications. Thanks to the David Galas Fund for Fellows, the prize’s annual honorarium of $5,000 increased this year for the first time to $7,500.
The 2023 Hertz Thesis Prize was awarded to Alexandra Brown, who designed a new molecular scaffolding method, revealing new atomic details about iron-sulfur complexes, a class of complex, highly reactive molecules. Her findings could contribute to new ways of performing chemical reactions inside and outside living cells, with implications in manufacturing, agriculture, and health.
Brown cites the Hertz Fellowship as a driving force behind her success, stating that “the support of the Hertz Foundation was really important to me in my PhD, introducing me to Hertz Fellows working in different fields on very important and influential problems.”
“The support of the Hertz Foundation was really important to me in my PhD.”
Harold Newman and David Galas Entrepreneurial Initiative
Established by former Board Member and honorary Hertz Fellow Harold Newman, the Harold Newman and David Galas Entrepreneurial Initiative supports Hertz Fellows who propose the most innovative entrepreneurial projects, with particular emphasis on early career fellows. The initiative honors both Harold Newman and former Board Chair and Hertz Fellow David Galas, who were dedicated to empowering Hertz Fellows early in their entrepreneurial journeys. Awardees receive up to $25,000 to fund their work, along with mentoring from successful entrepreneurs within the Hertz Community.
In 2024, three Hertz Fellows received funds from the initiative: Ruby Lai, founder of Foss Water Systems, developing sustainable, low-energy, low-cost toilet systems to support communities experiencing water shortages; Ofer Grossman, founder of Advanced Math Tutoring, matching high-level Math Olympiad students with qualified tutors; and Charles Dove, founder of NeoOptics, commercializing AI-based physics simulation.
Partnership Access to Entrepreneurship Academy
Through a new partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, up to three Hertz Fellows each year will be given free admission to the National Labs Entrepreneurship Academy, an intensive, four-day commercialization program that provides tools to transfer their research and technologies out of the lab. Recipient of the Harold Newman and David Galas Entrepreneurial Initiative, Charles Dove was also the first Hertz Fellow to attend the academy.
The partnership is part of a broader effort to provide Hertz Fellows access to new tools that will help forge connections and launch commercial ventures.
