Jan E. Odegard

Jan E. Odegard is a seasoned venture investor currently affiliated with VU Venture Partners since April 2024. Prior experience includes serving as an advisor and executive director at Ion Houston from January 2020 to May 2024, where a focus was placed on fostering collaboration among Houston’s entrepreneurial, corporate, and academic communities. Jan Odegard has also held significant roles at Rice University, including interim executive director and senior director of academic and industry partnerships, and executive director of the Ken Kennedy Institute for Information Technology, emphasizing the development of research infrastructure and strategic collaborations. Earlier in the career, Odegard was associate vice president at the University of Stavanger, where responsibilities included academic leadership in electrical and computer engineering. Jan Odegard earned a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rice University and has multiple degrees in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University and the University of South-Eastern Norway.