Mission

The Mission of the Warren Center

The Warren Center’s mission is to foster research and innovation in interconnected social, economic and technological systems. And like those systems, the Center itself is deeply interconnected; based in the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Center’s faculty affiliates come from across Penn. It is driven by the enthusiasm of these faculty affiliates, united in a common interest in the role of data and algorithms to understand networked systems. Like many who take up service in reason’s empire, they are propelled by a desire to understand the world and an ambition to improve it.

The Warren Center features a series of events that highlight leading thinkers and cutting-edge developments in the field. Systems unto themselves, these gatherings and lectures connect researchers, students and entrepreneurs across the spectrum of network science, uniting them in the pursuit of knowledge and impact. The incredible cabinet of resources available to The Warren Center most importantly lets us invest in research that we truly believe in – research that can shape everything from culture and commerce to medicine and technology, applying what we know about network science to improving life for us all.

The Warren Center’s Founding Donors

Fred and Robin Warren are the founding donors of The Warren Center. Their support in establishing The Warren Center stems from a sincere desire to increase Penn Engineering’s leading role in furthering the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve human life.

Mr. Warren’s interest in the technological aspects of innovation were formed at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics. He was among the first students to co-matriculate in Engineering and Business and Finance at The Wharton School, a program that later became the Management & Technology (M&T) Program, the oldest dual-degree program at Penn.

Upon graduation, Mr. Warren became an investment banker on Wall Street. One year later, he became a venture capitalist and was a pioneer in the development of the management buyout. In 1972 he co-founded Brentwood Associates, one of the oldest and largest private equity firms in the U.S. The firm was one of the original venture backers of Apple Computer. In 1984, he initiated and led Brentwood’s formal entry into the leveraged buyout business and its evolution as a private equity investment firm.

In 2000, he founded Sage Venture Partners, a “friends and family” venture capital fund. Sage focuses on early-stage, venture capital investments in telecommunications infrastructure and other web-enabled productivity enhancements.

Mr. Warren was a founding board member of the National Venture Capital Association and serves on the boards of numerous public and private companies. His devotion to supporting Penn and Penn Engineering includes years of service on the University’s Board of Trustees, where he is now an emeritus member, and on Penn Engineering’s Board of Overseers, where he currently serves as an advisor for the School’s planning process and as an ambassador to the engineering and corporate community.