Elizabeth Cantwell recognized that The University of Arizona, as a public R1 university and the state’s designated land-grant institution, has a key role in addressing global challenges through inventive solutions, spanning climate change, disease prevention, planetary defense, and artificial intelligence. To navigate the evolving research landscape effectively, the university advocates for the cultivation and nurturing of a robust entrepreneurial thinking culture. The article positions UArizona’s programmatic strengths in innovation and entrepreneurship as a model for other public R1 universities aiming to meaningfully tackle societal challenges.