Innovate@BU supports students of all backgrounds and majors in making a lasting impact. If you’re passionate about innovating for a better tomorrow, these opportunities are for you. From seed grants to social programs, you’re bound to find a way to make positive change that suits you.
Looking to incorporate social entrepreneurship into your class schedule? Students enrolled in the I&E minor learn the skills necessary to bring social impact ideas to life while studying alongside likeminded entrepreneurs!
The First-Year Innovation Fellowship (FYIF) is a semester-long program designed specifically for first-year students at Boston University. Whether you have a fully formed venture idea or just a problem you care about, FYIF provides the coaching, community, and resources to help you turn passion into impact. And, for the first time, participating in FYIF gives […]
The fall 2025 First-Year Innovation Fellowship wrapped up with 20 first-year students presenting ideas ranging from AI-powered meal planning to self-healing suture pads. Representing seven countries and a variety of BU schools, this cohort tackled problems in sustainability, healthcare access, digital literacy, and beyond. While FYIF has been around for more than five years, this […]
On a summer evening somewhere around week eight, the ten members of the 2025 Enlight Fellowship cohort found themselves at BU Beach, talking about the world's biggest problems and what they intended to do about them. They came from different schools, different disciplines, different countries. But as they sat together watching the sun set over […]
The holidays are here, and there's no better way to celebrate than by supporting student entrepreneurs right here at Boston University. Student-Made BU is an online marketplace that showcases the incredible creativity and business skills of our student community—featuring everything from handcrafted crochet animals to custom jewelry, original paintings, and beautiful floral arrangements. Be sure […]
This fall, BU students proposed new ways to make the campus more sustainable—from rethinking lab waste to redesigning streetlights. Through the Sustainability Innovation Seed Grants, a partnership between BU Sustainability and Innovate@BU, nine projects were awarded $500 and mentorship to kick-start solutions addressing the University’s most pressing climate and waste challenges. Each project aligns with […]
This fall, Boston University students submitted proposals for how BU could address wellbeing challenges across campus—from financial stress and social isolation to physical health and academic pressure. Through the new Wellbeing Innovation Seed Grant program, a partnership between BU Student Wellbeing and Innovate@BU, 15 students have been selected to receive $500 and mentorship to launch […]
Sign up for notifications about the Enlight Fellowship Summer 2026! Before the Enlight Fellowship, Gabrielle Moussas felt stuck. With a big idea in mind and a clear desire to make a difference, she wasn’t sure how to move forward. "I was unsure about how I would take this big idea and make it something […]
Sign up for notifications about the Enlight Fellowship Summer 2026! Mya Kelly has always been inspired by entrepreneurship. Growing up in Owensboro, Kentucky, she watched her mother run a business that spotlighted local entrepreneurs. And once she arrived at Boston University, Mya decided to explore what innovation might look like for her. "I just […]