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 wanted to figure out what entrepreneurship really looks like for me and where my passions may lie.”
This summer, she found the space to do just that through the Enlight Fellowship at Innovate@BU. Mya joined the ten-week program hoping to build practical skills while exploring her interest in education and nonprofit leadership.
Her internship placement brought her to Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), a nonprofit focused on anti-poverty programs and services across Greater Boston. There, she gained firsthand insight into how a nonprofit operates—everything from team collaboration to community engagement. “It was my first time really exploring the internship space,” she says. “Being in corporate America in the 9-to-5 was really kind of fun, but it also helped me understand what nonprofit leadership looks like.”
Back at Innovate@BU, Mya spent her Thursdays and Fridays in workshops refining her venture: a board game designed to teach financial literacy to young learners. With the support of program mentors, she connected with leaders in financial education to assess how play-based learning could effectively introduce concepts like budgeting and saving.
“I wanted to make my venture more concrete than just an idea, and learn how to make it more accessible for all students.”
The $10,000 Enlight stipend provided crucial support, helping her cover housing in Boston over the summer and invest in design tools and research resources. “A lot of it went to housing, but also to getting a new computer and accessing paywalled resources that helped me prepare for the next step of my venture,” Mya says.
That next step? Mya is now working with BU’s Student Innovations Law Clinic to patent her game and hopes to distribute it to school districts in her hometown by the end of the year. She also plans to apply to the Innovation Pathway program this fall to continue building out her venture.
Throughout the summer, Mya found inspiration in her cohort of Enlight Fellows.
“Some of us were undergrads, some were grad students, and we all came from different backgrounds. But we ended up becoming really close and learning a lot from each other.”
Reflecting on her experience, Mya says Enlight helped her grow in confidence—as a leader, innovator, and changemaker. “I wanted to make sure I felt comfortable pitching my idea and talking to people,” Mya says. “And now I do.”
Mya’s summer at Innovate@BU didn’t just strengthen her skills—it gave her a clear direction and a community to support her journey.
