About

Innovate@BU is a University-wide initiative to enable all BU Terriers to become drivers of innovation in their own lives, careers, and communities.

Through its physical home on the Charles River campus, the BUild Lab IDG Capital Student Innovation Center, it provides a variety of signature programs that foster an entrepreneurial mindset and help students turn their ideas into something real.


Our Vision:

We envision a world where all BU Terriers are equipped with innovation skills and an entrepreneurial mind-set, and are prepared to create meaningful impact in their careers and communities.

Our Mission:

Innovate@BU enables BU Terriers to become drivers of innovation in their own lives, careers, and communities.

Innovate@BU’s core activities are to:

  • Provide experiential learning programs that foster an entrepreneurial mindset by teaching innovation, communication, and collaboration skills through the BUild Lab IDG Capital Student Innovation Center, enabling students and alumni to address local and global challenges.

  • Create a University minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship available to undergraduates at any school at BU. Embedding innovation and entrepreneurial principles in our curricula is critical to preparing students to craft their own future opportunities.  

  • Engage faculty in focused research to identify best practices that can support the Boston innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem and establish the University as a thought-leader in these fields.

  • Nurture, grow, and amplify the innovation and entrepreneurial activities happening across the University.

  • Be a responsible and contributing member of the Boston innovation and entrepreneurship community.

Innovate@BU serves the BU community across all Schools, Colleges, and disciplines.  


Annual Reports


Our External Advisory Board

Innovate@BU and its programs are guided by an External Advisory Board, consisting of the following distinguished alumni.

  • Yousif Al Nowais, Parent CAS’14

  • Billy Bloom, CGS’82, Questrom’84

  • Beverly Brown

  • Richard Cohen CGS’67, Questrom’69

  • Ziad Dalloul, ENG’86

  • Carol Kaufman, CAS’71

  • Ranch Kimball

  • Ken Menges

  • Alicia C. Mullen, CAS’83, Parent CAS’19

  • Allen Questrom, Questrom’64

  • Ryan Roth Gallo, LAW’99

  • Hugo Shong, COM’87, GRS’90

  • Lou Volpe, Questrom’78

  • Collin Yip, Questrom’12