Introducing the Semi-Finalists of the 2026 New Venture Competition!
Boston University’s New Venture Competition has selected its 2026 semi-finalists, advancing one step closer to determining which student-led ventures will share in this year’s $80k prize pool. The semi-finals include 20 teams — 10 on the social impact track and 10 on the general track. The annual New Venture Competition gives current BU students and […]
Everything You Need to Know About the First-Year Innovation Fellowship
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 […]
Looking Back on the 2025 First-Year Innovation Fellowship Experience!
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 […]
From Hospitals to Rooftop Farms, How the 2025 Enlight Fellows Spent Their Summer
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 […]
Announcing the 2025 Sustainability Innovation Seed Grant Recipients
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 […]
Announcing the 2025 Wellbeing Innovation Seed Grant Recipients
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 […]
New BU Hub Class Teaches Students How to Navigate the US Healthcare System
Healthcare Literacy 101, a collaboration between former classmates and Student Health Services
IDEA Con, Boston’s Premier Student Entrepreneurship Conference, Continues to Grow
The George Sherman Union buzzed with entrepreneurial energy on October 25 as 540 attendees, representing over 40 schools across the Northeast, gathered for the eighth annual IDEA Con, presented by Innovate@BU. This year’s conference, the largest in its history, brought together student innovators who are tackling everything from sustainability in fashion to accessibility in education. […]
Ishtiyaq Shajahan Shares His Vision For Food Equity in Boston
Sign up for notifications about the Enlight Fellowship Summer 2026! Ishtiyaq Shajahan (CAS’26), a political science major eager to make a difference in his community, spent his summer in the Enlight Fellowship through Innovate@BU, where he launched a new nonprofit and explored the systems behind community-driven change. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, with family roots […]
Zachary DaSilva-Grondin on Finding Community and Inspiration Within the Enlight Fellowship
Sign up for notifications about the Enlight Fellowship Summer 2026! Zachary DaSilva-Grondin (Sargent’28) began his summer feeling exhausted. Fresh off a medical brigade in Guatemala, he entered the Enlight Fellowship unsure of what to expect. But, by the end, the community he found reshaped his perspective on his role in tackling some of the […]