When Hannah Martin (CAS’25) first stumbled upon the Enlight Fellowship application, she had little knowledge of entrepreneurship or innovation. A political science and English major with pre-law aspirations, Hannah viewed social impact primarily through a policy lens. Yet that random online discovery would change not only her summer plans but her entire career trajectory.
“My exposure to entrepreneurship before the Enlight program was super limited,” Hannah shares. “I honestly didn’t know much about it at all. I had a vague perception of what entrepreneurship and innovation really is.”
What drew her to apply was the fellowship’s focus on social impact—an area she was already passionate about. “I thought it was a super cool opportunity to just learn more about it,” she says. The program offered a $10,000 stipend, which proved crucial for Hannah’s participation.
“If I didn’t have the funding, I wouldn’t have been able to afford to stay in Boston that summer because living prices in Boston are insane,” Hannah explains. “It was literally one of the biggest aspects of Enlight that helped me do this and be introduced to the sphere of innovation. It was the beginning domino of a huge domino effect of opening tons of opportunities for me.”
The Enlight Fellowship placed Hannah with Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) in their Housing and Homelessness Prevention Department. There, she worked with the Mobile Homeless Outreach team, engaging directly with unhoused communities.
“I cannot recommend being involved with them enough,” Hannah says of ABCD. “I absolutely loved my experience and I’m still in contact with them now.” The placement even sparked interest in her senior thesis on homeless encampment sweeps in Boston and Los Angeles.
For her own venture, Hannah initially wanted to work broadly in education within low-income communities. As the program progressed, she narrowed her focus to her home region in central Massachusetts—a rural, low-income area.
“I think the program really helped me narrow it down and make it more specific to have a more tangible impact,” she reflects.
One of the most valuable lessons Hannah learned was challenging her preconceptions about entrepreneurship itself. “I definitely had a more shallow view of business and entrepreneurship beforehand,” she admits. “I didn’t have the knowledge to realize how multifaceted it was and how innovation and entrepreneurship can do good and have social impact.”
Hannah credits program director Katie with helping her understand that companies can balance financial goals with positive community impact. “It changed the trajectory of my career path,” she says.
Indeed, the experience transformed her professional plans. While she’s still pursuing law school, Hannah has discovered a new focus: intellectual property law.
“After going through the Enlight program and seeing all these startups and ventures that students are creating, I’ve decided to go into intellectual property law,” Hannah explains. “I really want to work with smaller businesses and startups, helping from the legal perspective and continuing to be involved in innovation spheres.”
Hannah sees this as coming full circle—providing the same kind of guidance to entrepreneurs that she once needed. “I would love to be on the other side of it in the mentorship part, helping with legal aid, or even just educating or assisting students who are passionate about a venture but don’t know where to get started with copyright or trademark.”
For those hesitant about entering the innovation ecosystem, Hannah offers reassurance from her own experience. “One misconception about entrepreneurship and innovation is that it’s exclusive,” she says. “I think that’s false. You can join at any time, and you don’t need to have any prior experience to start. I think that’s the whole point of innovation—that you’re at the beginning.”
As she approaches graduation, Hannah remains excited about her future in law school and the startup world, particularly the prospect of working with MIT’s startup clinic. Her journey from innovation outsider to advocate demonstrates the transformative power of stepping into unknown territory.
