Exploring AI and Entrepreneurship: MIT Students’ Journey to the MIT AI Conference with E14 Fund and SE Ventures

This October, E14 Fund and SE Ventures took a select group of MIT students from Cambridge to New York City for an immersive experience at the MIT AI Conference . The journey kicked off with a bus ride where students had a unique opportunity to connect with Varun Jain from SE Ventures and Aleksandr Rakitin from 施耐德电气 , who shared invaluable insights on navigating research, entrepreneurship, and the real-world applications of AI.

Upon arrival in NYC, we joined MIT alumni for a Friday night happy hour – a lively gathering of past and present MIT minds sharing perspectives on the future of AI. The next day was packed with learning as students attended talks and panels covering how AI is reshaping industries like healthcare, government, and entertainment. Some of our students even took the stage to present at the Research Slam, sharing their own pioneering work with a larger audience.

The conference offered students their first exposure to the industry side of AI, a refreshing complement to the academic environment at MIT. As one student shared, “This is my first time attending a non-academic research conference. This experience showed me how others are transforming research into business opportunities.” For others, the trip inspired their entrepreneurial journeys: “Hearing from founders and VCs gave me greater confidence and motivation to pursue my goal of creating a startup in the AI space.”

The impact of these experiences was clear. From learning about AI’s diverse applications to connecting with future collaborators, students left with new perspectives and connections. One participant remarked, “I feel much more capable of founding a company – being surrounded on the bus by other founders and hearing inspiring talks at the conference made it seem much more attainable.” Another student reflected on the networking opportunities, noting, “Meeting people and discussing interesting topics led to connections I’ll be able to work with in the future.”

The students’ excitement was tangible, and the feedback speaks to the conference’s impact: “A tremendous learning opportunity and amazing networking experience… 9.5/10!” Others praised the trip as a “valuable opportunity to observe, learn, and exchange ideas” and an “awesome way to connect with leading professionals in the emerging field of AI.”

Thank you to the conference organizers and all the participants for making this journey unforgettable!