Innovate@BU

Congratulations to all the Semi-Finalists who pitched in the Social Impact Track of the 25th Annual New Venture Competition! And a very special thank you to our amazing judges for their wonderful expertise and willingness to be part of NVC. Meet the teams here: https://bit.ly/4j7O1MU

Hear from this year's dynamic emcees of Innovators Night 2025, Riya Shukla (CAS'25), founder of MatchBox, and Remi Chester (Questrom'25), founder of Popple, about their excitement for the event and what attendees should look forward to. Every year, Innovators' Night hosted by Innovate@BU brings together Boston’s brightest minds and creative thinkers. From New Venture Competition pitches to immersive tabling events, it’s more than just a conference—it’s a celebration of entrepreneurship, community, and innovation. Learn more about this event from the emcees by reading the full blog here: https://bit.ly/41OcL78

Congratulations to all the Semi-Finalists who pitched in the General Track of the 25th Annual New Venture Competition! And a very special thank you to our amazing judges for their wonderful expertise and willingness to be part of NVC. Meet the teams here: https://bit.ly/4j7O1MU

Hey Boston innovators! Join us at the biggest innovation party of the year on April 16th to watch 10 student teams compete for $80,000 in prizes! Enjoy refreshments, network with hundreds of students and recent alums, and enjoy appearances by special guests like Boston University President Gilliam, the BU Pep Band, caricature artists, and more. Tickets are free!

Introducing the Social Impact Track Semi-Finalists of the $80K New Venture Competition! The Social Impact Track is comprised of ventures led by Boston University students for ideas aimed at large-scale positive change and missions focused on underserved or disadvantaged populations. BU Eco Terrier Network, founded by Assad Farman (Questrom’25), Mostafa Tawfik (Questrom’25), Muhammad Umar Khan (Questrom’25), and Besart Grabanica (Questrom’25), is a mobile platform for Boston University students to securely exchange, donate, and reuse items. Culinary Commons: Public Kitchens as Social Innovation, founded by Andrea Catania (MET’25) and Mark Araujo (Boston Food Forest Coalition), is an initiative creating accessible community kitchen spaces in urban areas to foster food justice and cultural connection. HealthPair, founded by Tanusha Tholla (CAMED’28), Riya Sandler (Sargent’27), Talya Cohen-Neamie (CAMED’28), Beamlak Mideska (Sargent’26),and Ayomide Egbejoda (CAS’26), enhances medical literacy and healthcare advocacy for young adults through university-based courses. Idori, founded by Noah Sorin (Questrom’24), is creating sustainable learning experiences for children aged 4-8 through eco-friendly storybooks, plush toys, and activities. Busy Bee Refills, founded by Christa Campbell (Questrom’25), Maria Saldivar Palacios (Questrom’25), and Matthew Luponio (ENG’25), is a subscription service using refillable jars with weight sensors to automatically reorder household essentials. OROBOR, founded by Jakob Esterowitz (ENG’25) and Jonah Dickson(MET’25), transforms discarded tennis strings into high-purity recycled polyester yarn for eco-friendly apparel. Parent Child Connect AI App, founded by Amr Zaid (Questrom’26), is an AI-powered app to provide real-time, evidence-based feedback for Parent-Child therapies. The Tremor Suppression Device for Neurodegenerative Patients, founded by Mark Lucas (ENG’26), is a cost-effective, wearable solution that uses IMUs, electro-permanent magnets, and magnetorheological fluid to reduce arm tremors. Udayaa, founded by Tanya Shizan (Questrom’26), is a student-first crowdfunding platform that supports high school social entrepreneurs in India by offering tailored campaign tools, mentorship, impact tracking, and low-cost, legal fundraising infrastructure. UniMate, founded by Nhan Ton (CAS’25), Minh Dinh (CAS’26), Nguyen Le (CAS’26), Xuru Zhao (CFA’25), and Julia Tran (Questrom’27), is a web platform that connects international high school students with current university students worldwide. Learn more about all the semi-finalists and register for Innovator's Night: https://bit.ly/4iHivFm Questrom School of Business, Boston University Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Boston University Sargent College Boston University MET International Boston University School of Medicine Boston University College of Fine Arts Boston University College of Engineering Boston University College of Arts and Sciences - BU CAS

Introducing the General Track Semi-Finalists of the $80K New Venture Competition! The General Track is comprised of ventures led by Boston University students from for-profit ideas from all sectors. Agrinova, founded by Meritxell Ortodo Irausquin (ENG’26) and Trinity Olander (CAS’26), is a portable, cost-effective solution that uses hydrogel-embedded microbial biosensors and advanced microfluidics to detect bioavailable heavy metals in soils and plants. BrightBook, founded by Thomas Ross (Questrom’24), is an AI-powered platform that helps alleviate teacher burnout by enabling educators to quickly create customizable, standards-aligned lesson plans and access personalized instructional materials. Clueless by Design, founded by Rey D. (COM’25), is an AI and AR-powered app inspired by the movie Clueless that helps users manage their wardrobes. CollegeBuddy, founded by Joy Mehta (Questrom’25), is creating a comprehensive platform to simplify higher education applications in developing countries, particularly India. Communiti, founded by Chi Nzerem (MET’26), Ananya Agarwal (CAS’25), Eugene Jung (CAS’26), Venessa Maduka (ENG’26), and Jacky Lin (CAS’28), is a campus engagement platform for BU students that centralizes extracurricular activities. DocReserve, founded by David Johnson (Questrom’26), Dominick Ruggiero, and Brandon Ciaravino, is a scheduling platform that streamlines communication between medical practices and sales representatives. Epoch Labs, founded by Betty Z. (Questrom’25) and Farida Abdelmoneum (ENG’24), is an AI tennis analytics platform that utilizes a portable single-solution camera to provide real-time analytics, AI coaching feedback, injury prevention insights, and live-streaming. Koppla, founded by Sina Nedadahandeh (Questrom’25), is a HIPAA-compliant digital marketing platform that helps mental health providers and small healthcare practices expand their online presence using AI-powered tools. Stava, founded by Aryaman Shrivastava (CAS’26) and Richie Jiang (Questrom’27), is an AI-powered tool integrated into Visual Studio Code that streamlines developer onboarding. VisionX, founded by Rushikesh Jagdhane (MET’26), is a real-time vehicle tracking and traffic management system that uses AI, IoT, and predictive analytics to optimize traffic flow, reduce congestion, and improve efficiency in logistics hubs and urban areas. Learn more about the semi-finalists and register for Innovator's Night: https://bit.ly/4bqSpny Questrom School of Business, Boston University, Boston University College of Engineering, Boston University College of Arts and Sciences - BU CAS, Boston University MET International

It's time for our BIGGEST celebration of the year! ?? Come to #InnovatorsNight2025, a free and massive celebration that shines a spotlight on student innovation at@boston-university. Get ready for an unforgettable evening of innovation and excitement! Watch as the 10 New Venture Competition finalists deliver fast-paced, thrilling pitches, competing for $80,000 in prizes. Meet inspiring student entrepreneurs from across Boston, and celebrate the winners of the Student Innovator of the Year Award, the Henry Morgan Community Member Award and more. Enjoy delicious food and refreshments, lively music, and plenty of opportunities to connect with some of Boston’s brightest minds in innovation. This is a free, public event, and we welcome everyone to join in the celebration. Don’t miss it! Details: April 16 at 6:00pm in Metcalf Ballroom in the GSU https://bit.ly/4bqSpny

BU alum Ethan Brown is changing the environmental narrative with his late-night-comedy-style podcast, The Sweaty Penguin. Ethan believes that engaging people on challenging topics like climate change requires a hopeful and relatable approach, supported by evidence of progress. Ethan has continued to work on media ventures focused on climate communication, even after the podcast concluded. Read more about Ethan's journey here: https://lnkd.in/ekS3UxBV

The Black Founders Panel is a conversation celebrating Black entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership. Here are the panelists: Foley Ellis Ibidapo (Photo 1): Foley is the founder of Daddy Mode, a space where fathers can see themselves not as stereotypes, but as whole men balancing culture, family, and their own dreams. Tyler Kinloch (Photo 2): Tyler is a lead product engineer at GE Aerospace and founder of Spincast. Victor Chinenye Obetta (Photo 3): Victor is the VP of the NSBE Boston Professionals - National Society of Black Engineers and Founder of the Obetta Foundation. Join us TOMORROW, Feb 25 @ 5:30 PM, to learn more about the panelists and their innovations. Link to register: https://bit.ly/41028fT

Ellen Zheng's (ENG'27) journey with Project Action and the Hult Prize Foundation Competition at BU has been providing students with a range of entrepreneurial opportunities. Discover how she brought this competition to drive social impact and what the future holds for the Hult Prize at BU. Read the full blog here: https://bit.ly/411pyCt #HultPrizeCompetition #SocialImpact #Innovate@BU #ProjectAction