The College of Science hosted the third annual Entrepreneurship Workshop on July 25, 2025 at the Warren Conference in Ashland, MA. The workshop demonstrates growing recognition of the importance of entrepreneurial skills in scientific careers.
Thirty-one science students participated in the comprehensive workshop specifically designed to prepare the next generation of researchers to translate their discoveries into practical solutions and successful ventures. The diverse group included incoming first-year students alongside current undergraduate and graduate students, all eager to develop skills beyond the laboratory.
The invigorating day-long program, facilitated by Training Path, combined leadership development with practical business training, culminating in an exciting pitch competition complete with a judging panel and team prizes.
Morning Focus: Leadership Development
The morning session concentrated on building essential leadership capabilities through interactive activities. Students engaged in communication and teamwork exercises designed to challenge their problem-solving abilities in unconventional ways.
One particularly creative exercise required students to organize themselves into groups by card number (unknown to the students) without any verbal communication—a deceptively simple task that proved both challenging and enlightening for participants.
Afternoon Challenge: From Concept to Competition
The afternoon shifted focus to practical application of business principles. Students were divided into teams and tasked with creating a brand and product or service that addressed real-world challenges. Each team developed both a visual identity through logo design and a compelling two-minute elevator pitch.
The workshop’s centerpiece was the development of business plans, which teams presented in 3-5 minute pitches to a panel of judges who provided professional feedback and follow-up questions. The competitive element was enhanced by peer evaluation, with students scoring each other’s presentations.
Congratulations to the winners of the Pitch Competition!
1st place: Royal Jelly
Honey-based sports supplements
- Cailin Cronin, Biochemistry
- Dea Gupta, Biology
- Ersi Dake, Psychology and Business Administration
- Anmoldeep Chahal, Physics
- Miles Zuercher, Physics
2nd place: High Five
Lab Mentor, an AI lab training system
- Athena Wu, Behavioral Neuroscience
- Leonardo Zhao, Computer Science and Behavioral Neuroscience
- Faateh Mohammad, Biology
- Dylan Fei, Biochemistry
- Ahmed Othman, Biochemistry
3rd place: Darwin
Genetically modified seeds
- Shania Maillet, Behavioral Neuroscience
- Lakishmikanth Reddy Chavva, Bioinformatics
- Nitish Kumar Srinivasan, Biotechnology
- Manju Selvakumaran, Bioinformatics
- Harumi Garrison, Mathematics
Crowd Favorite: MASS-I
“Stronger Together” – making research study participation more diverse
- Maya Krattli, Marine Biology
- Abigail Demosthene, Behavioral Neuroscience
- Siima Machayo, Behavioral Neuroscience
- Samantha Pierre, Data Science and Behavioral Neuroscience
- Isabel Elias, Cell and Molecular Biology
[I] loved the leadership part and the pitch aspect. This was my first time involved in anything entrepreneurial and it was a great introduction!
Workshop Participant (from feedback survey)
