The Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange has recognized two student-run organizations — IDEA, Northeastern’s Venture Accelerator, and the Entrepreneurs Club — as the state’s top contributors to innovation in higher education.
MITX is a nonprofit trade association for the digital marketing and Internet business industry. Its annual awards recognize entrepreneurship leaders from across Massachusetts.
IDEA CEO Chris Wolfel and Cory Bolotsky, who runs the E-Club’s Husky Start-Up Challenge, at the MITX awards reception.
Northeastern beat out two other nominees for the top prize in a ceremony on Tuesday night — Harvard’s I-Lab and Boston College’s TechTrek East. Plastic cheerleading megaphones were presented to each winner during a lighthearted ceremony, because the official awards, custom-designed plaques, were lost in the mail.
Northeastern’s victory, said IDEA CEO Chris Wolfel, “proves that entrepreneurship starting from the bottom up works. In just a few years, we’re being recognized with the top tier of schools.”
Wolfel and Bilotti said Northeastern’s success hinges on the university’s student-centric approach to entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on building a robust support system that helps students navigate the business world and create new ventures from scratch.
“We do things differently than a lot of other schools,” Bilotti said. “We understand the fact that students want to have fun and enjoy themselves while still learning, so everyone is having a good time while building companies and developing new ideas.”
