At D'Amore-McKim, we empower you to be bold and fearless and to think like an entrepreneur. Collaborate with IDEA, Northeastern's unique student-led venture accelerator, to launch and grow your startup. By working with IDEA, you'll enhance your entrepreneurial skills, connect with a vibrant network of innovators, and receive support to pitch, develop, and launch your business.
Also, if you're a graduate student or professional who would like to coach startups, IDEA may be able to connect you with entrepreneurs who need support in your area of expertise. It's a great way to share your time and talents—and possibly create a positive impact on the community around you. You will gain:
- Real-world leadership and entrepreneurial experience
- Skills in problem validation, business modeling, pitching, and go-to-market strategy
- Access to mentorship, workshops, legal resources, and up to $30k in non-equity funding
You'll walk away understanding how to take an idea from concept to launch, with confidence built through execution and learning from failure. Expect to be challenged, supported, and part of a collaborative and inclusive community.
As a first-time entrepreneur, IDEA offered some incredibly valuable, hands-on, and straightforward tools to help me think about modeling a business for success. I received tremendous value, from pitch practice to understanding the lifetime value of a customer. I highly recommend IDEA to anyone in the Northeastern network who wants to launch a venture.
Danny Walsh, Founder, Peak State Coffee, MBA‘18
Bring the best and boldest ideas to life
2800+
Ventures supported
$833M+
Raised by IDEA ventures
$2.80M+
GAP Fund awarded
IDEA's objectives
The IDEA lab is designed for anyone affiliated with Northeastern University—whether you are a student, alumni, or faculty—to strengthen and accelerate a business venture idea, at any stage of development. IDEA is a venture accelerator, but incubator-style elements are embedded:
- Open IDEA Lab space for brainstorming (BANTER events)
- Office hours, early-stage ideation support, and Prototype Fund access
- Ventures progress at their own pace, making it flexible like an incubator
Our process
Regardless of prior experience, your venture will go through the Ready, Set, Go stages of the IDEA process.
- In the Ready stage, you'll attend a monthly orientation (in-person or via Zoom) and get onboarded to the Babele platform, where you'll connect with advisors. This stage focuses on customer validation—using office hours, workshops, and templates to define your problem, test it with customers, explore solutions, and begin competitive analysis.
- In the Set stage, you'll work to develop your business model. As you utilize business model guides, access to service providers, and one-on-one mentorship through IDEA's advising network, you'll build the models and go-to-market strategy best fit for your venture.
- In the Go stage, the final phase of IDEA's accelerator, you'll start bringing your venture to life. You'll get access to top resources like the McCarthy Venture Mentoring Network and up to $30,000 in non-equity funding through the GAP Fund. This stage is all about hitting key milestones—whether that's scaling your business, preparing to raise capital, joining another accelerator, or becoming revenue-sustaining.
Meet the cohort
IDEA is a fully student-led organization. Students lead 30+ events, onboard 100+ ventures yearly, and manage the full accelerator experience. Roles in IDEA are held by undergraduate students and include:
CEO
- Oversee all operations
- Set strategic vision
- Manage team collaboration and venture progress
- Represent IDEA within the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem
COO
- Lead day-to-day operations
- Shape strategic vision
- Drive execution of key initiatives
Venture Team
- Guide startups through Ready, Set and Go stages
- Offer productive feedback on ventures
Analytics Team
- Build data dashboards
- Analyze venture progress
Marketing Team
- Create vision-aligned branding
- Drive social media engagement
- Manage PR for the accelerator
Operations Team
- Oversee logistics for student-run events
- Streamline internal systems
Investments Team
- Run the funding pipeline
- Analyze ventures for Gap Fund pitching
Strategy & Innovation Teams
- Improve overall efficiency of the accelerator
- Implement new ideas and features based on venture feedback
Applications open each semester for new team members across functions. Students apply via internal forms/interviews facilitated by team leads.
IDEA features a group of 12 Venture Advisors, each with different industry expertise, including:
- Fundraising: Sean Fanning, Kevin Corliss
- Product Management & Design: Rick Chin, Rahul Rao, Derek Cascio
- Marketing & Strategy: Carl Blume, Paula Quintana, Yutika Ghiya
- AI, HealthTech, E-Commerce, Legal, GTM: Matthew Harwit, Nick Aranow, Winisha Hines, Zachary Aliyev
Students receive 1:1 mentorship tied to their stage of venture development (Ready, Set, Go), plus access to experts and Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) support from professionals.
While I primarily helped startups with finance, my undergraduate background gave me the flexibility to advise on marketing strategies, product development, and more. It was a great way to apply what I was learning while helping others bring their ideas to life.
Bhakti Varma, MS in Finance'19
Explore student stories
As a Venture Coach, I help prepare them for the pitch. Most of my ventures have gotten gap funding, so that's a good thing! That means they are proving themselves to a board of funders from IDEA, and they are capable of moving forward and growing. IDEA has been one of the coolest things I've been able to be a part of here.
Pedro Cesar Gomes, Graduate Certificate in Business Administration'16, MBA'18
Frequently asked questions
Your first step is to attend an orientation event, hosted monthly at the IDEA Lab on our Boston campus (001 Hayden Hall), or via Zoom (per request). You'll then create an account on Babele to be connected with advisors.
No! Whether you are interested in pursuing a venture idea or applying for a leadership role for the lab, Northeastern students from across academic disciplines benefit from the resources IDEA has to offer. You must have some affiliation with Northeastern University to get involved, such as being a student, alumni, or faculty/staff member.
If you're an undergraduate student eager to contribute to a growing program and support early-stage ventures, consider applying to join our student management team. For graduate students with advanced skills, 1–2 years of experience, or a successful startup background who are interested in mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs, we also invite you to apply to become an advisor and share your expertise.
Apply to become a Ready Stage Coach or a Venture Mentor and lend your expertise to budding startups on finance, marketing, or business strategy. Earn one credit per semester. Consecutive semester commitment is requested.
If you're ready to transform your ideas into real-world impact, Northeastern's IDEA venture accelerator is your skills-building launchpad. Through IDEA, you'll develop critical entrepreneurial competencies—like strategic thinking, problem-solving, and agile decision-making—while gaining hands-on experience launching and growing a startup. You'll strengthen your leadership, communication, and business acumen by working closely with experienced mentors and a dynamic peer network. Whether your goal is to start your own venture or bring innovation into any career path, IDEA equips you with the practical tools, confidence, and mindset to lead and succeed. This is your opportunity to grow your skill set, expand your network, and create something meaningful—starting now.
