Ecosystem Event: Frontiers Hackathon
2026-03-07 | MA
Breakthrough’s Frontiers Hackathon is a one-day build sprint designed for students who want to prototype real systems, test bold ideas, and ship fast.
🚀 What You’ll Get:

Full-Day Build Sprint
12 hours of rapid prototyping alongside 250 of Boston’s brightest undergraduate, graduate, and research students across CS, design, and entrepreneurship.
Direct Exposure to Industry Leaders
5 senior panel judges including leaders from DeepMind and venture capital.
Prizes for Top Teams
Competitive awards for the most innovative and technically impressive builds.
Network Access
Connect with engineers, researchers, operators, and founders across campuses.

Eligibility: Our program is open to all students across North America who are either actively enrolled, on leave, or recent grads.
📍Where: MIT on March, 7
⏳ Deadline: Sunday, February 22 @ 11:59 PM PT

Ecosystem Event: Ankit Gupta Fireside Chat
2026-03-30 17:15 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Cambridge, Massachusetts
The Aging Initiative is pleased to announce a fireside chat with Mr. Ankit Gupta, General Partner at Y Combinator. Mr. Gupta’s past experiences include various software and data science positions at Google, Palantir, Harvard Medical School, and Vicarious AI.
​His startup, Reverie Labs (YC W18) focused on engineering next-generation, brain-penetrant cancer therapies. He utilized machine learning and elastic cloud infrastructure to power drug discovery programs. As Co-Founder and CTO, Mr. Gupta oversaw the machine learning, data science, and SWE portions of the company. Reverie raised over $31M, before being acquired by Ginkgo Bioworks in February 2024.
​Thereafter, he became Head of AI at Ginkgo Bioworks for a year, before transitioning to partnership positions at Y Combinator. He is now one of 15 General Partners at Y Combinator, and is one of the premier venture capitalists in the life sciences and machine learning industries.
​Mr. Gupta graduated from Harvard with a concurrent A.B. and S.M. in Computer Science.

Ecosystem Event: Five Steps to HypherGrowth: The Algorithm with Jon McNeill
2026-04-02 18:00 - 19:00 | Harvard Coop, 1400 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Join us for an evening with Jon McNeill in conversation with Jodi Goldstein, CEO of the COOP and leader in innovation and entrepreneurship.

An entrepreneur and former president of Tesla, McNeill will discuss his new book, The Algorithm. Drawing on decades of experience scaling high-growth companies, he shares the decision-making framework he used to help build some of the world’s most forward-thinking organizations.
Whether you’re a founder, executive, or aspiring leader, this conversation will deliver practical insights on strategy, execution, and building companies that last. Don’t miss the chance to hear two innovation leaders in conversation at the heart of Harvard Square.
About Jon NcNeil
Jon McNeill is the CEO and Co-Founder of DVx Ventures, where he has helped launch 12 companies targeting large, high-growth markets. A seasoned operator and entrepreneur, he previously served as President of Tesla and as COO of Lyft, where he helped double revenue and take the company public.
In his new book, The Algorithm, McNeill shares a behind-the-scenes look at how companies like Tesla, SpaceX, Lululemon, and General Motors achieve hypergrowth—and the practical framework leaders can use to scale with impact.
About the COOP
Founded in 1882 by Harvard students, The COOP began as a simple but ambitious idea: a store created to serve students. When MIT joined the cooperative in 1916, The COOP quickly became a landmark in Harvard Square. Over the decades, it has welcomed cultural icons while evolving into a global destination for community and culture. Today, The COOP remains a hub for discovery, conversation, and community; bringing together readers, writers, and ideas that shape campus life and reach far beyond it.

Ecosystem Event: Tufts in Translation: A Smart Way to Treat Osteoarthritis
2026-04-08 11:30 - 13:30 | Lab Central, 700 Main Street North, Cambridge, MA, United States
Osteoarthritis remains one of the largest unmet needs in musculoskeletal medicine, with few disease-modifying options and significant challenges in achieving targeted therapeutic delivery.
On April 8, Li Zeng, PhD will present a nanoparticle system engineered to selectively localize to damaged cartilage and enable site-specific therapeutic expression — offering a precision approach designed to improve efficacy while limiting systemic exposure.
By targeting the disease microenvironment directly, this strategy introduces a differentiated pathway for advancing joint therapeutics.

Ecosystem Event: Boston 311 Hack
2026-04-16 16:30 - 20:30 | 1 Education St, 1 Education St, Cambridge, MA, 02141, United States
Turn ideas into impact and step into the future of AI-powered cities. Boston built one of the first city MCP Server in the US and we get to build the agents on top. Come join us and all our partners at Hult university and spend 2 hours building the future of how cities will operate.
​This dynamic and inclusive hackathon brings together technical, semi-technical, and non-technical participants to tackle real-world challenges centered on Boston’s evolving 311 support services. Using agentic AI and cutting-edge frameworks, participants will build solutions that directly improve how the city serves its residents.
​Participants will be placed into teams of five, carefully balanced with technical and non-technical members to ensure diverse thinking and skill sets. Each team will develop:

​A compelling slide deck that communicates the problem, solution, and impact

​A functional prototype of an AI-powered agent, built using modern tools that accelerate development

​Whether you’re a coder, designer, strategist, or simply driven by big ideas, this is your opportunity to create something real. You’ll collaborate with ambitious peers, gain hands-on experience solving meaningful problems, and work alongside mentors using city data and advanced technologies to bring your ideas to life.
​Participants will present their solutions to an elite panel of judges from the City of Boston, Wayfair, Mass AI Hub, Mendoza Ventures, Scale Up Labs, NANDA, and more giving you direct access to decision-makers, valuable feedback, and potential pathways for growth, recognition, and even investment.
​Proudly sponsored by Hult International Business School, this event will take place on Hult’s Boston campus placing you at the center of a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
​This isn’t just a hackathon it’s a launchpad to build your skills, expand your network, and accelerate your path forward.

​AGENDA
​4:30 – 5:00 PM | Mandatory Registration and Credentialing (Lobby)
5:00 – 5:05 PM | Opening Ceremony: Mandatory Kick-Off
5:05 – 5:15 PM | Strategic Partner Deep Dive
5:20 – 5:30 PM | NANDA International: The Value Proposition
5:30 – 5:35 PM | Challenge Briefing and Rules of Engagement
​5:40 – 7:40 PM | INTENSE Code Block: Development Phase
6:00 PM | Dinner Service: Fueling Innovation
6:40 PM | Business Case Submission Deadline
​7:40 – 8:10 PM | Final Presentations
8:20 – 8:30 PM | Closing Ceremony and Awards Announcement

Ecosystem Event: Ask a Pre-Seed Investor Anything
2026-04-23 14:00 - 15:00 | MA
​If you’ve ever had a question you wanted to ask an investor but didn’t have the right room to ask it, this is that room.
​This session is designed for students and builders across a select group of universities with top entrepreneurship programs. Whether you’re actively building, exploring an idea, or just starting to think about funding, this is a chance to engage directly.
​Forum Ventures is hosting an open AMA with Naomi Goez, Partner at Forum Ventures. She spends every day working with pre-seed founders and evaluating what actually gets funded at the earliest stages.
​No slides. No pitch. Just a candid conversation. Come with your questions and get real answers.

​Sample questions we’ll dig into:

​What should founders actually think about before applying to an accelerator?

​What are pre-seed investors seeing in the market right now, and what’s getting their attention?

​When is the right time to raise, and how do you know if you’re ready?

​What makes a B2B or AI company fundable at the earliest stages?

​How do investors evaluate founders who are still in school or recently graduated?

​What does Forum look for that isn’t on a pitch deck?

​About Forum Ventures
​Forum Ventures backs B2B founders at the very start of the journey. $100K investment, hands-on support, and a partner who believes in you before you have all the answers. If you’re building something, learn more at https://www.forumvc.com/accelerator
​Naomi Goez
​Naomi Goez is a Partner at Forum Ventures, leading pre-seed investments in B2B software across healthcare, supply chain, fintech, and vertical AI. An operator turned investor, Naomi brings a rare combination of hands-on company building and rigorous research to early-stage investing.
​Before working at Forum Ventures, Naomi built her career in the fashion supply chain, overseeing production and leading sustainability initiatives at Centric Brands, navigating the fundraising trenches herself at a pre-seed circular economy startup. She went on to earn her MBA from The Wharton School, investing in commerce and supply chain at Alpaca VC along the way.
​Naomi was named a 2025 Rising Star by Venture Capital Journal and is a vocal advocate for underrepresented founders, hosting quarterly “Pilates & Pitches” events for womxn founders (with 100+ person waitlists), co-hosting GP/LP dinners for women shaping capital, and leading workshops on breaking into venture without the Silicon Valley playbook.

Ecosystem Event: TechStars Startup Weekend
2026-05-01 17:00 - 2026-05-03 17:00 | Tech Superpowers, 500 Harrison Ave Suit 108, Boston, MA, 02118, United States
A 54-hour event where aspiring founders pitch, form teams, and launch real prototypes — no experience or team required.

01 – Pitch an idea Friday night — or join someone else’s
02 – Build a prototype with a team of strangers-turned-collaborators
03 – Present to judges Sunday and walk away with real startup experience

Ecosystem Event: Tech Week
2026-05-26 08:00 - 2026-05-31 17:00 | MA
For the first time, a16z is bringing Tech Week to Boston (May 26-31) and we’re thrilled to be joined by 80+ founding hosts, representing the best of Boston tech and beyond.
