IDEA Con 2025 – Student Innovation on the Rise

Angle Center Monthly | November 2025

Boston’s Premier Student Entrepreneurship Conference Continues to Grow

Hosted by Innovate@BU, the 8th annual IDEA Con brought together over 540 attendees from 40+ colleges and universities across the Northeast, making it the largest year yet. The one-day event, held on October 25, 2025, at Boston University’s George Sherman Union, celebrated the power of student-driven innovation, inclusion, and creative problem solving.

The Angle Center for Entrepreneurship proudly joined this year’s conference as Endicott’s representative, connecting students with some of the region’s brightest entrepreneurial minds.Dr. Gina Deschamps, Executive Director of the Angle Center, led a workshop on Design Thinking in Action, helping participants understand how empathy, iteration, and creativity can transform early ideas into sustainable ventures.

“Design thinking encourages students to reframe challenges, test rapidly, and focus on human-centered solutions. It’s the foundation of what we teach at Endicott,” said Dr. Deschamps.

Key Highlights from the Day

• Opening Keynote: Cynthia Cohen (MET), Vice Chair of BU’s Board of Trustees and founder of IMPACT 2040, emphasized the need for inclusive innovation.

• IGNITE Talks: Student founders presented ventures tackling sustainability, accessibility, and food justice — from EntoCellular’s insect-based pet food to Reclaim’s textile recycling initiative, which has already diverted over 50,000 pounds of clothing from landfills.

• Workshop Tracks: Attendees explored topics like AI for Side Hustles, Pitching Yourself, and Networking Like a Boss.

• Rapid-Fire Pitch Event: Emerging entrepreneurs shared quick pitches before a live panel of judges, gaining feedback and mentorship.

• Entrepreneur Bazaar & TrEat Party: Students networked with founders and sampled products from local ventures in a lively and collaborative setting.

Why It Matters for Endicott

IDEA Con 2025 highlights the Angle Center’s mission to empower students through real-world innovation experiences. Participation in events like this strengthens Endicott’s growing entrepreneurship ecosystem and creates direct pipelines for students to:

• Collaborate with regional innovators and mentors

• Develop transferable leadership and business skills

• Showcase their own ventures at future conferences and Spark Tank events

The Angle Center aims to bring more students to next year’s IDEA Con and expand opportunities for cross-campus collaboration throughout the Northeast.