A Boston-based innovation program is partnering with Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the state's digital gaming center to launch a new entrepreneurial program out of WPI's Seaport location.
The Gamification for Enterprise program — a new industry-development effort between Roxbury-based Innovation Studio and the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute at WPI — is expected to help early-stage, non-gaming founders apply game concepts to their businesses to increase user participation, interaction and loyalty.
The program was announced last night during a WPI Innovation for Impact virtual event, an ongoing series of discussions between academic, industry and government partners on building economic impact.
This is the latest of Innovation Studio's SEED immersion programs, which combine mentorship, workshops and a demo day to create an immersive entrepreneurial experience, according to Ashley Medeiros, Innovation Studio’s vice president of program strategy and partnerships.
“We want an entrepreneur to really see the insides of the industry or the insides of a corporation and get to learn by doing and seeing, unlike any other, instead of just thinking about the principles of how to build their business,” Medeiros said.
The gamification program is looking for pre-seed and seed-stage founders to apply for its inaugural cohort. Applications open on Feb. 7 and up to 15 founders will be selected, with at least five spots reserved for WPI students, staff or alumni.
The program will kick off on April 21 at PAX East, the annual gaming trade show held in Boston. After the event, founders will mingle with industry leaders at WPI’s Seaport location and meet their mentors for the program.
Throughout the spring, founders will attend weekly virtual workshops and have one-on-one sessions with gaming industry experts. The program concludes with a demo day during the week of June 6.
“[Founders] will learn the skills and techniques that attract billions from around the world and have an insider access in an industry that leads in consumer retention and engagement,” Medeiros said.
WPI opened its Seaport location in early 2018. It marked the university’s first lease of a space in Boston. At the time, university officials said the space would serve as a hub for the university’s research into areas like robotics, cybersecurity and financial services technology. It would also allow students to connect with companies located in the Seaport, like Vertex Pharmaceuticals and General Electric Co.
Innovation Studio was founded in 2010 as the Venture Café Foundation and was based out of the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) located in Kendall Square. It has a presence in the Seaport through District Hall, the public innovation center formerly run by Venture Café. It serves as an event space and free public workspace.
Daniel Enríquez Vidaña, president of Innovation Studio, said District Hall has hosted hundreds of thousands of founders and startups since the space opened in 2013.
“We are honored to be partnering with WPI, a university and community with a rich history of turning out leaders that continue to make an impact in the world, in New England and more importantly, at WPI Seaport,” Vidaña said.
