Ana Bakshi mianowana dyrektorem wykonawczym Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship na MIT

The Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship is excited to announce Ana Bakshi as its newly-appointed executive director. Starting her tenure at the start of the fall semester, Bakshi will work side by side with managing director Bill Aulet, the Ethernet Inventors Professor of the Practice, with the common goal of propelling the center to greater heights.

An Experienced Hand in Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Bill Aulet expressed strong confidence in Bakshi’s appointment, recognizing her deep, highly decorated background in entrepreneurship education at reputable academic institutions. Boasting over a decade of experience leading innovation hubs at King’s College London and Oxford University, Bakshi brings a unique blend of academic insight and startup execution to the table. Her leadership has consistently fostered creative environments that have allowed the growth of founders and flourishing of ideas.

Bakshi now steps into a crucial role at a time when entrepreneurship education is more valuable than ever. With AI, climate change, healthcare transformation, and economic inequality reshaping our world, the need for innovation-driven entrepreneurs is becoming increasingly urgent. The MIT, renowned as a global leader in research and innovation, has the capacity to answer this urgent call.

Adapting to Rapid Changes with an Entrepreneurial Spirit

Bakshi’s impact on innovation hubs cannot be overstated. At Oxford, she spearheaded the launching and management of the Oxford Foundry, a university-wide entrepreneurship center underpinned by global tech leaders and corporate partners. In addition to this feat, she co-authored a comprehensive 61-page study titled “Universities: Drivers of Prosperity and Economic Recovery,” which underscores the significance of entrepreneurship education. Not stopping there, she also initiated Oxford’s first digital entrepreneurship platform, the Entrepreneurship School.

Before her move to MIT, Bakshi held the position of COO at Quench.ai, an AI startup based in both London and New York. She played a critical role in scaling the startup’s operations and formulating its product strategy. Unquestionably, her experience and contributions in both academia and high-growth tech positively equip her to bridge both fields.

Continuing MIT’s Legacy in Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship has always been integral to MIT’s mission. Ever since its inception in the 1940s with the RadLab, the Institute has consistently nurtured a culture of innovation and impact. Presently, entrepreneurship is considered the third arm of MIT’s educational model, alongside teaching and research. By welcoming Bakshi into the fold, the Institute reaffirms its commitment to continuing and elevating its role in sculpting the future of company building, particularly in our current AI-driven era.

Aside from her roles within academia and startups, Bakshi has served as an elected councilor in the United Kingdom, led product strategy for a successful consumer startup, and currently sits on the advisory council for Save the Elephants, where she applies AI to advance conservation efforts. Her work has not only brought her recognition as a Top 50 Woman in Tech in the UK but has also been featured by the likes of the Financial Times, Forbes, BBC, and The Times.

The Martin Trust Center, founded in 1990 by Professor Edward Roberts, offers more than 60 entrepreneurship courses and hosts programs like the delta v accelerator. Its signature methodology, Disciplined Entrepreneurship, is utilized in over 1,000 institutions globally. Now, with tools like Orbit and JetPack powered by AI, the center aims to redefine how entrepreneurship is taught and practiced, just as MIT revolutionized chemical engineering in the 1890s. Its vision: to groom a new generation of leaders primed to meet the world’s most daunting challenges.

Find out more about MIT’s new transformative era of entrepreneurship and innovation tutaj.