Elaine Chen

Elaine Chen is the Cummings Family Professor of the Practice in Entrepreneurship and Director of the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts University's School of Engineering. She holds a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. Her expertise spans entrepreneurship education, corporate innovation, and mission-driven ventures. She oversees the Entrepreneurship Minor program and co-curricular initiatives like accelerators and internships, fostering diverse student engagement. Previously, she served as Senior Lecturer at MIT's Martin Trust Center, developing scalable entrepreneurship programs. She is a board member at the Center for Open Science and Cybernetix Ventures. Notable awards include the MIT Monosson Prize for mentoring and recognition as an Invention Ambassador by AAAS and the Lemelson Foundation.

Education:

• Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 1993
• Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 1991

Research Interests: Elaine focuses on advancing entrepreneurship education through equitable access, corporate innovation strategies, and supporting startups and non-profits. Her work emphasizes mentorship, digital infrastructure, and global entrepreneurship, particularly in Asia-Pacific regions.

Awards:

• MIT Monosson Prize for Entrepreneurship Mentoring
• Invention Ambassador, AAAS and Lemelson Foundation

Advising & Grants: She advises students through experiential courses like Entrepreneurial Internship and Field Study. Her consulting firm, ConceptSpring, assists corporations in innovation across healthcare, FinTech, and government sectors. She holds 22 patents and has led product development at companies like Rethink Robotics and Zeo.

Labs & Teams: Leads the Derby Entrepreneurship Center, fostering cross-disciplinary innovation and student ventures through workshops, accelerators, and grants.