Ken Zolot

Ken Zolot is a Senior Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Professor of Creative Entrepreneurship at Berklee College of Music. He is affiliated with MIT's Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Mechanical Engineering departments, as well as Berklee's Music Business/Management department.

Education

• Master of Science in Management of Technology, MIT
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Syracuse University

Research and Teaching
Ken Zolot specializes in entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, and innovation. His work focuses on transforming academic research into startups through programs like MIT's Innovation Teams (I-teams) and courses such as The Founder's Journey, Designing Virtual Worlds, and How to Change the World. He also contributes to mobile application development and social entrepreneurship education.

Scientific Awards and Recognition

• Senior Fellow, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (2009)
• Mashable's "15 People Shaping Boston's Tech Scene" (2010s)

Professional Roles and Contributions
Zolot founded the Innovation Teams Initiative at MIT's Deshpande Center and co-created courses with institutions like MIT CSAIL, Harvard, and MIT Solve. He serves on Berklee's Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship (BerkleeICE) steering committee. As a serial entrepreneur, he co-founded Rethink Robotics, Egenera, and Meach Cove Capital, and advises organizations like TechStars, MassChallenge, and FIRST Robotics. His work bridges academia, industry, and social innovation.