Harvard University Announces Jill Kravetz as Harvard Innovation Labs Executive Director
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 BOSTON— Jill Kravetz will become the Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Executive Director of the Harvard Innovation Labs, a University-wide hub that inspires, connects, and advances entrepreneurial leaders and innovators. Kravetz brings decades of experience in starting, building, and advising companies across industries and stages. After graduating from the Wharton School with an MBA in finance and working as a consultant at Monitor Group, Kravetz became the first female partner at the Parthenon Group. There, she advised C-level executives on a range of business issues, including growth strategy, operational efficiency, and mergers and acquisitions. Kravetz went on to join the startup venture capital firm Cue Ball Capital as a partner, where she invested in emerging consumer and information companies. Kravetz went on to found two companies in the beauty space. Most recently, Kravetz has been CEO of JRK Advisors, a consultancy she founded to work with startups and small- to medium-sized companies on growth, strategy, operations, fundraising, and launch planning. Through her work at JRK Advisors, Kravetz held a number of interim C-level roles, including CEO of iRelaunch, Inc., a global consulting firm focused on career reentry, and COO of BB Endeavors LLC, the enterprise of entrepreneur and TV personality Bethenny Frankel. In 2022, Kravetz joined Acropolis Advisors as a partner, where she worked with CEOs of national and multi-national companies on their organizations’ most pressing strategic challenges. “Throughout Jill's career, she's shown a passion for launching startups, leading companies of all sizes, advising senior executives, and building high-performing teams,” said Srikant Datar, dean of Harvard Business School and advisory board chair at the Harvard Innovation Labs. “We’ve also seen firsthand the incredible work Jill has done as a volunteer mentor to founders at the Harvard Innovation Labs. She is deeply committed to the i-labs’ educational purpose of helping students and alumni build confidence, test ideas, and learn through doing.” John F. Manning, Harvard University Provost, added, "Jill's array of experiences, in companies at many different stages of development, make her an ideal choice for the Harvard i-labs' next executive director. She is dedicated to guiding students through the earliest stages of their entrepreneurial endeavors, and her prior roles will serve her well in leading the i-labs' team of staff, advisors, and mentors who are supporting thousands of students and alumni from across the Harvard community." Kravetz is joining the Harvard Innovation Labs during a time of increasing student and alumni interest in its offerings. Since opening in 2011, the Harvard Innovation Labs has supported more than 6,000 ventures, which have collectively raised more than $8 billion in funding. During the 2024–2025 academic year, more than 2,900 students from all 13 Harvard schools joined the Harvard Innovation Labs, representing one in nine degree-seeking students at Harvard University. "In my mentorship role at the Harvard Innovation Labs, I've experienced firsthand how it provides a uniquely supportive environment for all of its members," said Kravetz. "The i-labs' impact extends beyond the startups it helps nurture. Thousands of students and alumni from across the University have developed their entrepreneurial muscle after participating in one of the Harvard i-labs' many programs, gaining invaluable skills that benefit them in the careers they pursue. This is an extraordinary moment in time, not just for the pace of innovation, but for the reinvention of what innovation means. I'm looking forward to working alongside students, alumni, staff, advisors, and ecosystem partners in shaping the i-labs’ next chapter, for even greater impact." |
Alex Parks
alex_parks+harvard.edu
About The Harvard Innovation Labs
The Harvard Innovation Labs is an innovation hub for all 13 Harvard schools. From public health to consumer product design, the i-labs’ programming, community, and resources create a nurturing environment where innovators and entrepreneurs can start and grow their ventures. Through the Student i-lab, Alumni Launch Lab, and Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab, the Harvard Innovation Labs serves all matriculated, degree-seeking Harvard students with an interest in innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as select Harvard alumni and affiliates.