Jill Kravetz has embraced her new role as director of the i-Lab, a decision she felt compelled too make after years of observing its value. “I literally turned to my husband and I said, ‘I think I have to do it,’ as I’ve been looking at this for so many years,” Kravetz stated. Her prior involvement as a mentor provided her with firsthand knowlege of the i-Lab’s meaningful impact. “The chance to have a shot at actually helping to drive some of that impact – I couldn’t ignore the thing that came across my LinkedIn saying ‘this could be a great job for you,'” she added.
Kravetz brings a wealth of experience to the position. She was the inaugural female partner at the strategy consulting firm Parthenon Group. Later, she joined Cue Ball Capital, a startup venture capital firm, where she focused on investing in emerging consumer and information companies. Her entrepreneurial ventures include founding two beauty companies, one of which was Gloss48, an e-commerce startup specializing in beauty products. Earlier in her career, Kravetz served as president of MiniLuxe, a chain of beauty lounges, which she helped establish as a partner at Cue Ball.
From her viewpoint as a former founder, Kravetz sees the i-Lab as a unique platform to “explore entrepreneurship” within a diffrent framework. She highlighted the i-Lab’s ability to offer a “psychologically safe environment” for individuals to learn about and experience entrepreneurship without the immediate pressure of launching a venture. “And just to be able to actually take the time to learn what entrepreneurship is,and to get access to these world class resources is so great,” she commented.
Reflecting on her initial week as director, kravetz expressed a strong sense of belonging. “It’s a wonderful place. I have to say, my first week I feel like I’ve found my people,” she shared. “It’s just such a lovely environment. The team is fantastic.”
kravetz acknowledges the challenge of differentiating the i-Lab’s specific contribution within a campus environment rich with entrepreneurship resources. “The innovation ecosystem is really robust all around campus,” she observed. “One of the challenges I see is just making it really clear to students and faculty and alumni where the best place is to get access to what resources.”
Despite this challenge,kravetz is keen about joining the i-Lab at a time of significant innovation. “I’m so honored, because things like AI just driving the pace of innovation, the ability to have an impact on things like climate tech, there’s just so much prospect,” she stated. “To be at this point where we can connect all 13 schools and really help drive that impact in the world – I’m just so honored.”
This article was reported by staff writer Megan L. Blonigen, who can be reached at megan.blonigen@thecrimson.com and on X at @MeganBlonigen. it was also reported by Staff writer Caroline G. Hennigan, who can be reached at caroline.hennigan@thecrimson.com and on X at @cghennigan.
