Jill Kravetz has been announced as the successor to Matthew M. Segneri ’04 as the executive director of the Harvard Innovation Labs, a comprehensive University-wide center dedicated to providing funding, workspace, and mentorship to aspiring entrepreneurs.
In a recent interview, Kravetz expressed her excitement about taking on this role, emphasizing the significant legacy she aims to uphold. “I am thrilled to be here. I am coming in to fill really big shoes,” she stated.
Kravetz brings extensive experience to the position, having spent the last ten years as a mentor at the i-Lab. She has founded multiple companies and currently leads JRK Advisors, a consulting firm focused on supporting small businesses in their growth and entrepreneurial endeavors.
“I love that first 12 to 18 months of a company,” she noted. “I love being in the throes of growing, creating something totally different, putting it out there, getting reactions—positive, negative—falling off the bike, getting back on the bike, skinning your knees.”
Her background also includes serving as CEO of iRelaunch, Inc., a consultancy that assists individuals in re-entering the workforce, as well as acting as chief operating officer of BB Endeavors LLC, the business of TV personality Bethenny Frankel.
Kravetz stated, “I have always loved entrepreneurship. My background combines strategy, operations, and entrepreneurship and innovation, and I’m most excited to help the i-Lab have an outsized impact through the ventures that we’re nurturing here.”
Having yearned for the director position for several years, Kravetz finally seized the opportunity when it was posted in December. “When it was posted in December, I literally turned to my husband and said, ‘I think I have to do it,’ because I’ve been looking at this for so many years,” she recounted.
Kravetz is well aware of the invaluable contributions the i-Lab makes, having been involved as a mentor. The chance to drive a greater impact within this role was too significant for her to overlook, as she described receiving a LinkedIn notification about the position that felt like a calling.
Before her current role, Kravetz was the first female partner at the strategy consulting firm Parthenon Group. She later joined Cue Ball Capital as a partner in a startup venture capital firm focused on investing in emerging consumer and information technology companies.
Additionally, she has launched two beauty companies, including Gloss48, which is an e-commerce platform aimed at the beauty sector. Kravetz also held the position of president at MiniLuxe, a chain of beauty lounges that she developed while at Cue Ball.
As someone with firsthand experience as a founder, Kravetz views her position at the i-Lab as an opportunity to witness entrepreneurship from a novel perspective. She highlighted the i-Lab’s role in providing a supportive environment for aspiring entrepreneurs to explore their ideas without the pressure of launching a venture immediately. “You don’t have to start a venture here. You can just learn about entrepreneurship and experience it in a really kind of psychologically safe environment,” she explained.
Reflecting on her first week as director, Kravetz felt welcomed and at home within the i-Lab community. “It’s a wonderful place. I have to say, my first week I feel like I’ve found my people. It’s just such a lovely environment. The team is fantastic,” she remarked.
With a broad spectrum of entrepreneurship resources available on campus, Kravetz faces the challenge of clearly communicating the distinct value that the i-Lab offers within the larger innovation ecosystem. “The innovation ecosystem is really robust all around campus,” she acknowledged. “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 the challenges ahead, Kravetz is enthusiastic about joining the i-Lab at such an exciting time in the field of innovation. “I’m so honored, because things like AI are driving the pace of innovation. The ability to have an impact on things like climate tech presents a vast array of opportunities,” she said. “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.”
image source from：thecrimson
