Alumni Reunion Spring 2024 Boston

Please join us for the Constructor University Foundation of America’s 2024 reunion in Boston! Events are happening all weekend. Our reunion dinner is scheduled to run from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, with plenty of time for mingling and conversation.

Afraid you don’t know anyone who is going? Don’t be! All alumni take a leap of faith when they attend their first reunion. Entering a room with people you don’t yet know might seem scary, but all of us share a love for our Bremen North mothership. Come reminisce and make new friends that you already have so much in common with!

Weekend Activities

Friday, April 19th, 2024

3:00-4:00pm: Tour of QuEra Computing with the President, Takuya Kitagawa
Join us for an exclusive tour of QuEra Computing, the leader in commercializing quantum computers using neutral atoms. Learn about their pioneering research and explore the world’s largest publicly accessible quantum computer. (Included in the Reunion ticket price)
Address: 1284 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02135 USA

7:00-9:00pm: Informal Meetup
Kick off the reunion weekend with an informal meetup at Time Out Market. Enjoy a free evening to explore the city and reconnect with old friends. Don’t forget to sign up for our CUFA-Reunion Boston WhatsApp group to stay in the loop and connect with fellow participants.

Address: 401 Park Dr, Boston, MA 02215 USA
Unorganized

Saturday, April 20th, 2024

10:45am-12:30pm: Freedom Trail Tour Revolutionary Women
Experience Boston’s rich history with a guided tour along the Freedom Trail. Included in the supporter & megatier ticket price / $20 for all other participants.
Meeting at: 139 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02111

2:00-3:30pm: Strategy Session “Charting the Path: Strategies for Tech Transfer and Innovation Deployment” (Included in the Reunion ticket)
Join us for a strategy workshop focusing on innovation deployment, led by Ali Alam, an alumnus of Constructor University and the director of Synthesis, our newly established center for entrepreneurship and innovation.

Internal Development: Discuss the feasibility of building a tech transfer framework from scratch within the university.
External Collaboration: Explore opportunities for collaboration with Fraunhofer Institute, particularly in specialized areas such as 2D materials and quantum computing.
Integration with Constructor Capital: Evaluate the possibility of allocating tech transfer functions to Constructor Capital, transforming it into an innovation hub alongside its VC activities.

Through interactive discussions, we’ll assess the merits and drawbacks of each approach and collaboratively develop actionable recommendations for the leadership team. Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to shaping the future of innovation at Constructor University!

Address: Citizen M North Station, 70 Causeway St, Boston, MA 02114

6:00-10:00pm: Reunion Dinner (See the right panel ->)

Sunday, April 21st, 2024

Joint Breakfast: brunch at The Friendly Toast. (Self-paid, optional)
Address: 35 Stanhope St, Boston, MA 02116
(with additional location in Cambridge)

11:30am-1:30pm: Cultural Activity
Choose from various cultural activities, including visits to the (Please tell us your preference after the registration for the event; (Included in the supporter & megatier ticket price / approx. $20 for all other participants):
• Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
• Museum of African American History
• John F Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Reunion Dinner

Where: Trillium Fort Point Brewery
50 Thomson Place Boston, MA 02210

When: April 20, 2024 at 6:00pm-10:00pm

6:00 PM – 6:45 PM | Welcome reception
6:45 PM – 7:30 PM | Panel discussion
7:30 PM – 10:00 PM | Dinner & Networkin

Panel Discussion

We’re excited to announce that starting at 6:45 PM, Ekaterina Damer will moderate a discussion on How to Empower More Students to Become Tech Entrepreneurs. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or simply curious about the entrepreneurial journey, this event is for you. Our panel of distinguished speakers will delve into the true essence of entrepreneurship, offering a comprehensive understanding of what it entails, its significant impact, as well as practical, high-level advice for those ready to embark on their own business ventures. This discussion is designed not just to inform, but also to inspire action and ignite your passion for innovation and success!
We look forward to seeing you there and sharing an evening filled with friends, fun, food, and interesting conversation!

Guests

Ekaterina Damer, Phd is passionate about startups, science and music. Alongside her PhD, Ekaterina founded Prolific in 2014, with the goal of finding participants for her research. She raised investment and scaled the company to a team of ~60, empowering tens of thousands of researchers around the world to do rigorous, high-quality research on-demand. In 2022, Ekaterina successfully exited the company and she is currently focused on investing and mentoring founders.

Prof. Serguei Netessine at The Wharton School. With vast experience spanning education, government, and industry — including roles at Lockheed Martin, Procter & Gamble, and Rolls Royce — Prof. Netessine brings invaluable insights. As a member of Constructor’s Scientific Advisory Board, his expertise enriches our community.

Ali Alam is the Director of Synthesis, the university’s start-up and entrepreneurial incubator. Ali connects the dots to build bridges, nurturing collaboration over competition hence building sustainable eco-systems!
He supports youth changemakers to build impact startups by redefining entrepreneurial education, focusing on migrant backgrounds and the lesser privileged.

Lara Vujovic is a distinguished alumna of our university, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Social and Cognitive Psychology in 2011. With over 14 years of experience in research, Lara currently holds the position of Senior UX Researcher at Google. Her international experience spanning 15 years lends her a nuanced understanding of human behavior, with a focus on individual and cultural differences.

Ashley Taylor is a seasoned leader in HR and talent acquisition, with 17 years of experience. Currently Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Acronis, Ashley graduated with an MBA in entrepreneurship from Babson College. She will share her unique perspective on balancing a corporate career path with an entrepreneurial mindset.

Kevin Korte is a distinguished alumnus of our university, holding both a BSc and MSc in Computer Sciences since 2011. Currently, he serves as the Board Treasurer of CUFA, with over 25 years of extensive experience in various roles. Recognized as a Board Member, Angel Investor, Speaker, and IT Innovation & Growth Strategist, Kevin has a successful history of driving large-scale digital transformation programs. Specializing in Identity Management and open-source IT infrastructure solutions, he also serves as a Board Member at Market Intent.

In addition, several board members of Constructor University Foundation of America will be attending, including Dr. Cornelia Scheitz who is the president of both CUFA and the Alumni Association.

Ticket Transparency

We’re offering tickets at varying price points, including free student tickets. See more details below.
How did we arrive at the current pricing structure?
The number of individual donors is crucial to CUFA as it demonstrates broad community support, which is a requirement for becoming a public non-profit in the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service. In turn, the public non-profit status will allow us to attract additional corporate sponsorship, which will empower us to support more students of Constructor University.
What do regular tickets cost?
All non-student tickets consist of an event cost (venue, food, drinks) and a donation, which varies by tier. The tiers are:

Participant Tier: $100 which covers admission ($75) and a one time $25 donation.
Supporter Tier: $150 which covers admission ($75) and a one time $75 donation.
Mega Fan Tier: $225 which covers admission ($75) and a one time $150 donation.

What if I’m a graduate student?
We want to make reunions accessible to all graduate students. As such, CUFA will use past and future donations to cover the $75 participation cost(venue, food, drinks) for currently registered graduate students. Please email ignat@jacobs-university-foundation.org with a picture of your graduate student ID, and we will send you instructions on how to get free tickets!

Finally, if you can’t make it to the event but would still like to support us, please consider making a contribution to our foundation here.

Strategy Session: Chartering the path: Strategies for Tech Transfer and Innovation Deployment

Join us for a strategy workshop focusing on innovation deployment, led by Ali Alam, an alumnus of Constructor University and the director of Synthesis, our newly established center for entrepreneurship and innovation.
In this session, we’ll address the current challenges surrounding tech transfer and explore three potential pathways forward:

Internal Development: Discuss the feasibility of building a tech transfer framework from scratch within the university.
External Collaboration: Explore opportunities for collaboration with Fraunhofer Institute, particularly in specialized areas such as 2D materials and quantum computing.
Integration with Constructor Capital: Evaluate the possibility of allocating tech transfer functions to Constructor Capital, transforming it into an innovation hub alongside its VC activities.