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Congratulations Class of 2026!
Every May, we get to do one of our favorite things: celebrate the seniors who made our programs richer, our community stronger, and our work more meaningful. This year's graduating class brought curiosity, grit, and more than a few ideas worth watching. We couldn't be prouder to have been part of your Lehigh journey.
Innovate! Celebrate! 2026: From 'What If?' to What's Real
The annual Innovate! Celebrate! event was less a ceremony than a demonstration. On the evening of April 28, Lehigh University's Office of Entrepreneurship filled the room with confetti, applause, and something harder to manufacture: proof. Proof that curiosity, when given the right ecosystem, becomes something real.
![5 million in Lehigh [faux] Founder Fund$](/sites/entrepreneurship.lehigh.edu/files/styles/square_thumbnail_xs/public/images/news/5x3a0111-ic-20260428-sme226.jpg?h=804dd421&itok=X23WoiAw)
Six hundred million in Faux Founder Fund$ — and One Very Real $1,000 Winner
Each year, before the formal Innovate! Celebrate! program begins, attendees spend the reception period in Innovation Alley — a showcase of student ventures who compete for Founder Fund$, the event's faux investment currency. The prize is a REAL $1,000 cash prize!
From Validation to Growth: The Ventures Lab at Year Four
Lehigh's Ventures Lab isn't where ideas are born — it's where they grow into fully formed companies. Now in its fourth year, four Ventures Lab founders were highlighted at the 2026 Innovate! Celebrate! awards ceremony.
