Pathways that Lead to Entrepreneurial Success and a Stage Full of Winners

The student awards segment of the 2026 Innovate! Celebrate! Entrepreneurship event underscored the breadth of Lehigh's entrepreneurship reach, from early-stage social impact projects headed to Sierra Leone this summer, to a clinically validated pediatric health venture, to a card game that has already cleared six figures in sales.

2026 student entrepreneurship winners stand on stage

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. 

People's Choice Winner 2026 hold a giant check

Lehigh Venture Studio

Lehigh University’s Venture Studio bridges the gap between research and the real world by commercializing Lehigh-owned IP into scalable, investment-ready startup packages.

a group of students and alumni work at Lehigh Venture Studio

Startup Academy

Startup Academy is a cutting-edge, fully-funded academic program that immerses students in full-time, real-world internships with startups. Students spend the summer living and working together in Silicon Valley – the global hub of entrepreneurship and innovation – working on real projects with real impact.

San Francisco skyline from above