LabCentral Ignite is a first-and-only-of-its-kind platform that’s addressing systemic racial, gender and other underrepresentation in talent across the life-sciences and the biotech industry – from labs to leadership, and from the STEM student pipeline to the entrepreneurs advancing life-changing innovations.
In 2023, our LabCentral Ignite team was honored to contribute to expanding pathways to biotech across life-sciences talent, entrepreneurship, board participation, and startup venture capital in Boston and beyond.
In this pivotal year, we:
Deepened the impact of signature programs that upskill and help place early-career, lab-based professionals;
Expanded programs that support underrepresented biotech startup founders;
Elevated Ignite’s visibility in a growing life-sciences workforce-focused ecosystem via our bioDiversity Summit & Awards, social media programming, and public remarks that underscore our differentiated approach in the industry’s talent diversity and DEI space;
Shared the faces and stories of people in the industry who reflect our Black, Brown, and other underrepresented communities, cultivating the Life Sciences in Full Color campaign.
Increased our strategic network of industry sponsors, grant makers, and community partners, including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s new Life Sciences Workforce Initiative.
Grew our MOSAIC Innovation Consortium of Minority-Serving Institutions, now with 20 schools that have greater access to the life-sciences industry.
$1.7M
In sponsorship & grant funding
2,600+
Individuals impacted by Ignite programming
Ignite Programs
Career Forge
Career Forge is a training program that prepares career-ready people (“Forgers”) for technical roles, while partnering with hiring teams in our network to connect underrepresented talent to meaningful career opportunities in biotech.
Forgers working in biotech jobs or furthering their education
“Throughout my journey, I was constantly encouraged to think in a scientific manner. These invaluable lessons have not only shaped my professional growth during the program but have also laid a strong foundation for my future career. LabCentral provided an environment where learning, collaboration, and innovation thrived, and I couldn't be more grateful for the support and guidance I received."
Yakshitha Poonati
Career Forge Alumnus
Ignite Golden Tickets & Ignite Fellowship
The LabCentral Ignite Golden Ticket contest provides support to biotech entrepreneurs who identify as women, Black, Brown, Indigenous, or people of color by giving winners access to shared lab space in Cambridge. In addition, winners participate in a year-long Ignite Fellowship program that aims to supercharge their networks.
In 2023, we welcomed four Ignite Fellows—Cellens Inc., Guardian Bio, QurCan Therapeutics, and Spheric Bio—(2022 Ignite Golden Ticket Winners). We also hosted eight VIP lunches to enhance the fellows’ networks, facilitating interactions with 16 different industry professionals and experts.
$800kRaised by Ignite Fellows8Golden Tickets awarded to women founders and entrepreneurs of color
Congratulations Ignite Golden Ticket Winners
What the Heck is Biotech?
What the Heck is Biotech? is a community workshop series that aims to explain the biotech industry and introduce community members or students to the possible career pathways across varying levels of education.
26Events hosted540Individuals served244Adults296High School students
MOSAIC Innovation Consortium
MOSAIC convenes Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), building connectivity between them and the biopharma industry in order to tap fully into the talents and perspectives of people of color and other historically excluded students and professionals.
17Institutions at bioDiversity Summit including, 42 MOSAIC attendees20Institutions in MOSAIC2Consortium meetings hosted
Additional Ignite Programs
Ignite VC
IgniteVC is a membership-based platform offering tailored DEI tools for VC firms and portfolio companies to foster a more inclusive life-sciences venture capital community. Members gain access to resources from the Bioscience & Investor Inclusion Group (BIIG), leveraging industry experience to promote inclusive practices.
Life Sciences in Full Color is a multifaceted public education campaign across the Boston area meant to inspire, inform, and activate more diverse biotech talent.
6,021,644 Social media ad impressions
31k Microsite visits
Learning Lab
The Learning Lab at LabCentral's 700 Main Street site, sponsored by New England Biolabs and operated by the Ignite team, aims to redefine educational experiences in Kendall Square's innovation hub. Collaborating with academic and community partners, it offers in-lab trainings and activities for students, educators, and community members, fostering innovation and learning.
The STAR (Supporting Students in STEM, Transforming & Advancing Representation) STEM ecosystem unites high-performing nonprofits and two school districts, serving historically underrepresented students in grades 6-14. STAR facilitates collaboration among partner organizations, enabling program expansion and deeper impact. Ultimately, it aims to increase access to and success in STEM learning for young people in Cambridge and Somerville, MA, fostering a lasting passion for science and discovery. Check out the STAR Annual Report for more details.
1268 Students supported
600+ Educators supported since 2018
5 Nonprofit organizations supported
Event Highlights
bioDiversity Summit & Awards
As part of our commitment to enhancing biotech diversity, we hosted our inaugural Ignite bioDiversity Summit & Awards, convening key stakeholders from MOSAIC Innovation Consortium, STEM nonprofits, HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, founders, workforce training organizations, and VC partners. The event featured discussions on actionable DEI topics and solutions, including sessions on equitable internship programs and workforce diversity through impactful STEM education. We also held a Fireside Chat with Dr. Elenoe Crew Smith of Vertex, and concluded with our bioDiversity Awards dinner, recognizing individuals and organizations making strides in diversity in the life-sciences sector across five categories.
“Science Club for Girls is thrilled to receive this award! It is an honor to receive this recognition from LabCentral Ignite, an organization that is truly values-aligned in our work to diversify and transform the face of STEM.”
Bonnie Bertolaet
Executive Director at Science Club for Girls, bioDiversity Awards 23 Nonprofit Winner
With heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors, here is a breakdown of the $1.753M Sponsorship & Grant Funding:
$550kIgnite Golden Tickets (multiple sponsors)$718kFrom MLSC; $50K for Life Sciences in Full Color Campaign, $668K for Career Forge$200kCity of Boston$235kANONYMOUS Donation$50kfor STAR from Pfizer
