About Us
The Innovation Incubator is LMU's first entrepreneurship-focused residential community—a space dedicated entirely to creativity, collaboration, and hands-on venture building.
Located inside LMU's most modern residence hall, Palm South, the community features a spacious common area, a large kitchen, study room, double and single suites, and brings together students from across disciplines.
Created in Fall 2025 by two entrepreneurship students, the Innovation Incubator welcomed its inaugural cohort. Students form venture teams, participate in a hands-on entrepreneurship course, receive mentorship, and shape the culture of an environment built around curiosity, ambition, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Why We Built This
Building 20 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology was constructed in 1943 as a temporary wartime facility, intended to support radar research during World War II. Though never designed to last, it remained in use for more than five decades. Its flexible layout and informal atmosphere allowed researchers to modify spaces freely, encouraging collaboration across disciplines. Over time, Building 20 became home to work in electronics, linguistics, acoustics, and early computing. Many influential labs and ideas emerged from its halls. Demolished in 1998, it is remembered as an example of how unpolished environments can foster unusually creative and productive research.
Our Mission
The Innovation Incubator LLC exists to:
- Provide hands-on experience with real venture building
- Build a community of leaders who support one another
- Teach practical skills through workshops, classes, and teamwork
- Empower students to think boldly and creatively
- Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration
What Makes the LLC Different
The Innovation Incubator LLC is a full ecosystem. Students experience:
A living space that feels like a startup hub
A built-in team to develop a venture with
Opportunities to pitch ideas and present work
Close mentorship from LMU's entrepreneurship community
This is the only place on campus where students can work on a venture from idea to creation while living in the same community as their team.