Alumni

BDC continues to support alumni beyond the Challenge. Since 2016, alumni have gone on to start companies, raise $20M+ in investment, win business competitions, and exhibit in global museums and design festivals.

Click a category below to explore alumni news.

 
 
 
 

Alumni Voices

 
Featured
Jesse Adler, BDC 2019, University of Michigan
Jesse Adler, BDC 2019, University of Michigan
Melissa Ortiz, BDC 2023, California College of the Arts
Melissa Ortiz, BDC 2023, California College of the Arts
SlimeVolt, BDC 2022, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
SlimeVolt, BDC 2022, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Mauricio Chavez, BDC 2021, The Nest Makerspace
Mauricio Chavez, BDC 2021, The Nest Makerspace
Tosin Odugbemi, BDC 2019, University of British Columbia
Tosin Odugbemi, BDC 2019, University of British Columbia
Monica Palucci, BDC 2019, Fashion Institute of Technology
Monica Palucci, BDC 2019, Fashion Institute of Technology
Camila Wandemberg, BDC 2020, California College of the Arts
Camila Wandemberg, BDC 2020, California College of the Arts
Rita Ruiting Wang and Mamoun Nukumanu Friedrich-Grosvenor, BDC 2019, NYU IDMs
Rita Ruiting Wang and Mamoun Nukumanu Friedrich-Grosvenor, BDC 2019, NYU IDMs
Joe Revans, BDC 2017, University of Edinburgh
Joe Revans, BDC 2017, University of Edinburgh
Tria Amalia Ningsih, BDC 2019, RMIT
Tria Amalia Ningsih, BDC 2019, RMIT
Anna Budnikova, BDC 2019, Higher School of Economics
Anna Budnikova, BDC 2019, Higher School of Economics
Nina Cutler, BDC 2017, Central Saint Martins
Nina Cutler, BDC 2017, Central Saint Martins

Awards

 
Featured
Keel Labs wins 2023 Positive Luxury Award for Material & Manufacturing Innovation of the Year
Keel Labs wins 2023 Positive Luxury Award for Material & Manufacturing Innovation of the Year
Noemi Florea wins Swarovski Foundation: Creatives for Our Future Grant
Noemi Florea wins Swarovski Foundation: Creatives for Our Future Grant
NanoFreeze Selected as Winners of JLabs' BLUE KNIGHT™ QuickFire Challenge
NanoFreeze Selected as Winners of JLabs' BLUE KNIGHT™ QuickFire Challenge
Lixilab Awarded Cumulus Green 2nd Prize
Lixilab Awarded Cumulus Green 2nd Prize
BDC Alumni Gabe Tavas Awarded Fiddler Innovation Fellowship
BDC Alumni Gabe Tavas Awarded Fiddler Innovation Fellowship
Werewool team named winner of ConservationX Microfiber Innovation Challenge
Werewool team named winner of ConservationX Microfiber Innovation Challenge
TômTex founder Uyen Tran, BDC 2020, selected for Forbes 30 Under 30 Vietnam
TômTex founder Uyen Tran, BDC 2020, selected for Forbes 30 Under 30 Vietnam
AlgiKnit co-founders, BDC 2016, selected as Forbes 30 Under 30 recipients
AlgiKnit co-founders, BDC 2016, selected as Forbes 30 Under 30 recipients
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Gabe Tavas, BDC 2021, wins James Dyson Award
Algiknit, UniAndes, and Pseudofreeze are Index Award 2021 Finalists
Algiknit, UniAndes, and Pseudofreeze are Index Award 2021 Finalists
Werewool selected as finalist in What Design Can Do's No Waste Challenge
Werewool selected as finalist in What Design Can Do's No Waste Challenge
Camila Wandemberg wins Swarovski Foundation: Creatives for Our Future Grant
Camila Wandemberg wins Swarovski Foundation: Creatives for Our Future Grant
Olombria Wins Technology Research Award at Innovator Capital's CleanEquity® Monaco 2020
Olombria Wins Technology Research Award at Innovator Capital's CleanEquity® Monaco 2020
Parsons MFA Student Wins CFDA Design Scholar Award
Parsons MFA Student Wins CFDA Design Scholar Award
Parsons MFA Student Receives Award from The Mills Fabrica
Parsons MFA Student Receives Award from The Mills Fabrica
Tômtex Biomaterial Wins Surface Design Award
Tômtex Biomaterial Wins Surface Design Award
FIT Team is Finalist for 2020 Ray of Hope Prize
FIT Team is Finalist for 2020 Ray of Hope Prize
BDC 2018 Alumni Win Global Change Award
BDC 2018 Alumni Win Global Change Award
BDC Alum Jiwon Woo Wins Honorable Mention at 2019 Ars Electronica
BDC Alum Jiwon Woo Wins Honorable Mention at 2019 Ars Electronica
BDC 2018 Alumni Win Core 77 Awards
BDC 2018 Alumni Win Core 77 Awards
AlgiKnit Wins a National Geographic Chasing Genius Award
AlgiKnit Wins a National Geographic Chasing Genius Award
BDC Alum Jiwon Woo wins Bioart and Design Award in the Netherlands
BDC Alum Jiwon Woo wins Bioart and Design Award in the Netherlands

Funding

 

Exhibitions

 
Featured
SFSU opens first Sustainable Materials Learning Library on the West Coast
SFSU opens first Sustainable Materials Learning Library on the West Coast
Pink Chicken Project Shows at The MIT Museum
Pink Chicken Project Shows at The MIT Museum
2022 Izmir University of Economics Student Shows in Dutch Design Week
2022 Izmir University of Economics Student Shows in Dutch Design Week
2022 UAM Team Shows "Tenochtitlan" at Tallinn Design Festival
2022 UAM Team Shows "Tenochtitlan" at Tallinn Design Festival
BDC Alum from RMIT featured in London Design Biennale
BDC Alum from RMIT featured in London Design Biennale
Jiwon Woo Hosts a Solo-Exhibition at POSTSCRIPT
Jiwon Woo Hosts a Solo-Exhibition at POSTSCRIPT
Rutgers' "Plastomach" Installed on Governors Island
Rutgers' "Plastomach" Installed on Governors Island
BDC Alumni Project on Display at Lego Idea Studio
BDC Alumni Project on Display at Lego Idea Studio
BDC 2019 Alumni Showcase their Projects in Toledo
BDC 2019 Alumni Showcase their Projects in Toledo
BDC 2018 Alumni Exhibiting at Gregg Museum
BDC 2018 Alumni Exhibiting at Gregg Museum
BDC 2019 Alumni Featured in Exhibition at MIT
BDC 2019 Alumni Featured in Exhibition at MIT
BDC 2018 Alumni Featured in Traveling Exhibition
BDC 2018 Alumni Featured in Traveling Exhibition
BDC Alumni Featured at London Design Festival 2019
BDC Alumni Featured at London Design Festival 2019
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BDC Students Exhibit with Darwin, Watson & Crick, and Rosalind Franklin at DESIGN & SCIENCE
BDC Alumni Projects Exhibited During London Design Festival 2018
BDC Alumni Projects Exhibited During London Design Festival 2018
BDC Alumni Featured in Exhibition at RISD
BDC Alumni Featured in Exhibition at RISD
BDC Alumni Showcased in Exhibition at NYCxDesign 2018
BDC Alumni Showcased in Exhibition at NYCxDesign 2018
BDC 2017 Runner-Up Leads Biodesign Workshop at Dutch Design Week
BDC 2017 Runner-Up Leads Biodesign Workshop at Dutch Design Week

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