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
Electric Skin, BDC 2021
Electric Skin, BDC 2021
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Climate Chronicles, BDC 2023, Auburn University
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DipWrap, BDC 2021, Aalto University
DipWrap, BDC 2021, Aalto University
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Jesse Adler, BDC 2019, University of Michigan
Jesse Adler, BDC 2019, University of Michigan
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Melissa Ortiz, BDC 2023, California College of the Arts
Melissa Ortiz, BDC 2023, California College of the Arts
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SlimeVolt, BDC 2022, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
SlimeVolt, BDC 2022, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
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Mauricio Chavez, BDC 2021, The Nest Makerspace
Mauricio Chavez, BDC 2021, The Nest Makerspace
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Tosin Odugbemi, BDC 2019, University of British Columbia
Tosin Odugbemi, BDC 2019, University of British Columbia
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Monica Palucci, BDC 2019, Fashion Institute of Technology
Monica Palucci, BDC 2019, Fashion Institute of Technology
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Camila Wandemberg, BDC 2020, California College of the Arts
Camila Wandemberg, BDC 2020, California College of the Arts
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Rita Ruiting Wang and Mamoun Nukumanu Friedrich-Grosvenor, BDC 2019, NYU IDMs
Rita Ruiting Wang and Mamoun Nukumanu Friedrich-Grosvenor, BDC 2019, NYU IDMs
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Joe Revans, BDC 2017, University of Edinburgh
Joe Revans, BDC 2017, University of Edinburgh
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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
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Noemi Florea wins Swarovski Foundation: Creatives for Our Future Grant
Noemi Florea wins Swarovski Foundation: Creatives for Our Future Grant
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NanoFreeze Selected as Winners of JLabs' BLUE KNIGHT™ QuickFire Challenge
NanoFreeze Selected as Winners of JLabs' BLUE KNIGHT™ QuickFire Challenge
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Lixilab Awarded Cumulus Green 2nd Prize
Lixilab Awarded Cumulus Green 2nd Prize
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BDC Alumni Gabe Tavas Awarded Fiddler Innovation Fellowship
BDC Alumni Gabe Tavas Awarded Fiddler Innovation Fellowship
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Werewool team named winner of ConservationX Microfiber Innovation Challenge
Werewool team named winner of ConservationX Microfiber Innovation Challenge
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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
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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
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Algiknit, UniAndes, and Pseudofreeze are Index Award 2021 Finalists
Algiknit, UniAndes, and Pseudofreeze are Index Award 2021 Finalists
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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
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Camila Wandemberg wins Swarovski Foundation: Creatives for Our Future Grant
Camila Wandemberg wins Swarovski Foundation: Creatives for Our Future Grant
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Olombria Wins Technology Research Award at Innovator Capital's CleanEquity® Monaco 2020
Olombria Wins Technology Research Award at Innovator Capital's CleanEquity® Monaco 2020
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Parsons MFA Student Wins CFDA Design Scholar Award
Parsons MFA Student Wins CFDA Design Scholar Award
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Parsons MFA Student Receives Award from The Mills Fabrica
Parsons MFA Student Receives Award from The Mills Fabrica
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Tômtex Biomaterial Wins Surface Design Award
Tômtex Biomaterial Wins Surface Design Award
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FIT Team is Finalist for 2020 Ray of Hope Prize
FIT Team is Finalist for 2020 Ray of Hope Prize
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BDC 2018 Alumni Win Global Change Award
BDC 2018 Alumni Win Global Change Award
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BDC Alum Jiwon Woo Wins Honorable Mention at 2019 Ars Electronica
BDC Alum Jiwon Woo Wins Honorable Mention at 2019 Ars Electronica
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BDC 2018 Alumni Win Core 77 Awards
BDC 2018 Alumni Win Core 77 Awards
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AlgiKnit Wins a National Geographic Chasing Genius Award
AlgiKnit Wins a National Geographic Chasing Genius Award
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BDC Alum Jiwon Woo wins Bioart and Design Award in the Netherlands
BDC Alum Jiwon Woo wins Bioart and Design Award in the Netherlands
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Funding

 
Featured
Werewool (FIT, 2018) raised $3.7 million seed round to fund textile innovation
Werewool (FIT, 2018) raised $3.7 million seed round to fund textile innovation
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Modern Synthesis Raises $4.1 Million from AgFunder
Modern Synthesis Raises $4.1 Million from AgFunder
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AlgiKnit Closes $13 Million Series A Funding Round
AlgiKnit Closes $13 Million Series A Funding Round
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TômTex Raises $1.7 Million to Scale Production
TômTex Raises $1.7 Million to Scale Production
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AlgiKnit Announces Fundraise To Turn Ocean Algae Into Scalable Bio-Yarns
AlgiKnit Announces Fundraise To Turn Ocean Algae Into Scalable Bio-Yarns
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Olombria to Receive $100,000 in Funding from THRIVE Accelerator
Olombria to Receive $100,000 in Funding from THRIVE Accelerator
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AlgiKnit Closes $2.2M Seed Round to Develop Kelp-Derived Yarn
AlgiKnit Closes $2.2M Seed Round to Develop Kelp-Derived Yarn
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AlgiKnit to Receive $100,000 in Funding through 2018 RebelBio Accelerator Program
AlgiKnit to Receive $100,000 in Funding through 2018 RebelBio Accelerator Program
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Exhibitions

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

Eva Auer, Sean Greaves, and Joseph Revans, winners of the BDC 2017 Runner-Up Prize from the University of Edinburgh, recently led a“Biodesign for Social Impact” workshop at Dutch Design Week

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In Media & Industry

 
Featured
Alison Irvine Promotes Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Alison Irvine Promotes Interdisciplinary Collaboration
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Keel Labs and Mr. Bailey Debut the Starboard Vest
Keel Labs and Mr. Bailey Debut the Starboard Vest
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Fashionista features Tômtex and Keel Labs
Fashionista features Tômtex and Keel Labs
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People Magazine talks to Werewool Co-founders Chui Lian Lee and Valentina Gomez
People Magazine talks to Werewool Co-founders Chui Lian Lee and Valentina Gomez
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Wonderland Talks to Modern Synthesis' CEO Jen Keane About Their Collaboration with GANNI
Wonderland Talks to Modern Synthesis' CEO Jen Keane About Their Collaboration with GANNI
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The Cooled Down Features TômTex
The Cooled Down Features TômTex
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Modern Synthesis featured in Drapers article about relaunch of Fashion District's Manufacturing Futures competition
Modern Synthesis featured in Drapers article about relaunch of Fashion District's Manufacturing Futures competition
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CCA Design Project Colores del Rio featured in Fast Company
CCA Design Project Colores del Rio featured in Fast Company
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Jacksonville State University Art Students Compete in International Biodesign Competition
Jacksonville State University Art Students Compete in International Biodesign Competition
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UNM team takes Smart Acequias project to Biodesign Challenge
UNM team takes Smart Acequias project to Biodesign Challenge
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