BUILD Boston

Launched in 2011

“Entrepreneurship is the hook;

college and career success are the goals”

Students Served

Mentors

Youth Businesses

Teachers Trained

The BUILD Boston Story

Before there was BUILD in Boston, there were three big-hearted venture capitalists with a dream to make a difference in the lives of teens in their community. In 2008, Jeff Glass, Ajay Agarwal, and Scott Friend of Bain Capital connected with BUILD’s founder and then CEO, Suzanne McKechnie Klahr, and the plans to bring BUILD to Boston were born.

The Boston site was launched in 2011 with 90 students in four schools by Ayele Shakur, now CEO of BUILD National. Ayele brought decades of experience as an innovator in urban education to BUILD, including 11 years as a classroom teacher in Boston and Los Angeles Public Schools. Under her leadership, the Boston site grew to serve more than 300 students per year in six schools, launched several innovative pilots, and celebrated numerous achievements. Here are a few highlights that exemplify BUILD’s leadership and innovation in Boston over the past decade:

*As a long-standing partner at Jeremiah E. Burke High School, BUILD Boston was instrumental in the school’s transformation from state-designated turnaround status in 2010 to Boston’s most improved school in 2015 – the only high school in the state to exit turnaround status.

*Boston launched Cookie Boss, BUILD’s most successful student business to date. Founded in 2012 by a team of 9th graders from Another Course to College high school, Cookie Boss went on to win first place at the BUILD’s annual pitch competition, sold more than $40,000 in customized cookies, and was managed by three graduating classes of BUILD students.

*In 2018, Boston Public Schools selected BUILD as one of their top 30 nonprofit partners out of more than 300 organizations.

*That same year, BUILD Boston launched the Business Pathways Program at Charlestown High School, in partnership with Bunker Hill Community College, where high school students gain real college credit while enrolled in BUILD business courses.

*Over the years BUILD Boston’s pitch events and sales showcases have garnered more than a few celebrity supporters, including Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary (“Mr. Wonderful”), Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, former Patriots player Jerod Mayo, and former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, to name a few.

*In 2019, BUILD expanded our service area through the launch of our Satellite Partnership Program, offering one- and two-year entrepreneurship experiences to high school students in schools outside of Boston, including Randolph, and Framingham, Massachusetts.

*Most recently, BUILD is co-leading the pilot of a new game-changing initiative called Campus Without Walls (CWW). CWW is a framework that leverages the power of public schools and technology to promote greater equity, access, opportunity, and liberation for all students. Through a statewide cross-sector collaboration of schools, universities, employers, nonprofits and out-of-school-time providers, CWW will deliver a 21st Century education that is meaningful, student-centered, relevant and rigorous using a blended, digitally mediated approach.

Today, there’s unprecedented momentum and interest in BUILD’s work in Boston and across the country. Now, more than ever, America needs entrepreneurship education. BUILD is recognized as a leader in teaching self-agency, resilience & grit, growth mindset and helping high school students to develop social capital, financial literacy, and valuable 21st Century skills. As an entrepreneurial organization working at the intersection of education innovation, racial equity, and community, BUILD is uniquely positioned to not only address the challenges our students face navigating high school, college, and career success, but also drive lasting social change. We now recognize that it’s not enough for us to work within a system not built for equity – we have to work to change the system itself.