With support from the Rothberg Catalyzer program, the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale (Tsai CITY) offered grants of up to $1,000 this semester to kickstart student teams who are developing innovative hardware or AI solutions to healthcare issues.

Like organizations around the world, the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale (Tsai CITY) has found itself quickly shifting to remote work in response to the COVID-19 crisis. As our team adapts to rapid change and considers how we can most meaningfully serve our community, here’s a glimpse into what moving spring programs to online formats has looked like so far.

On April 16, students from across Yale will pitch their ideas for civic innovations that address New Haven community priorities — from new tech tools to novel social ventures — in a new program called the New Haven Civic Innovation Prize.

As life and work have become faster-paced, we require more energy during the day to increase our pleasure and productively. While older generations rely on coffee or 5-Hour-Energy for a caffeine boost, millennials seek something that's more nutritious and tasty. Matt Czarnecki, 24, André Monteiro, 24, and Bennett Byerley, 23, filled the absence of a healthy alternative with Verb Energy.

Tsai CITY’s spring 2020 Accelerator has kicked off — and as the cohort’s 15 teams continue to develop their ventures, nonprofits, and projects this spring, they’ll be working from a variety of locations. Following an initial set of in-person meetings and workshops earlier in the semester, the cohort has shifted to remote programming in response to COVID-19.

The word “future” flashed on-screen in bold, blue font, shortly followed by the words “urgency,” “justice,” and “responsibility.” Next appeared seemingly disparate phrases such as “water access,” “urban resilience,” “existential threat” — and even a string of animal emojis.

Since joining Tsai CITY in August 2019, Zoe Hunter has led programs like our Accelerator and Innovator’s Toolkit series, mentored student innovators, and helped Tsai CITY continue to evaluate and iterate on our work — so it’s only fitting that she’s recently been promoted to Director of Student Programming. Reflecting on her time at Tsai CITY so far, Zoe says that getting comfortable with failure has been a key lesson.

As Tsai CITY’s future home takes shape on Becton Plaza, the center’s team is looking forward to this next phase — and already imagining how students might fill the space with new ideas and innovations.

The 12,500-square-foot building will include a large, flexible workspace that can be configured for a variety of events, along with smaller meeting rooms and communal areas. “The new building will be a game-changer for Yale students,” says Tsai CITY executive director Clare Leinweber. “It will contribute to a new center of gravity on campus for students exploring, building, and launching new ideas for solving real-world problems.” The building’s central location, along Yale’s rapidly growing innovation corridor between Prospect Street and Hillhouse Avenue, will further boost its accessibility. In combination with other centers and programs around campus, it will further strengthen Yale’s innovation ecosystem — fostering connections between entrepreneurs, creators, and leaders from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.

Tsai CITY’s team includes three Innovation Fellows, each of whom manages a unique portfolio of programs and projects. Curious what they’re working on and thinking about lately? Catch up on some recent stories: