2025 RPI Entrepreneur of the Year Award Celebration

The Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) has named the founders of Ecovative Design the 2025 recipients of the William F. Glaser ’53 Entrepreneur of the Year award. The honorees, Eben Bayer ’07 and Gavin McIntyre ’07, will be recognized for pioneering the use of biodegradable mycelium-based materials in construction, fashion, consumer packaging, food and more.

Established in 1990, the Entrepreneur of the Year award honors Rensselaer graduates who have achieved success as entrepreneurs and now serve as role models for current students and aspiring entrepreneurs. The annual honorees bring the world of entrepreneurship into the classroom by sharing their career experiences with students. 

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Nov. 6 at 1 PM in the EMPAC theater on RPI’s campus. In addition to the awards ceremony and a fireside chat with RPI President Marty Schmidt ’81, the event will include a startup pitch competition and poster presentations by RPI students and faculty. Pitch and poster topics include a wide range of products, from healthcare and e-commerce to energy and space technology. 

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