From Dreaming to Doing: Five Years of Partnership and Impact Across Maine
Five years ago this week, a few hundred people gathered at Portland’s Ocean Gateway to launch Northeastern University’s Roux Institute, a bold new model that erases the boundaries between the real world and the university, integrating learning, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship to create a powerful opportunity engine. Hundreds of thousands more learned about the partnership among David and Barbara Roux, Northeastern University, and the Alfond Foundation via an article in The New York Times, local media, and conversations with community members.
Fast forward to this week, and we gathered with partners, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members to celebrate the impact and innovation that this partnerships-driven opportunity engine has made over the last five years. As Roux partners, entrepreneurs, alumni, and leadership team members spoke, a key theme emerged: partnership.
It’s leaders like Governor Janet T. Mills and Northeastern University President Joseph E. Aoun, who rallied around our inaugural class of students on a Zoom call as they kicked off fully online studies at the height of the pandemic. It’s the partnership of entrepreneurs and healthcare organizations that support Ken Shapiro and his public health technology startup Apriqot that’s part of the Future of Healthcare Founder Residency. The partners who alumna Courtney Bloniasz described as, “…[being] rooted in the people and the community that are here … every single person here is rooting for the graduates and the people here to succeed and support not only Maine, but the community that we love.”
It’s the students who partnered with LifeFlight of Maine and their COO Bill Cyr on an experiential learning project that helped reduce the time it takes for LifeFlight helicopters to take off when they receive a call that a patient in rural Maine is in crisis. As Cyr put it, “These students are helping save lives.” It’s the actions of alumna like Abby Bridgers, who turned a co-op with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services into a full-time job and then used her experience to create opportunities for more Roux students, that fuel partnerships.
And that partnership is driving impact. It’s the 407 alumni and the 722 graduate students who are forging their futures and the future of Maine. It’s the more than 200 partners who work with the Roux to upskill their teams, and who support our entrepreneurs and students. It’s the 95 startups who’ve raised $106 million in investment capital and created 126 jobs in Maine. It’s the $34.8 million in research funding that’s developing new technologies and solutions to real-world challenges. And we’re just getting started.
“[This place is] rooted in the people and the community that are here … every single person here is rooting for the graduates and the people here to succeed and support not only Maine, but the community that we love.”
Courtney Bloniasz, alumna
Our progress is a testament to our community. As Dan Koloski, Head of Learning Programs and Professor of the Practice shared, “We’ve collectively created something very special that will have an impact for generations.”
We’re grateful for your counsel and wisdom, support and ideas, and invite you to explore how you can get involved as we shape the next five years of impact and innovation. Whether you’re considering a graduate degree, are a startup founder looking to grow, want to explore how custom learning can upskill your team, or are engaged in translational research, we have an opportunity for you. Dirigo!