Launch of BU Spark! and Appointment of Ziba Cranmer as Director

The Hariri Institute for Computing is pleased to formally announce the launch of BU Spark! – an exciting new initiative incubated and housed at the Institute. BU Spark! aims to create a supportive community for student-centered entrepreneurship in computing as well as a suite of programs, activities, resources, and networks to help and empower students to pursue next-stage development of their ideas, concepts, and creations for innovative computing and data-driven technology.

BU Spark! is funded by a $1 million gift to the University that provides five years of initial support to incubate new ideas and collaborations (both within the university and between BU and a wide range of potential outside partners) and ultimately, to empower students.  While this  generous gift provides the initial momentum and resources to develop BU Spark!, the expectation is that the initiative will develop into an entity deeply embedded in the culture of the institution with a considerably longer lifespan.

The success of such an ambitious initiative relies on creative and experienced leadership, and following a rigorous national search, Institute Director, Azer Bestavros, has appointed Ziba Cranmer as the inaugural Director of BU Spark! Cranmer has an exceptional background in fostering innovation and designing effective support structures for entrepreneurs. She has a breadth of experience leading new ventures in a variety of technology start-up, not-for-profit, and corporate environments.

Cranmer comes to BU from Hunt Alternatives, where she served as Executive Director of “Demand Abolition” – a $3.5 million program involving public-private partnership with law enforcement, local government, business, technologists, and nonprofits committed to combatting sex trafficking through innovative digital/cyber crime fighting tools. Prior to that, she led consulting teams for corporate and nonprofit clients as Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Impact at Cone Communications and served as Director of the Sustainable Business and Innovation Lab at Nike, Inc., where she oversaw internal incubation of products and services with potential for business and social impact.

Stay tuned as BU Spark! begins to take shape over the next semester; for questions please contact Ziba Cranmer, Director of BU Spark!, at zcranmer@bu.edu.