IOP Governance Lab

The Institute of Politics' Governance Lab, or GovLab, is an incubator for early-stage social impact startups at Harvard University. Its mission is to provide student founders with the mentorship and funding to launch startups that will make a tangible impact in their communities. Modeled around a 10-week workshop series led by an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, GovLab accelerates ten Harvard-based startups and culminates in a pitch competition that provides an equity-free grant to the top startup. This unique learning environment offers a blend of practical workshops, one-on-one mentorship sessions, and collaborative projects designed to refine each participant's entrepreneurial skills. Throughout the program, student founders are exposed to a variety of topics critical to the success of their ventures, including business model creation, market analysis, pitch development, and sustainability strategies. By providing a supportive ecosystem that nurtures early-stage startups, GovLab is making a tangible contribution to the creation of sustainable, impactful businesses that aim to solve some of today's most challenging problems. Through an impact-oriented, founder-first approach to startup acceleration, GovLab isn't just incubating businesses — it's shaping the future of social change.