Our Business

10 Years of Lilie

Rice has long known that big ideas don’t just happen — they need a place to grow. The Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie) is the home of entrepreneurship and innovation education at Rice — and it just celebrated its 10-year anniversary. To honor every year of that entrepreneurial spirit, here are 10 things everyone should know about Lilie Lab.

Here’s to the next decade of impact!

$16.5 million
Founding gift from the Frank and Cindy Liu Family Foundation that established Lilie.

2015-2016 academic year
The year Lilie launched to centralize entrepreneurship education at Rice.

1,600+ undergrad and grad students annually
Participate in Lilie programs, workshops and courses each year.

4,000 square feet
Dedicated co-working space to support students’ entrepreneurial ambitions.

All majors represented
Students from across Rice — engineering to business to humanities — participate.

60+ mentors and advisers
Founders, investors and alumni working directly with students.

$250,000+ in annual student funding
Distributed through grants and competitions, including the H. Albert Napier Rice Launch Challenge, Innovation Fellows, and the Summer Venture Studio — all equity-free.

Yael Hochberg, Hesam Panahi, Frank Liu and Kyle Judah celebrate Lilie’s 10-year anniversary.

150+
Student-led startups actively supported at any given time.

300+
Ventures that have emerged from Lilie since its founding.

#1
Rice Business’ ranking for best graduate school for entrepreneurship from The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine — the 7th year running — supported by Lilie Lab and Rice’s broader entrepreneurial ecosystem, which also includes the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and the Rice Business Plan Competition.

Check out our podcast interview with Professor Yael Hochberg, head of Lilie Lab: