Starting Small, Thinking Big

Jain’s entrepreneurial spark ignited during his freshman year, when he noticed a growing challenge on campus: students needed affordable, reliable access to electronic devices. Rather than just accept the problem, they built a solution: a small, informal marketplace where students could buy and sell devices directly.

“It was scrappy and unpolished,” Jain recalled, “but it pushed me to step out of my shell.”

The experience taught him how to build trust, negotiate and understand what people truly value; lessons far more profound than any textbook could offer. Even today, Ishant continues to run the marketplace, and watching it evolve remains a source of pride and inspiration for Bhavya.

By senior year, that first spark had grown into something bigger. He co-founded Acadso, an EdTech initiative to empower students to navigate critical academic decisions. With just $10 investment and an idea rooted in solving real student pain points, the team developed a dynamic platform that served 20 clients and generated $3,000 in revenue.

“It wasn’t the scale that mattered,” Jain said. “It was the feeling that we built something from nothing.”

Both ventures taught him courage, creativity and one critical mindset: start before you feel ready.

These experiences shaped the innovator he is today, someone who sees opportunities where others see constraints, and who builds not just for innovation’s sake, but to genuinely improve people’s lives.

Engineering Meets Entrepreneurship

Today, Bhavya is a graduate student in electrical and computer engineering, specializing in wearable devices and artificial intelligence, while also exploring a business certification in Technology, Entrepreneurship and Commercialization.

“Entrepreneurship has fundamentally changed how he approaches engineering,” he said.

Instead of thinking solely about technical feasibility, he now considers real-world use cases, user needs, long-term environmental impact and pathways to scale.

It has transformed his education into an interdisciplinary ecosystem centered on innovation.

Finding a Home in the Entrepreneurship Community

Jain’s journey through NC State Innovation and Entrepreneurship has been both wide-reaching and deeply impactful.

He currently serves as an NC State Entrepreneurship Ambassador and Social Innovation Fellow, and has participated in the New York City Fall Break program, Wolf Den and numerous workshops and events across campus.

This year, Jain was recognized with the 2025 Force Multiplier Award, a testament to his ability to uplift others through mentorship, collaboration and community building.

These programs, Jain said, “helped me build a strong network, refine my ideas and access mentorship and resources that shaped my current work.”

​

Building the Future: EnviraCell

Among the projects Jain is currently working on with his advisor, Dr. Amay Bandodkar, one stands out as particularly promising: EnviraCell, an eco-conscious, non-toxic, lithium-free battery with the potential to revolutionize energy storage.

EnviraCell’s novel  chemistry and unique design reduces environmental and health risks while lowering reliance on rare-earth materials, a growing concern in global supply chains, without compromising on the performance. The team is collaborating with industry partners and NC State’s commercialization experts to identify high-impact applications and pathways toward market adoption.

“It’s exciting to work on a technology that can create real impact,” Jain said. “We are building something that’s not just innovative, but responsible.”

What’s Next

With research accelerating and his entrepreneurial mindset sharper than ever, Jain credits NC State Innovation and Entrepreneurship for giving him the confidence and community to bring ideas to life.

“The mentorship, guidance and opportunities I’ve received through NC State have shaped how I think about innovation and impact,” he reflected.

Recently, Jain was accepted into the 2026 KIETS Climate Leaders program, where he will be doubling down on entrepreneurship and climate policy framing.

As he continues to develop EnviraCell and other ventures, Bhavya Jain is committed to building solutions that not only push boundaries but they improve the world.