Trinity College announced plans this week to build a new campus facility dedicated to innovation and entrepreneurship following a lead gift from alumna and former trustee Elizabeth “Liz” Elting.
The Elizabeth Elting Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will be constructed on Vernon Street, adjacent to the Cornelia Center, which houses the college’s Center for Career and Life Design. Construction is expected to begin in late spring 2026, with the building slated to open in fall 2027.
The 4,300-square-foot facility will include student accelerator rooms, classrooms, conference space and an event gathering area designed to support collaboration among students, faculty, alumni and community partners.
Trinity launched its Center for Entrepreneurship in 2022 to expand experiential learning, mentorship and partnerships focused on innovation. College officials said the new building will provide a dedicated hub for those programs.
Elting, a 1987 Trinity graduate, founded translation services company TransPerfect in 1992 and grew it into a multibillion-dollar global business. She now leads the Elizabeth Elting Foundation, which supports initiatives aimed at expanding opportunities for women and underserved communities.
Trinity did not disclose the project’s cost, but did say fundraising efforts for it remain ongoing.
In 2020, Trinity also opened the 13,000-square-foot Trinity Innovation Hub at One Constitution Plaza in downtown Hartford. It was launched with support from a $2.5 million state grant and has hosted innovation programming and workforce training partnerships, including with technology company Infosys.
It was not immediately clear whether that downtown facility will continue operating once the new on-campus center opens.
