STORY: Abe Murray P’29: Activation Energy at Work

April 8, 2026

Abe Murray P’29 first encountered Olin College alumni and faculty years before he became the parent of an Olin student.

During his 15-year career at Google, Murray noticed that some of the most impressive engineers he worked with were from Olin. “They were system-level thinkers,” he recalls, “deeply technically adept, but also great at synthesizing, presenting and seeing the big picture.”

Now, as the parent of a first-year student, Murray says he continues to see the College’s impact: “Olin creates entrepreneurial students.”

This ethos resonates at home. Murray’s wife, Francesca, is also an engineer, and their three children are “wired like us—they like building stuff,” he says. Since arriving at Olin in the fall, their son Isaiah ’29 has immersed himself in the hands-on culture, pursuing an internship with Formlabs, participating in hackathons and joining the Baja project team. He has also broadened his social world through activities with nearby Babson College, including joining their rugby club team.

Murray holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Rhode Island. He remains connected to advancement in engineering; now in venture capital, Murray is a general partner leading robotics investments and incubation at AlleyCorp.

Supporting Olin is both personal and purposeful for Murray. He is deeply involved with his alma maters and believes in giving back to higher education in general—serving on boards and speaking on panels—but he feels drawn to institutions that benefit most from engaged supporters. “I want to help the places that are more of an underdog.” Olin, he believes, is already “punching above its weight,” with the potential to do even more.

Murray’s philanthropy focuses on the Olin Fund, trusting the College’s leadership to deploy resources where they are most needed. “When you’re supporting a school like Olin, you want to give and trust the administration to do the right thing with your money,” he says.

For Murray, annual giving is also a way to express gratitude to an institution that is shaping the kind of innovative, collaborative engineers he has admired throughout his career—and now sees in his own son.

Murray also encourages fellow parents to stay involved. He is an active member of Olin’s Parent Leadership Council, offering what he describes as “a piece of activation energy”—a reminder of why families chose Olin in the first place. “I felt like there was some opportunity to help Olin do even better and just raised my hand. I feel privileged to be part of it,” he says.

“We should all do as much as we can to help Olin”, says Murray

Murray believes the broader Olin community—including families—represents an untapped network of talented, engaged people who can help the College grow stronger and expand its impact. “We should all do as much as we can to help Olin,” he says.