Students wearing garments from SOLACE Collective’s new line of clothing for neurodivergent individuals.

Carolyn Fernandes 鈥�25 remembers walking out of an interview for a design internship that she ended up not getting. She wondered if fidgeting with her nails鈥攁 common, repetitive expression of her nervous energy every day鈥攚as misconstrued as a sign of not paying attention and a reason for her not getting the position.

Carolyn Fernandes

Fernandes is part of the 20% of people worldwide who are neurodivergent and live with neurological differences like autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, bipolar disorder and social anxiety.

Stories like the one above motivated Fernandes and fellow students Lucas d鈥橭elsnitz 鈥�25, Aphrodite Gioulekas 鈥�25 and Aidan Turner 鈥�25 to create , which aims to provide everyone, especially neurodivergent individuals, with comfortable garments that alleviate anxiety, increase confidence and reduce distractions by providing opportunities for fidgeting discreetly or openly.

鈥淧eople like me need to fidget to cope and feel comfortable, so I started researching ways clothing could be made to help neurodiverse people like myself feel more comfortable,鈥� Fernandes says.

After an inspiring conversation with Linda Dickerson Hartsock鈥攖he retired founder and executive director of 鈥攁nd after taking an class focused on inclusive product design, Turner came up with the idea for SOLACE 鈥渢o meet the needs of a huge portion of the population that is currently underserved,鈥� says Turner.

Going All-In to Solve an Important Social Issue

Aidan Turner

In October, Turner set about assembling what he proudly refers to as his team of Avengers to turn concept into reality. As part of the group, Turner, a fifth-year architecture student in the , recruited Fernandes, who is studying industrial design in the (VPA) and Spanish and environmental geoscience in the ; d鈥橭elsnitz, who is studying finance and entrepreneurship in the ; Gioulekas, a fashion design major in VPA; Maria-Camila Molina 鈥�25, a fashion design major in VPA; Christine Ianniello 鈥�25, a biology major in Arts and Sciences; Bobby Anzaldua 鈥�25, an economics major in the ; Bella Tabak 鈥�25, a magazine, news and digital journalism in the ; and Francine听Tongol 鈥�24, a communications design major in VPA.

Lucas d鈥橭elsnitz

After sharing their personal experiences with uncomfortable clothing with each other, Turner pitched creating the neurodivergent clothing line. The project鈥檚 potential impact immediately resonated with d鈥橭elsnitz. At Whitman, d鈥橭elsnitz does a lot of idea pitching but always struggles to control his fidgeting. After one of his first pitches before his peers, d鈥橭elsnitz nearly passed out because, unable to rely on his usual coping mechanisms like playing with his rings, he felt anxious and light-headed.

鈥淩ealizing this is something I would wear motivated me to go all-in on this project because this is not just a clothing brand; it鈥檚 solving an important social issue,鈥� says d’Oelsnitz, who has ADHD and bouts of anxiety.

Meeting the Unique Needs of Neurodiverse Individuals

The team set out to collect data on how SOLACE could better meet the needs of neurodiverse individuals, beginning with a wardrobe analysis and personal interviews to determine what types of clothing neurodivergent people liked or didn鈥檛 like鈥攊ncluding textures and how a garment feels.

Lucas d鈥橭elsnitz (right) discusses SOLACE Collective’s line of clothing with a student during one of 10 on-campus events where students could try on the clothes and provide feedback.

For the next step, Fernandes conducted a survey of 430 people ages 5 to 91 and discovered that 95% of respondents, including 97% of neurodiverse people, experienced discomfort from their clothing.

Incorporating the feedback and relying on sketches, Turner created a visual design brief that served as the blueprint for the first line of clothing, and Fernandes and others on the team used sewing machines to create prototypes from fabric samples collected from their closets and local thrift shops.

Currently there are four prototypes consisting of a matching sweatshirt or hoodie and sweatpants of assorted colors, fabrics and designs:

• Concealed fidgeting: A sweatsuit featuring textured cargo pockets with hidden interior fabrics for discreet sensory engagement
• Participatory fidgeting: A distressed, double-layered top and bottom set with tactile cutouts for visible fidgeting鈥攖urning a need into a confident form of self-expression
• Airy and light: A minimal-stitched, ultra-breathable sweat set built for those sensitive to seams and pressure, offering a loose and calming fit
• Clasp cuffs: A crewneck set with subtly exposed, adjustable elastic cuffs that let wearers control tightness for customized comfort

The clothes are tagless (product details and cleaning instructions are screen-printed on the outside), with many of the items providing its wearer a sense of grounded-ness thanks to the use of heavy fabric, while others rely on light and airy fabrics.

鈥淥ur product line serves to confirm to a lot of neurodivergent people that what they鈥檙e doing is okay and that they can be normal,鈥� says Fernandes, who serves as SOLACE鈥檚 industrial designer. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 not just neurodivergent people that want this clothing. If everyone is wearing it, then no one is going to feel like they鈥檙e sticking out like a sore thumb while they fidget.鈥�

Aidan Turner (far right) talks with students during one of SOLACE Collective’s on-campus feedback events.

Transforming Vision into Reality

鈥淲e try to achieve a grounded feeling while providing warmth and the reassurance that you鈥檙e safe. We鈥檙e trying to find a sustainable way to produce items of clothing for everyone, no matter how your neurodiversity presents,鈥� says d’Oelsnitz, SOLACE鈥檚 project coordinator.

The group has received more than $32,000 in startup investment money through entrepreneurial competitions held on campus and through grants, including the听2025 School of Information Studies鈥� Raymond von Dran Fund for Student Entrepreneurship iPrize competition. Earlier this semester, they held 10 events on campus for students to try on the clothes and provide feedback.

After running a marketing campaign, including the launch of a website and social media channels, they hope to start accepting pre-orders in late June, with items being distributed to customers by the end of the summer. Knowing how well-received their casual prototypes have been, Turner, Fernandes and d鈥橭elsnitz next want to expand into business casual clothing.

鈥淚 have a passion for designing fashion, for retail and for entrepreneurship, and I was introduced to the lack of solutions that exist for neurodivergent individuals,鈥� says Turner, SOLACE鈥檚 team coordinator. 鈥淭here are a lot of opportunities for us to give this overlooked community reassurance and warmth through our clothing, and I鈥檓 proud of what this wonderful team has accomplished so far.鈥�

Members of the campus community learn about the SOLACE Collective’s line of clothing for neurodivergent individuals.

Gisela von Dran, widow of Raymond von Dran, served as a judge and handed out RvD iPrize awards.

Winners of the 2025 School of Information Studies鈥� (iSchool) Raymond von Dran (RvD) Fund for Student Entrepreneurship iPrize competition and the Hunter Brooks Watson (HBW) Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award were announced on April 10 at the Blackstone LaunchPad in Bird Library. The award competition highlights the University鈥檚 entrepreneurial focus. Each team received a $2,000 award.

Raymond von Dran, who served as dean of the School of Information Studies from 1995 until his passing in 2007, was a longtime academic, entrepreneur and staunch supporter of student innovation.

The 2025 RvD iPrize winners are the following:

• SipSafe, founded by Lindy Elizabeth Truitt 鈥�25 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and Anjaneya Sanjay Padwal G鈥�25 (School of Information Studies)
• Diabetech, founded by Tosin Alabi G鈥�25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• InstaHelp, founded by Mirco Sascha Kunz G鈥�26 (Whitman School)
• Game, founded by Carena Gianna Colo G鈥�25 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
• SOLACE, founded by Carolyn Fernandes G鈥�25 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
• Pari Beauty, founded by Aarna Taparia 鈥�27 (School of Architecture)
• WW Productions, founded by James Oliver Welch G鈥�28 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and Reid Willar G鈥�27 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
• Palmarati, founded by Tommy Brown G鈥�28 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and School of Information Studies) and Oscar Rune Goranson G鈥�28 (Whitman School)
• RYZYN, founded by Celes Buffard 鈥�27 (School of Information Studies)
• BetaKola, founded by Alie Savane 鈥�25 (College of Arts and Sciences)

The Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award began in 2018 through the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund and is awarded to students who best exemplify 鈥淭he Spirit of Entrepreneurship.鈥� Prizes honor the memory of Hunter Brooks Watson, a 黑料不打烊 student who died tragically in a distracted driving accident. The 2025 HBW Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award Winners are the following:

• Carolina Aguayo-Pla 鈥�27 (Whitman School and School of Information Studies)
• Waqar Hussain 鈥�25 (Whitman School)
• Isabella Carter G鈥�26 (Newhouse School) and Ava Lubkemann G鈥�26 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Ziekariba Nonr Diallo G鈥�28 (School of Information Studies)
• Jase M Malloy 鈥�25 (School of Information Studies)

In business, Daniel A. D鈥橝niello 鈥�68, H鈥�20, can only be considered an icon, and much of his success is rooted in his respect for the U.S. military and his education at 黑料不打烊. The is proud to announce听that this devoted alumnus, 黑料不打烊 life trustee and generous supporter will address the Whitman Class of 2025 at this year鈥檚 Convocation.

D’Aniello is co-founder and chair emeritus of the private equity firm, The Carlyle Group, established in 1987. Prior to that, his career included positions as vice president for finance and development at Marriott Corporation and financial officer at both PepsiCo, Inc., and Transworld Airlines (TWA).

A member of Beta Gamma Sigma, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 business fraternity, D鈥橝niello graduated magna cum laude from 黑料不打烊. He was drafted into the U.S. Navy, where he was a distinguished naval graduate of the Officer Candidate School, as well as a supply officer aboard the U.S.S. Wasp (CVS 18). After serving his country, D鈥橝niello earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1974.

鈥淲e could not be more excited to have Dan D鈥橝niello speak to our graduates this year,鈥� says Whitman Interim Dean Alex McKelvie. 鈥淗is global business acumen is unparalleled, and I am certain his words of advice, based on his own success, leadership and generous spirit, are sure to resonate with our outstanding 2025 Whitman School graduates who are eager to soak up his wisdom as they embark on the next steps in their business careers.鈥�

In appreciation of the strong foundations he received at 黑料不打烊 and his commitment to the U.S military, D鈥橝niello has been a highly valued partner to the leadership of the Whitman School of Management, serving on the Whitman Advisory Council (WAC) and also establishing the D鈥橝niello Entrepreneurship Internship Program to support business development and expand students鈥� experiential learning opportunities. His other commitments include chairman of the Chancellor鈥檚 Council and co-chairman of the (IVMF) Advisory Board.

Long-time supporters of 黑料不打烊, Dan and his wife Gayle gave the naming gift to the Daniel and Gayle D鈥橝niello Building, home to the National Veterans Resource Center in 2018. At the opening of the building, Dan announced an additional transformative endowment and naming gift for the D鈥橝niello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, ensuring its work will continue well into the future.

The D鈥橝niellos鈥� unwavering support for 黑料不打烊 continued in 2022 when they committed a gift to support and expand the Daniel and Gayle D鈥橝niello 黑料不打烊 Program in Florence, part of the 黑料不打烊 Abroad program in Florence, Italy. The program has been able to grow student opportunities, provide more faculty support, upgrade facilities, further develop the curriculum and provide scholarship support to students to attend the study abroad experience, specifically veteran and military-connected students. Most recently, D鈥橝niello and his wife made a transformative gift to expand 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Catholic Center.

The Whitman School of Management鈥檚 2025 Convocation will be held on Saturday, May 10, at 4 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome.

From left are Rina Corigliano-Hart, director of client engagement and outreach, OneGroup; Lindsay Weichert, regional president, Central New York, Community Bank; Meghan Florkowski, director, WISE Women鈥檚 Business Center; and Alex McKelvie, dean, Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

In honor of International Women鈥檚 Day, has donated $10,000 to at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. WISE is a Women鈥檚 Business Center dedicated to empowering Central New York鈥檚 entrepreneurs in all stages of business through comprehensive training programs, counseling and connections.

The donation will directly support WISE鈥檚 Accelerate Financial Management Program, a hands-on initiative that equips entrepreneurs with essential financial skills to build and sustain successful businesses. Covering key topics like budgeting, cash flow, financial statements and profitability strategies, the program ensures participants gain practical financial management skills tailored to their needs.

鈥淎s we celebrate International Women鈥檚 Day, we recognize the importance of empowering women through financial literacy and economic opportunity,鈥� Community Financial System Inc. Director of Community and Corporate Relations Pam Brunet says. 鈥淲omen make up a significant percentage of our workforce, and we are deeply committed to investing in initiatives that create meaningful opportunities for women in our communities.鈥�

Women are a driving force within Community Financial System Inc., playing a vital role across its companies:

• , overall 鈥� 71% women
• , corporate 鈥� 51% women
• 鈥� 79% women
• 鈥� 46% women
• (BPAS) 鈥� 59% women
• 鈥� 72% women

鈥淎t WISE, we believe in the economic power of women entrepreneurs. This generous donation from Community Bank will directly support our local business owners, providing the essential financial tools and resources they need to succeed,” says Meghan Florkowski, director, WISE WBC. “By working together, we are empowering women to strengthen their financial management skills and build more sustainable businesses, ultimately contributing to the growth and vitality of our community.鈥�

Community Bank donated $10,000 to the Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (WISE) Women鈥檚 Business Center at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. Those pictured include WISE staff and board members, as well as Community Bank and OneGroup staff.

Among the winning team awards:

• $1,500 to Olutosin Alabi G鈥�25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Diabetech;
• $1,500 to Anthony H. Smith Jr. G鈥�25 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications), Bryson Carter G鈥�25 (Newhouse School), Asha Breedlove G鈥�25 (Newhouse School) and Stacey Collier G鈥�25 (Newhouse School), founders of HBeatzCU;
• $1,000 to Sydney Moore G鈥�25 (Whitman School), founder of Thrive Insights;
• $1,000 to Lindy Truitt 鈥�25 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and Anjaneya Padwal G鈥�25 (School of Information Studies), founders of Safe Sip;
• $500 to Tony Goncalves 鈥�27 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Armani Isonguyo 鈥�24 (Engineering and Computer Science), founders of GymIn;
• $500 to Jasmine Mayers 鈥�26 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs), founder of Pressed;
• $500 to Elizabeth Paulin 鈥�24 (College of Arts and Sciences), founder of Paulin Capital;
• $500 to Swathi Jacob G鈥�25 (Whitman School); and
• $250 to Maven Kavan 鈥�28 (Visual and Performing Arts).

A group photo of the 2025 Afropreneurship Celebration and Business Competition award winners

In 2018, he was hired as editor in chief of ETP with the mission of preserving its legacy while positioning it as the leading entrepreneurship journal among entrepreneurship and management scholars. His work has paid off, as ETP recently obtained a 4* rating鈥攖he highest given鈥攐n the 2024 Association of Business School鈥檚 (ABS) list, published by the Chartered Association of Business Schools. This means that ETP is recognized internationally as the top journal within its field and publishes research of exceptional quality having significant impact on the development of theory, practice and policy.

鈥淚鈥檝e always known that ETP was an important vehicle for changing and improving the field of entrepreneurship, but I also felt that it needed some improvement in both the submission process and rigor of content. I鈥檓 very proud of what we have accomplished over the past eight years,鈥� Wiklund says.

Leader in entrepreneurship education

A member of the Whitman faculty since 2008, Wiklund鈥檚 research interests focus on entrepreneurship, neurodiversity and mental well-being. He is considered a leading authority in his field with over 100 articles published in leading journals and more than 55,000 citations to his research, as well as numerous international awards and honors. In addition, he is a dedicated advisor to the Ph.D. students at Whitman.

鈥淭he Whitman School and the entrepreneurship department are proud of the work Johan has done to bring the ETP to a 4* ranking,鈥� says Michel Benaroch, Whitman associate dean for research and Ph.D. programs. 鈥淭o have a Whitman entrepreneurship faculty member lead a journal to this level is remarkable and certainly impacts the research reputation and rankings of the school.鈥�

Improving the review process

One of Wiklund鈥檚 main goals for ETP has been establishing a smoother review process. That starts with the over 1,000 submissions that land on Wiklund鈥檚 desk annually, where he scans each鈥攗sually within a week鈥攇iving desk rejects to almost half and passing the remainder to one of his 30 action editors. They then ask three reviewers to provide comments on the manuscripts.

Professor Johan Wiklund talks with a student

鈥淲e have developed a faster process than other journals at ETP with fewer rounds of revisions before accepting papers. This means less pain for authors, reviewers and editors alike. It also retains the author鈥檚 voice,鈥� Wiklund explains, noting that only about 5% of submissions are ultimately published. 鈥淎 lot of journals say they strive for fewer review rounds, but not many implement this. ETP does, and our 49-day average to final decision is evidence of our progress.鈥�

The quick turnaround and the heightened expectations for quality research are drawing attention. Academic journals are constantly ranked and evaluated against each other. Apart from being upgraded to ABS 4* rating, ETP ranks among the top business publications and the No. 1 in entrepreneurship according to most rankings and evaluations.

Looking to the future

While Wiklund is certainly pleased with the progress and results, he has no shortage of other goals for improving ETP, including working with the Center for Open Science to increase transparency in publication; reaching better global representation of research; and enhancing the relevance of entrepreneurship research.

Artificial intelligence (AI) poses challenges for the publication industry. Wiklund embraces its use as it allows academics around the world to improve their English language writing skills and helps them better present their research.

鈥淪ome journals are overly cautious about how researchers are allowed to use AI in their research. I believe it can be a great equalizer, leveling the playing field between native and non-native English speakers and overall improving the quality of research. ETP is all for it, within reason of course,鈥� he says.

Wiklund plans to continue ETP鈥檚 upward trajectory. 鈥淲e鈥檙e in the middle of some massive changes, and I want to see them through,鈥� he says. 鈥淟ooking at my career, I hope my main legacy in this field will be the people I have impacted as a mentor and the work I鈥檝e accomplished to make ETP a more highly regarded source of research in the field of entrepreneurship.鈥�

The winner of the 黑料不打烊 competition will receive an expense paid trip to compete in the ACC InVenture Prize finals at the end of March at the University of Notre Dame. The televised finals feature one team from each ACC college/university who compete for 听$30,000 in prizes. Teams with generated revenue or venture capital funding of more than $100,000 are ineligible (including funding from both institutional and non-institutional sources such as contests, grants, friends and family, bank loans, etc.).

Katy Arons 鈥�24 (School of Information Studies), founder of Continual Consent LLC, holds an oversize boarding pass for last year’s flight to the ACC InVenture competition in Florida

黑料不打烊 student startup teams or researchers are invited to submit听 of a venture idea to participate in the 黑料不打烊 campus qualifier along with a five-minute pitch video.听 All campus qualifier finalists will also be invited to apply for LaunchPad Innovation Fund grants as well as , both available through gifts to 黑料不打烊 Libraries. Competitive applications typically include technology or research that is being commercialized in areas such as agriculture, biology, life sciences, medical, climate, consumer electronics, education, finance, sports, hardware, software, artificial intelligence, augmented or virtual reality, 听big data, autonomous devices, robotics, advanced materials, Internet of Things, 5G and more. Digital platforms or services should have an underlying novel technology and ideally should be past the idea stage with some customer discovery and design drawings.

The 黑料不打烊 ACC InVenture Prize is supported by the Provost鈥檚 Office and is hosted by 黑料不打烊 Libraries and the .

The Fall 2024 Orange Innovation Fund award winners are (from left to right): Brianna Gillfillian, Waqar Hussain, Emeka Ossai, Ava Lubkemann, and Tosin Alabi.

黑料不打烊 Libraries announced the seven award recipients for the Fall 2024 grant. Each of the following will receive a $5,000 grant to pursue research initiatives emerging from campus innovation programs. Recipients are:

• Angelo Niforatos G鈥�25 (), founded Niffy Drone Solutions LLC, a drone operation and data analysis solution to improve decision-making, for its stage two prototype. 鈥淚 finally pursued what I鈥檇 been discussing for five years thanks to 黑料不打烊,” says Niforatos. “I had no idea 黑料不打烊 offered so many opportunities like the Innovation Grant to help me gain enough confidence to take that leap and chase my dream.”
• Ava Lubkemann 鈥�27 (), founded Revamped, an eco-conscious initiative reimagining thrift shopping and waste reduction through a mobile model using an upcycled school bus pop-up and donation platform. 鈥淭his funding gives me the ability to create a venture that addresses the problem of textile waste, particularly on college campuses,鈥� says Lubkemann. 鈥淚 am excited to build my proof of concept this spring and become part of the projected $82 billion secondhand retail market,听 meeting the demand for sustainable and affordable fashion.鈥�
• Brianna Gillfillian 鈥�24, G鈥�25 (Engineering and Computer Science), founded STEAMfluence, a Science Technology Engineering Art Math (STEAM) pilot summer program for students of color and students in underserved communities. 鈥淲ith the help of Orange Innovation Fund, I will be able to turn dreams into reality and take steps to make the change I aspire to see in the world,鈥� says Gillfillian. 鈥淪TEAMfluence is not just a venture, it is a pillar of hope for many young people who think they could not advance in a career in STEAM.鈥�
• Emeka Christopher Ossai G鈥�25 (Whitman), founded CampusLabs, which equips university students in developing economies with critical skills needed for entrepreneurship and work. After successfully piloting CampusLabs Nigeria incubator, Ossai is now focusing on creating a hybrid program to expand participation. 鈥淭his Orange Innovation Fund allows me to bring to life a startup accelerator that’s the first of its kind for university students in Nigeria, combining virtual learning with a direct residency鈥� now we can finally reach talented university founders who would not have had access before because of where they live,” Ossai says. “It鈥檚 a real opportunity to see how this model can work across different regions and make entrepreneurship support more accessible.”
• Tony Goncalves 鈥�27 (Engineering and Computer Science), founded GymIn, a comprehensive hardware and digital platform solution to track the use of gym equipment in real-time, optimizing usage and user experience. Goncalves is collaborating with the Barnes Center on a pilot. 鈥淕ymIn is revolutionizing the fitness industry by providing a comprehensive hardware and digital platform solution for gym owners and users,鈥� says Goncalves. 鈥淭his award will help us create our minimally viable product to test with gyms to optimize operations, reduce costs, and enhance the gym experience for members through data-driven insights.鈥�
• Tosin Alabi G鈥�25 (Whitman), founded Diabetech, a smart bandage solution for diabetes wound care. Alabi is working on a prototype that integrates an electronic sensor with mobile application and artificial intelligence analytics to detect diabetic ulcers. Alabi, who lost her father to diabetes at a young age, recently completed the NSF I-Corps program offered by 黑料不打烊 and received EB-1 visa status based on her work on Diabetech. The EB-1 visa was issued by the U.S. government to Albert Einstein to extend protections of official residence. Now referred to as the 鈥淓instein Visa,鈥� it recognizes very select researchers with extraordinary talents for their potential to contribute to the American scientific community. “When we prevent a diabetic amputation, we’re not just saving a limb, we’re keeping families walking together longer,鈥� Alabi says.
• Waqar Hussain G鈥�25 (Whitman), founded Iconnic.cloud, an artificial intelligence-driven compute pricing arbitrage platform. 鈥淎s a dedicated participant in the university鈥檚 entrepreneurial ecosystem, I am grateful for this award to help us build spot compute pricing arbitrage powered by AI,” says Hussain, a Fulbright Scholar.听We are confident that with the support of the Orange Innovation Fund we can revolutionize cloud management services for small and medium-sized businesses.鈥�

The Orange Innovation Fund, a “concept to commercialization” grant fund, is intended to help move graduate and undergraduate student research or scholarly projects from ideation to proof of concept and commercialization. Initial funding came from a gift to 黑料不打烊 Libraries from Raj-Ann Rekhi Gill ’98, a member of the 黑料不打烊 Board of Trustees. The program is administered through 黑料不打烊 Libraries, in collaboration with the University鈥檚 research and commercialization programs.

Student awardees submitted comprehensive grant proposals that outlined specific, tangible needs related to prototype development while assessing the product, service or technology they are developing. A multi-disciplinary team of University faculty and alumni founders who helped develop the concept for the fund made the award selections. Awards are tied to milestones associated with defined projects over a clear time with identified outcomes.

The spring 2025 funding round will open in winter 2025, with proposals due by March 28, 2025. For more information, email OrangeInnovation@syr.edu.

2024 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Award winners (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

For the second year in a row, the University honored Orange ingenuity with two days of celebration, networking and a friendly pitch competition as part of the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards.

Last Thursday, the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards ceremony recognized the 2024 honorees, culminating with a live reveal of the top 10 fastest-growing Orange businesses. The evening also included a conversation with , celebrity chef and baker from A&E鈥檚 hit shows 鈥淐ake Dynasty鈥� and 鈥淟egends of the Fork,鈥� who participated in a fireside chat, sharing the personal ingredients behind his entrepreneurial success.

The next day, honorees of the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards headlined the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit. The summit allowed students to meet and network with top thinkers on engaging, practical and forward-thinking opportunities. The summit also included a 鈥淪ix for Six鈥� student pitch competition, where the top six campus innovation teams participated in a spirited 鈥淪hark Tank鈥�-style format for a 鈥渨inner take all鈥� $6,000 grand prize selected by 鈥机鲍厂贰50 honorees.

Check out how the two days went:

鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards (Nov. 14)听

Thomas O’Brien 鈥�25, student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, kicked off the ceremony. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and executive dean of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, provided the welcoming remarks for the evening. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Tracy Barlok, senior vice president and chief advancement officer, and Buddy Valastro, celebrity chef and baker, participated in a fireside chat. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

The University presented Valastro with an Otto the Orange cake as a thank you for participating in the evening’s festivities. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Student attendees were invited on stage to take a photo with Valastro and Otto the Orange. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Valastro posed for photos with attendees after the event. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Valastro posed with Aaron Krause 鈥�92 (center), founder of Scrub Daddy and Otto the Orange. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Award winners and attendees had an opportunity to network after the awards portion of the evening. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Award winners and attendees gathered together after the awards portion of the evening. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Students enjoyed the networking event after the ceremony. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Otto had fun joking around with the award winners. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

鈥机鲍厂贰50 Entrepreneurship Summit (Nov. 15)

The 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit included conversations and networking with the 50 fastest-growing alumni businesses. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Alex McKelvie, professor of entrepreneurship and interim dean of the Whitman School, provided welcoming remarks at the summit. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Students met and networked with alumni founders and top executives of leading innovation companies at the ‘CUSE50 Summit. (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

Haynie addressed the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit attendees. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

鈥机鲍厂贰50 honorees participated in various panel discussions. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Students engaged with 鈥机鲍厂贰50 honorees. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

The 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit brought out great conversations and collaboration. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Students participated in a spirited 鈥淪ix for Six鈥� student pitch competition. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

Nicolas Courbage 鈥�26 (center), student in the Whitman School and founder of PapeX, won the 鈥淪ix for Six鈥� student pitch competition. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

• First place ($1,500) was awarded to Celes Buffard 鈥�27 (School of Information Studies), founder of Return 2 Reality, an entertainment company focusing on a podcast for entrepreneurs around navigating and getting past the hurdles and challenges throughout the entrepreneurial journey.
• Second place ($1,000) was awarded to Olutosin (Tosin) Alabi G鈥�25 (Whitman School of Management), founder of Diabetech, a med-tech venture for a diabetic foot ulcer wearable.
• Two third-place prizes ($500 each) were awarded to Alie Savane 鈥�25 (College of Arts and Sciences), founder of Bete Kola, a health and wellness venture focusing on kola nut food and beverage products; and Mian Hamid 鈥�26 (School of Information Studies), founder of Chai YEAH, a beverage venture offering authentic Indian chai tea to the U.S. market.

鈥淭his rise in the rankings is proof positive of the Whitman School鈥檚 continuing commitment to providing innovative programs in entrepreneurship at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Our success has been supported by the entrepreneurial spirit that runs throughout the entire university,” says Maria Minniti, Bantle Chair of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy and chair of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises (EEE). “This upward movement in the rankings is the result of the hard work and commitment of the Whitman School鈥檚 leadership, faculty and students, and we are proud to be acknowledged for this level of success.鈥�

The graduate programs were also ranked at No. 24 this year. 鈥淭hese rankings are a quantifiable reflection of the quality of our program and our commitment to giving our students experiences that continue to spark their entrepreneurial spirit,鈥� says John Torrens, deputy department chair and professor of entrepreneurial practice. 鈥淥ur faculty are truly committed to helping our students bring their ideas to life through mentoring, coaching and sharing their own professional experiences in this space. In addition, students have many opportunities to obtain funding through our various competitions, like the Orange Tank business pitch competition and our Panasci Business Plan Competition, many of which are supported by generous alumni who appreciate the work we do at the Whitman School.鈥�

The rankings are based on data collection that takes into account 40 points about schools鈥� entrepreneurship programs, faculties, students and alumni. The Princeton Review conducted the data collection in summer 2024 with administrators at nearly 300 schools.

“Since we debuted these rankings nearly two decades ago, the number of colleges and universities offering entrepreneurship courses has grown tremendously,” says , The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. 鈥淲e highly recommend the schools that made our lists for 2025. Their faculties are outstanding. Their programs have robust experiential components. Their students have access to extraordinary mentors as well as networking contacts that will serve them well into their careers.鈥�

For more information on Whitman鈥檚 undergraduate entrepreneurship major visit: or for the graduate program visit:

The honorees make up an impressive group of the 鈥攆rom baby monitors and kitchen scrubbers to weekend getaways and candle companies, and everything in between.

On Thursday, Nov. 14, the will recognize the 2024 honorees, culminating with a live reveal of the top 10 fastest-growing Orange businesses.

鈥淲e are excited to be hosting this event again this year to welcome our distinguished alumni back to campus to honor their remarkable accomplishments,鈥� says Tracy Barlok, senior vice president and chief advancement officer. 鈥淥ur graduates possess a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and it鈥檚 essential to recognize the significant impact they are making globally through their businesses.鈥�

The evening鈥檚 festivities will also include a conversation with , celebrity chef and baker from A&E鈥檚 hit shows 鈥淐ake Dynasty鈥� and 鈥淟egends of the Fork.鈥� Valastro will participate in a fireside chat during the awards ceremony, sharing the personal ingredients behind his entrepreneurial success.

for the event.

Winners of the 2023 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Award (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

鈥机鲍厂贰50 Entrepreneurship Summit

Honorees of the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards will headline the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit the following day on Friday, Nov. 15, at the . The summit is open to student innovators, entrepreneurs and creatives across campus, as well as anyone who wants to develop an entrepreneurial mindset for personal and professional success.

Students will meet and network with alumni at the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

This event promises to be the biggest innovation and entrepreneurship summit of the year and is a chance to meet and network with top thinkers on engaging, practical and forward-thinking opportunities that will inspire creative thinking and provide real-world takeaways.

Topics will include building a startup from scratch, bootstrapping and developing a growth mindset, building a personal brand, team building, leadership, resilience and well-being, the creator economy, innovation in the digital age, and embracing change to drive personal growth and success. Last year, hundreds of students attended and came away with ideas and connections, as well as mentors and investors.

for the event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting in the Flaum Grand Hall and then moving to Whitman classrooms for 10 panel discussions with 鈥机鲍厂贰50 honorees. Conversations will be moderated by student innovators who will serve as 鈥渇irestarters鈥� for discussions with ample opportunity for audience participation.

鈥淭hese events offer a distinctive learning experience for our students,鈥� says Mike Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and executive dean of the Whitman School. 鈥淭he 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Awards ceremony and Summit allow students a unique opportunity to engage with alumni who began their entrepreneurial journey at 黑料不打烊, bridging the gap between our graduates and the entrepreneurial dreams of our current students.鈥�

The summit will also include lunch in Flaum Grand Hall, followed by a spirited 鈥淔ive for Five鈥� student pitch competition in Lender Auditorium, where the top five campus innovation teams will participate in a spirited 鈥淪hark Tank鈥�-style format for a 鈥渨inner take all鈥� $5,000 grand prize selected by鈥机鲍厂贰50 honorees.

For more information about the event, visit the .

Alumni panel discussions at the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Phloat co-founders Nathan Thor Brekke 鈥�26 (left) and Malak Aljerari 鈥�27 (right) with LaunchPad program manager J Wess (middle)

黑料不打烊 Libraries鈥� Blackstone LaunchPad (LaunchPad) hosted its annual 鈥機use Tank entrepreneurial competition on Friday, Sept. 27, during Family Weekend in Bird Library. More than 35 student entrepreneur teams from various schools and colleges across campus participated in a 鈥淪hark-Tank鈥� style business pitch to win $20,000 in cash prizes. The panel of judges consisted of University parents and affiliated family members. The judges selected two first-place teams, which each won $10,000 and two honorable mention runners-up:

• Iconnic.Cloud, founded by Waqar Hussain, G鈥�25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), won first place for the second year in a row. Iconnic.Cloud is a fully managed cloud hosting platform, engineered with proprietary software, that crafts tailored hosting solutions.
  

  Iconnic.Cloud founder by Waqar Hussain G鈥�25 (left) with LaunchPad program manager J Wess

• Phloat, founded by College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) students who participated in the 2024 Invent@SU program, Elijah Alexander 鈥�27, Joshua John Varkey 鈥�26, Malak Aljerari 鈥�27 and Nathan Thor Brekke 鈥�26, also tied for first place. Phloat is a phone case that has a super compact, deployable flotation feature that triggers in the event of a phone falling and sinking into deep water.
• Gym-In, another startup from Invent@SU and founded by ECS students Alexander Hamza 鈥�26, Antonio Goncalves 鈥�27, Jack Friedman 鈥�27 and Armani Isonguyo 鈥�25 tied for runner-up. Their invention provides gym users with an app to determine how full a gym is and what machines are being used in live time.
• Papa Box, co-founded by Aleks Djordjevic G鈥�25 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs) and Amos Kiplimo Bungei G鈥�25 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) was also tied for runner-up. The company aims to provide and scale a battery-charging infrastructure through its interoperable PAPA Boxes swapping stations in transportation hot zones in Kenya.

This year鈥檚 group of “family” judges included:

• Todd Arky, executive vice president, Sharebite and co-founder/CEO of TipOff Sports
• Anthony Campagiorni 鈥�91, vice president, Central Hudson Gas & Electric Company
• Melinda Dermody, associate dean of academic success, 黑料不打烊 Libraries
• Melissa Gwilt 鈥�15, G鈥�22, director of budget and administration, 黑料不打烊 Libraries
• Corey Lieblein 鈥�93 , CEO of CP8 Capital
• Ajay Nagpal, president and COO Millenium
• Alice Villafana, retired
• Tonya Villafana, global franchise head, research and development, for Astra-Zeneca
• Mark Wassersug, former COO Intercontinental Exchange

Davis Hood 鈥�26, Carter Thompson 鈥�26, Jennifer Mason 鈥�26, and Matthew Pinto 鈥�27 with Jim DaRin and professor and Invent@SU director, Alex Deyhim. (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

Former 黑料不打烊 student听Jim DaRin听is one of many wheelchair users who rely on adapted vehicles to drive. These vehicles are equipped with a docking system designed to secure the wheelchairs in place while users focus on the road. However, even when the wheelchair is locked in, it鈥檚 not completely secure, causing DaRin to move back and forth while driving.

鈥淭he docking system moves and I鈥檓 rocking back and forth. I鈥檓 paralyzed from my waist down and have my hands on the steering wheel and throttle. It鈥檚 not secure or safe,鈥� says DaRin. 鈥淭he wheelchair鈥檚 pin also has a tendency to get caught on certain surfaces and the bolt drags on the pavement.鈥�

DaRin is far from the first to complain about docking systems for adapted vehicles, but very few attempts have been made to fix these issues. That鈥檚 when he reached out to engineering students Davis Hood 鈥�26 (electrical engineering), Jennifer Mason 鈥�26 (mechanical engineering), Matthew Pinto 鈥�27 (biomedical engineering) and Carter Thompson 鈥�26 (aerospace engineering) to explore ways to improve his docking mechanism.

鈥淚 showed them the challenge I was having and the problems with my current docking system,鈥� DaRin says.

Jennifer Mason 鈥�26 and Carter Thompson 鈥�26 measuring Jim DaRin鈥檚 docking system. (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

As part of , a six-week summer program where student teams prototype, design and pitch original devices to judges, Hood, Mason, Pinto and Thompson created MagniClaw, a device that securely locks wheelchairs in moving vehicles. Their device has a lightweight bar attachment on the back of the wheelchair and a docking mechanism that holds a clamping and electromagnet.

鈥淲e鈥檝e gone through multiple different design iterations, and we are always trying to keep in mind Department of Transportation standards,鈥� says Hood. 鈥淥ur device is easy to use, has a universal design, and can go on a majority of manual wheelchairs.鈥�

MagniClaw鈥檚 lightweight attachment can easily be connected to wheelchairs using two small clamps. Once attached, the user can connect to the docking frame. The attachment has a steel plate in the center that interacts with the electromagnet to securely hold the wheelchair in place.

鈥淥ur device has a clamping mechanism. With this, wheelchair users can back into clamps without any extra input from the control center and the clamp鈥檚 shape provides enough security for the electromagnet to turn on,鈥� says Pinto.

The electromagnet, which holds the wheelchair in place, can pull up to 600 lbs. and is activated by a remote. The remote has a Bluetooth feature that can communicate whether the electromagnet is on or off.

Matthew Pinto 鈥�27, Jennifer Mason 鈥�26, David Hood 鈥�26, and Carter Thompson 鈥�26 examining Jim DaRin鈥檚 adapted vehicle and docking system. (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

鈥淎ll wheelchair users have to do is back up, and the system gets locked in, holding them in place until they press a button that activates the electromagnet. They鈥檙e held for the car ride, and when they鈥檙e done, they press a button to release the electromagnet, and they can roll away freely,鈥� says Mason.

MagniClaw鈥檚 hitch-less design and customizability not only sets it apart from competitors but also provides more freedom and mobility for wheelchairs with a more accessible docking system. They showcased their original device at Invent@SU鈥檚 final presentations to a panel of 14 expert judges and guests, including faculty, staff, Dean Cole Smith, 黑料不打烊 Life Trustee Bill Allyn and program supporter Mike Lazar. The team tied for second place, winning a cash prize of $1,200.

鈥淚t was nice to have a broad spectrum of engineers in our group. It also feels great to help Jim out,鈥� says Thompson.

鈥淢y previous docking system was not good. Their system is a hundred times better,鈥� says DaRin. 鈥淚t鈥檚 much more safe and secure. The potential for MagniClaw is huge.鈥�

鈥淢r. Jim Darin, a former student of 黑料不打烊, approached me with a problem that he hoped an Invent@SU team could solve,鈥� says Kenneth and Mary Ann Shaw Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurial Leadership听Alex Deyhim. 鈥淚t was amazing to watch the students work directly with Mr. Darin to design and prototype MagniClaw, a magnetic wheelchair docking system that could be helpful to the millions of Americans who use wheelchairs full-time. This project is a wonderful example of what our students can accomplish when they work across engineering disciplines.鈥�

Carter Thompson 鈥�26 examining Jim DaRin鈥檚 docking system. (Photo by Alex Dunbar)

Traci Geisler

, director of (LaunchPad), presented a keynote address and served as an entrepreneurship competition judge at the first-ever Kenya-USA Global Launchpad Initiative (KUGLi) Innovation Summit, held at Kibabii University in Bungoma, Kenya, Aug. 15-16. The KUGLi Summit was the culmination of a technology innovation and entrepreneurship program focused on fostering multi-national ventures among science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) students to address global issues through entrepreneurship and creative opportunities.

The program was started in Winter 2023 by Churchill Saoke with support from the U.S. Embassy to promote entrepreneurialism and facilitate partnerships between Kenyan universities and 黑料不打烊. Throughout the Winter and Spring 2024, 131 students from Kenya and the United States participated in virtual and hybrid training sessions to identify unexploited areas for micro-multinational ventures using STEAM-focused solutions. 黑料不打烊 student entrepreneurs in the LaunchPad partnered with Kenyan student entrepreneurs to advance several Kenyan student ventures. The Kenyan entrepreneurs were also invited to participate in virtual support and services from 黑料不打烊鈥檚 LaunchPad, including one-on-one advisory sessions with Traci Geisler, participation in LaunchPad workshops and presentations, and entrepreneurship ideation classes offered by , professor of entrepreneurship in the School of Information Studies.

The culmination of that budding partnership resulted in the invitation to Geisler to deliver a keynote speech, at the Summit in Kenya, to student entrepreneurs from five Kenyan universities. The Summit was also attended by Drew Giblin, the USA cultural attach茅 in Nairobi; Bungoma County Deputy Governor Jannipher Mbatiany; university officials and faculty from Kabibii University, JKUAT University and Great Lakes University of Kisumu; and other business leaders. Geisler spoke to the entrepreneurs about how to avoid and address cash flow problems, market misalignment, and team communication challenges during the initial growth phase of a startup. Geisler and other Kenyan subject matter experts also participated in the judging panel for the 14 student teams鈥� business pitches.

鈥淭he project is an intensive experience training of U.S. and Kenyan university students to develop micro-multinational ventures that employ entrepreneurial solutions to address and resolve global issues,鈥� said Saoke.

The students鈥� business venture ideas addressed social impact initiatives and 鈥渨icked鈥� problems, such as infant malnutrition, financial illiteracy, plastic pollution, water scarcity, inadequate markets for local produce, teen pregnancy, food insecurity and crime, among others.

Group photo of KUGLi Innovation Summit participants, including Traci Geisler, at Kibabii University in Bungoma, Kenya on Aug. 16.

McConville writes: “Frequent military moves often place financial hardships on service members (SM) and their families. For a spouse like me, 23 moves over my SM鈥檚 42-year Army career, caused many challenging pivots in my own career. The new policy authorizing reimbursement of moving costs – up to $1,000 – associated with a spouse’s business is crucial in helping mitigate those financial hardships, in encouraging career sustainment and growth, and in enhancing SM retention.” Also, please view her .

Maury writes: “The new policy reimbursing military spouses up to $1,000 for business costs during moves addresses significant challenges highlighted in our latest data brief on . Our research shows that 46% of military spouses feel their status negatively affects their career prospects, driving many toward entrepreneurship. Despite 74% of military spouse entrepreneurs reporting that entrepreneurship positively impacts their professional lives, only 28% can fully support themselves or their families through their businesses. This reimbursement provides essential financial relief, supporting their resilience and entrepreneurial spirit, and helping them sustain and grow their ventures.”

For the second year in a row, 黑料不打烊 will honor the success of Orange business leaders across the globe at the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 awards. This annual celebration features 50 of the fastest-growing businesses founded or owned by 黑料不打烊 alumni. The inaugural honorees included a marketing agency CEO, a party rental company owner, a creative event production company founder and many others.

Applications for the are being accepted now.

鈥満诹喜淮蜢肉€檚 is home to one of the first academic entrepreneurship programs in the U.S., and we have a longstanding tradition of supporting and elevating the entrepreneurial aspirations of our students,鈥� says听. 鈥淭he 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur program is a natural extension of that tradition, and a unique opportunity to connect our alumni entrepreneurs with our current students and faculty.鈥�

Alumni of any school or college, graduates of 黑料不打烊 executive education programs and alumni of entrepreneurship programs operated by the听 are eligible and encouraged to apply.

鈥満诹喜淮蜢� alumni are doing extraordinary work all over the world, and I am thrilled that we are going to recognize the business acumen they developed at 黑料不打烊. What I鈥檓 most excited about is that our honorees will return to campus to pass along valuable insights to the next generation of Orange entrepreneurs,鈥� says , 黑料不打烊鈥檚 chief advancement officer.

Honorees will be recognized on campus on Thursday, Nov. 14, in the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D鈥橝niello Building. While on campus, 鈥机鲍厂贰50 honorees will also share insights with each other and current students, as part of a series of campus engagement sessions planned for Friday, Nov. 15, during the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Symposium.

听Do you want to compete to be recognized in the inaugural class of 鈥机鲍厂贰50 awardees?

The eligibility criteria for the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 awards are as follows:

• Applicants must be alumni of 黑料不打烊 and be either a majority owner or hold a C-suite level leadership position in the company;
• Applicants must have founded their business at least three calendar years prior to the date of application for 鈥机鲍厂贰50 recognition;
• Must have had verifiable revenues of $100,000 or more in 2021; and
• Must have verifiable revenues of $250,000 or more in 2023.
• In addition, the company must meet one or more of the following criteria:
  • A 黑料不打烊 alumnus or group of 黑料不打烊 alumni maintain ownership in the company and have served as a C-Suite executive (i.e. chairman, CEO, president, or managing partner) for three consecutive years prior to nomination; or
  • A 黑料不打烊 alumnus has led the company as a C-Suite executive for three consecutive years prior to nomination; or
  • A 黑料不打烊 alumnus founded the company and has been active as a member of its senior management team for three consecutive years prior to nomination.
• The company and its leaders and/or founders must act with high integrity and operate in a manner consistent with the values of 黑料不打烊. To demonstrate the alignment with the values of 黑料不打烊, prospective and past honorees should:
  • Accept responsibility for their actions;
  • Hold oneself and others to the highest standards of personal integrity;
  • Practice equality in human relations;
  • Uphold the law, and respect the rights of others;
  • Contribute positively to 黑料不打烊 as well as to the national and global community.

The deadline to apply for recognition is听Sunday, July 14. To learn more about the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 awards and nominate your company for recognition, visit听.

Natasha Brao (left) and David Panasci (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

From delicious new food items to cloud management solutions and an innovative digital platform to connect local food producers and consumers, this year鈥檚 Panasci Business Plan Competition showcased outstanding ideas from the most innovative, business-minded students across 黑料不打烊. A campus-wide business plan event hosted annually by the at the , this year鈥檚 competition was held on April 5 and made possible by David Panasci 鈥�80, president of DHP Consulting, and sponsor of the first, second and third place awards; Scott Friedberg 鈥�14, founder and CEO of Gilded Social, sponsor of the Gilded Social Rising Entrepreneur Award; and Nick Monzi 鈥�11, CEO and co-founder of Learn Fresh, sponsor of the Learn Fresh Award for Social Entrepreneurship鈥攏ew this year.

鈥淭he annual Panasci competition is always an exciting day on campus, and this year鈥檚 event was no exception, as twice as many students competed this year than in 2023. Students from across the University came together to showcase their innovations and compete for prize money that will help them move their business plans forward,鈥� says Cristiano Bellavitis, assistant professor of entrepreneurship, who managed this year鈥檚 event. 鈥滶veryone who competed took away valuable feedback from our diverse group of judges, and this year鈥檚 winners are certainly on the fast track to making their entrepreneurial goals a reality.鈥�

The 2024 Panasci competition awarded a total of $40,000 in prize money to the winning teams who demonstrated the best potential for growth and attracting outside financing. All competitors submitted written business plans in the semi-final round, and the top teams were brought together to compete in the finals. Whether or not they were selected as winners, every finalist was given specific and valuable feedback from industry professionals involved in the event.

First place and the Gilded Rising Social Entrepreneur Award went to Natasha Brao 鈥�22, G鈥�23, G鈥�24, founder of Shooka. She received $20,000 for the first-place win and an additional $5,000 for the Gilded Rising Social Entrepreneur Award. Brao鈥檚 Shooka is a spiced tomato sauce based on the traditional Mediterranean dish shakshuka, which she first tasted on a trip overseas in 2019. Always one to love the 鈥渕ixing and melding of cultures to promote creative cooking,鈥� she developed Shooka, formalized her business in 2023 and started selling her product in March 2024.

鈥淭he Panasci Business Plan Competition at Whitman is one of the competitions that holds the most weight for me. I was looking forward to it the entire year, and it was amazing to compete alongside dear friends and talented entrepreneurs,鈥� says Brao. 鈥淭he prize money will help assist me with production, transportation and inventory holding costs, as well as allow me to focus on growing our sales in the next few months. My participation and success in this competition have also led to some valuable new connections in the industry. This gives me further validation for my product and myself as a founder, and I couldn鈥檛 be more excited to move forward!鈥�

Second place went to Waqar Hussain G鈥�25, Fulbright Scholar, founder of Iconnic.cloud, who was awarded $7,500. 听is a powerful cloud management solution designed for small and mid-sized enterprises (SME) aiming to scale and grow. This platform simplifies the transition of business and web solutions to the cloud, allowing for the effortless deployment and scaling of digital products with the cloud provider of choice. Iconnic.cloud eliminates the need for costly system administrators and IT managers, making cloud technology accessible and cost-effective. This solution not only reduces operational costs but also enhances efficiency, providing SMEs with the tools to innovate and thrive in a digital-first economy.听听is a product of听,听a web wizarding team of designers and developers that 鈥渂rews magic to power online businesses.鈥�

Third place and $2,500, along with the Learn Fresh Award for Social Entrepreneurship of $5,000, went to Brielle Young 鈥�27, co-founder and CEO of Aggregate, a digital platform that aims to bridge the gap between producers and consumers in local communities. Through its application, Aggregate empowers producers to share their goods, whether they are artisanal crafts or farm-fresh produce, as well as tell the stories behind their products. In addition, consumers can discover affordable and accessible local goods, all with just a few clicks. Its mission is to foster vibrant communities through local commerce while equipping local businesses with tools for growth and sustainability. Ezra James, an environmental engineering student at Cornell University, is a co-founder and chief operating officer of Aggregate. The Learn Fresh Award for Social Entrepreneurship is awarded to the innovation that demonstrates the greatest commitment to achieving social impact by addressing a persistent inequity or large-scale societal challenge. Learn Fresh is a nonprofit organization providing STEM learning to empower educators and inspire students.

Judges for this year鈥檚 Panasci Business Plan Competition included: Jack Adler 鈥�23, Out2Win Sports; Eric Alderman L鈥�75, adjunct professor, Whitman School; Nassim Jos茅 Alemany 鈥�09, Xolver; Haotian Bai, Patriot Conceptions; Logan Bonney G鈥�17, West Gen LLC, and Stout Beard Brewing; Bill Brod, All Times Publishing; Blake Brossman 鈥�98, PetCareRX; Salvatore (Tory) D鈥橝melio 鈥�08, president, Selflock Screw Products; Alexander Deyhim, director Invent@SU, and iSchool faculty member; Cody Disch 鈥�10, founder, Arias Advisors; Dustin Doucette, director of operations, Upstate Venture Connect; David Eilers 鈥�80, 黑料不打烊 College of Law Innovation Law Center; Jessica Falcone, Jessica Elizabeth Skincare Inc.; James Farrell G鈥�19, East of Nowhere; Ben Ford 鈥�23, Fundwurx; Meghan Florkowski, WISE Women鈥檚 Business Center; Scott Friedberg 鈥�14, founder and CEO of Gilded Social; Linda Dickerson Hartsock, founder of 黑料不打烊 Blackstone LaunchPad; Lekia Hill, Lekia Tech LLC; Sam Hollander 鈥�21, co-founder and CEO, Share Club; Peter King 鈥�08, Cayuga Economic Development Agency; David S. Klein 鈥�92, owner and president, Greenwood Industries; Jeff Linowes 鈥�77, chief branding officer, HALO Branded Solutions; Kelo Makelele, founder, RedTrace Technologies, Inc.; F. Jasper Massey, commercial loan officer, Empower Federal Credit Union; George Mazevski 鈥�99, G鈥�00, president and CEO, Govsphere Inc.; Nick Monzi 鈥�11, founder and CEO, Learn Fresh; Emad Rahim, Surge entrepreneurship manager, 黑料不打烊 Surge Accelerator/CenterState CEO; Joe Noll Jr. 鈥�05, president, National Electronic Transit; Micah Shippee G鈥�16, Samsung Electronics America; Don R. Stanton 鈥�03, Tanglewood Gardens; and Vivek Sureddi 鈥�15, owner president, VivCon LLC.

Visit Whitman鈥檚 website for more information on the听.

Traci Geisler, director of Blackstone LaunchPad at 黑料不打烊 Libraries, and Bruce Kingma, professor of entrepreneurship in the School of Information Studies and Whitman School of Management, co-organizers of the 2024 RvD iPrize and Spirt of Entrepreneurship Award.

Winners of the Raymond von Dran (RvD) iPrize for Student Entrepreneurship competition and the Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award were announced at the student entrepreneurship competition held April 12 at Bird Library. The competition was coordinated by the Blackstone LaunchPad at 黑料不打烊 Libraries (LaunchPad) and Bruce Kingma, professor of entrepreneurship at the School of Information Studies (iSchool) and Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

The following 10 student startup teams each won $2,000 in RvD funding:

• Brielle Young 鈥�26 (iSchool), founder of Aggregate, an online platform that enables small-scale farmers to sell directly to customers via the Internet.
• Olutosin 鈥淭osin鈥� Alabi G鈥�24 (Whitman School), founder of DiabeTech, a healthcare startup developing an innovative smart bandage solution for managing diabetic foot ulcers.
• Mariah Brown 鈥�25 (Whitman School) and Fernanda Kligerman, founders of Dormbank, a used goods store which specializes in supplying college students with reduced cost dorm goods, appliances and home electronics.
• Jonah Wassersug 鈥�26 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications), Alexa Shoiock 鈥�25 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and Tomoyoshi Takita 鈥�26 (iSchool), founders of GEN, an AI-powered personal stylist and shopper.
• Waqar Hussain G鈥�24 (Whitman School), founder of Iconic.cloud, offering small to medium enterprises a streamlined cloud server management solution, enabling them to easily deploy and scale their digital products on dedicated cloud platforms.
• Motolani Oladitan 鈥�24 (College of Arts and Sciences), founder of Latita Wellness (T脿), a virtual marketplace connecting African beauty and wellness brands with the diaspora by making it easier for consumers to discover and purchase high-quality, authentic African products.
• Elizabeth Paulin 鈥�25 (Arts and Sciences), founder of Paulin Ventures, a venture capital firm uniquely focused on investing in early-stage startups founded by diverse and disabled entrepreneurs鈥攁n underserved market with immense untapped potential.
• Xheneta Sopjani G鈥�24 (Whitman School), founder of Revive, a powerful skincare device that combines advanced technologies to stimulate collagen, tighten facial muscles and reduce wrinkles.
• Natasha Brao G鈥�24 (Whitman School), founder of Root & Seed Brands, which launched its first product, Shooka Sauce, a commercially packaged good brand that celebrates the mixing and melding of cultural cuisines to promote creative, adaptable cooking and bringing new experiences to the modern table.
• John Bol Ajak Deng G鈥�25 (Newhouse School), founder of The HumBol Fund, which aims to give academically gifted South Sudanese students from Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya a sense of hope through scholarships and a network of private school partners to pursue their education in the U.S.

The Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award is awarded to students who best exemplify the spirit of entrepreneurship. Prizes honor the memory of Hunter Brooks Watson, an SU student who died tragically in a distracted driving accident. The winners of $2,000 each are:

• Adya Parida 鈥�25 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Ryan Brouchoud 鈥�25 (Maxwell School), founders of AdaptEd, a technology company that offers AI-powered adaptive learning software designed to support students with different learning styles.
• Bintou Manneh 鈥�24 (iSchool), Maram Ahmed 鈥�24 (iSchool), Marangelis Uben 鈥�24 (iSchool) and Ashley Romero 鈥�24 (Arts and Sciences), founders of BearBot, a stuffed toy that acts as a reading tool for children, fostering a safe and comforting learning environment.
• Mariah Brown 鈥�25 (Whitman School) and Fernanda Kligerman, founders of Dormbank, a used goods store which specializes in supplying college students with reduced cost dorm goods, appliances and home electronics.
• Za鈥橳ozia Duffie G鈥�25 (Newhouse School), founder of MirrorZ60, an innovative mirror designed to revolutionize personal hair care, providing users with visibility to the back of their heads.
• Jordan Pierre G鈥�25 (Whitman School), founder of VOICE, fostering a community that empowers and uplifts marginalized students, enabling them to unearth their voices, recognize their collective agency in effecting change, and harness their platforms to cultivate community solidarity鈥攁ll through the medium of storytelling.

听The award competition highlights the University鈥檚 entrepreneurial focus. Raymond von Dran, who served as dean of the School of Information Studies from 1995 until his passing in 2007, was a longtime academic entrepreneur and staunch supporter of student innovation. Gisela von Dran, Raymond鈥檚 wife and the former director of the School of Information Studies鈥� library and information science master鈥檚 program, served as one of this year鈥檚 judges.

The Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award began in 2018 through the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund. Speaking on behalf of Hunter鈥檚 memory was John 鈥淛ack鈥� Rose 鈥�24 (Whitman School) of Management), this year鈥檚 Hunter Brooks Watson Remembrance Scholar, along with Hunter鈥檚 parents, Jerry Watson and Judith Fister, who joined from McLean, Virginia.

Oliver Fernandez ’08

Oliver Fernandez 鈥�08 graduated with a civil engineering degree and played for the 黑料不打烊 football team. He now lives in Washington D.C. with his wife, Leah, and their two children. Fernandez owns McKenzie, a construction company that has successfully completed over $100 million worth of projects.

Fernandez will be the keynote speaker at the College of Engineering and Computer Science鈥檚 2024 Convocation at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 11. The convocation will be held at the Lally Athletics Complex.

We asked Fernandez to talk about how he established his career and his advice for current students.

Frank Marin, Natasha Brao, Tosin Alabi, Motolani Oladitan and Jessica Grace McGhee

This semester, five University students working at the Couri Hatchery Student Business Incubator at the Whitman School of Management made it through the regional level of the New York State Business Plan Competition (NYBPC), an intercollegiate event designed to help prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs in New York state.

The hatchery, led by Program Manager and supported by faculty from the Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises (EEE), assists students in preparing for this highly competitive event. They will compete for up to $100,000 in cash prizes to support their ventures.

The following students are currently competing for a place in the statewide competition to be held in Albany, New York, on April 25:

Tosin Alabi G鈥�25 (MBA) is an entrepreneur-in-residence at the Couri Hatchery and a student in Whitman鈥檚 MBA program. She is competing with her business venture DiabeTech, an electronic bandage created for diabetic foot ulcers.

The bandage not only protects the wound but has sensors that check temperature and glucose levels in real time, providing vital information for the patient and physician. This information can be used to ward off dangerous consequences of diabetic foot ulcers like gangrene or amputation.

From Nigeria, Alabi appreciates the support she has been given at the Hatchery, particularly as an international student.

鈥淚nternational students are already dealing with acclimating to both the culture and the rigors of the education here. Sometimes I feel like an octopus juggling so many things at once,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t took courage for me to go to the hatchery, but the resources there have helped me understand the rules, legalities, licenses and visa limitations that impact my business. And, I could not go a day without the support of Indaria. She has put a light in the Couri Hatchery and made it the place for me. DiabeTech is not just a business idea for me. It鈥檚 helping people have a better life, even those in my own family who are diabetic.鈥�

Natasha Brao 鈥�22 (College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA)), G鈥�23, G鈥�24 (MBA) first discovered the deliciousness of the classic Mediterranean dish Shakshuka on a trip overseas in 2019 and soon realized it was a compilation of many Mediterranean backgrounds and cultures. Having always loved experimenting with cooking, she created , a spiced tomato sauce with the idea of 鈥渕ixing and melding cultures to promote creative cooking鈥� and formalized her business in 2023. The product quickly gained attention this March when she started selling the sauce. Brao recently acquired a spot at New York State鈥檚 International Taste Festival where upwards of 7,000 attended and had the chance to try Shooka.

鈥淢y entrepreneurial side comes from my creative background [Brao earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in design]. I was an idea machine and very passionate about food and culinary businesses,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e been hanging out at the hatchery for quite a while, planning the future of the business, considering strategic partnerships and creating a road map so I can stay on track as a busy student and entrepreneur. I have weekly meetings with the advisors at the hatchery and that has kept a fire under me to keep progressing week to week.鈥�

Frank Marin 鈥�23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science), G鈥�24 (MBA) is enrolled in a dual program earning an undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and an MBA with concentrations in entrepreneurship and supply chain management. He is working on a business opportunity called , which involves the removal of debris in space through innovative techniques. Marin is creating a general process for the spacecraft to follow that will give it maximum efficiency in debris removal.

鈥淚 am incredibly passionate about science and its growing importance, and I have a lot of ideas on how to make the world a better place, starting with removing debris,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he Couri Hatchery has been a place for me to talk with like-minded, entrepreneurial people, including members of the EEE faculty who challenge me and also help me stay on track. I hope that one day my ideas can make a difference in people鈥檚 lives.鈥�

Jessica Grace McGhee 鈥�19 (VPA), G鈥�24 (VPA) is a fine artist with her own online gallery, who is also a creative arts therapy graduate student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. She is entering her business venture Sacred Art of Rising (SAOR) in the competition. will engage survivors of chronic and complex trauma on three different platforms: the Resource Center in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 South Side, an area of the city with a high poverty level; the Retreat Center, a safe space with a myriad of nonverbal and verbal therapeutic platforms with access to restorative rest; and the Sacred Art of Rising mobile app with sliding scale access to psychoeducational, motivational and self-care content with a platform for telehealth therapy.

As a survivor of complex and chronic trauma, McGhee has created SOAR as an alternative, non-verbal therapeutic platform to help others recover, especially those who are underserved, as a means of 鈥渟ymbolic investment.鈥� She wants SOAR to create a full-circle investment in marginalized communities that heals and uplifts people to reach their own self-directed goals. And, McGhee hopes it will be a place to provide safe outdoor space for individuals and families to build healthy attachments, get social rest and also reach people in need of a place to heal and decrease the chronic toxic stress that accompanies poverty.

鈥淚 knew SOAR would be amazingly helpful but, financially, I couldn鈥檛 see how I could make it happen. Linda Hartsock just lit up that path for me,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 moved from Los Angeles to 黑料不打烊 in 2008 and was promised a very healthy existence but then endured several kinds of abuse before I got up the courage to leave. But, 黑料不打烊 and the people at the Couri Hatchery have rooted for me and done their best to uplift me and help me reach my dreams.鈥�

Motolani Oladitan 鈥�24 (A&S), a psychology major, has created , an online marketplace for African entrepreneurs to sell their beauty products collectively online. From Nigeria, Oladitan is starting with six to eight products and hopes to expand from there, becoming the premier destination for African beauty and wellness by helping get these brands into mainstream U.S. markets. She has tested and used every product she offers, and when people kept asking to borrow her products, Oladitan knew she was on to something.

鈥淭raci Giesler, Indaria Jones, Linda Dickerson Hartsock and all the mentors at the Couri Hatchery and the Blackstone LaunchPad have been so good to me and are always ready to help me practice my pitch or offer recommendations on how to tackle the things I鈥檓 facing,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking to put together a marketing plan, and even if I don鈥檛 win the competition, I know it鈥檚 a learning experience. 黑料不打烊 has been a learning experience, too, and I will take the feedback and implement that into the future of the business. I am in this for the long run.鈥�

The Couri Hatchery is named for John Couri 鈥�63, co-founder of Duty-Free International and president of the Couri Foundation.

The competition was organized by two students in the , Motolani Oladitan 鈥�24 and Brandon Henry 鈥�24, with support from other Blackstone LaunchPad student employees and founders.

Tosin Alabi took first place in the recent Afropreneurship Pitch Competition. (Photo by Mariah Brown)

Olutosin 鈥淭osin鈥� Alabi G鈥�25, an MBA student in the , won first place in the 90-second pitch competition with her proposed health tech startup, DiabeTech Nexus, a sensor-detecting diabetes wound bandage.

Whitman undergraduate student Mariah Brown 鈥�26 won second place with Dormbank, a proposed reseller of college residence hall items like appliances and small electronics. Third place winner Justin Diaz 鈥�24, also a student in the Whitman School, is founder of Eco Bamboo Living, a company that would create tiny homes made of bamboo for more sustainable living.

Judges for the pitch competition also spoke to students during a panel discussion on being an innovator, entrepreneur and creative of color. Panelists/judges included:

• Brianna Howard G鈥�21, founder of Faithful Works, which offers virtual assistant and grant consulting services to nonprofits, small business owners and startup;
• Derrell Smith 鈥�10, retired NFL player turned chef and founder of a meatball company named Amazeballs, who has cooked on stages around the world and stars in his own TV show on Tastemade;
• Damaris 鈥淜oi鈥� Munyua G鈥�22, founder of the marketing agency Koi and Company, which specializes in copywriting, graphic and website design;
• Ana Catalina Rodriguez Botello, a diversity and social impact professional with a master鈥檚 degree in public and social Policy from Universitat Pompeu Fabra and a LEAD Certificate from Stanford University, currently serving as global social impact senior manager at Marsh McLennan;
• Phahsa Ras, co-founder of UMi, the world鈥檚 first “Conscious Attention Economy,” capitalizing on the impact of such emergent technologies as generative AI on jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities; and
• Kofi Addai, associate director of bias education and response in .

serves as the University鈥檚 entrepreneurship and innovation hub, partnering with academic programs and entrepreneurial centers across campus and beyond to connect students to local, regional and national networks of alumni entrepreneurs, company founders, subject matter experts and venture partners.

Administered by 黑料不打烊 Libraries and located in Bird Library, the LaunchPad hosts classes, speaking events and workshops and offers a mentoring program. In addition, LaunchPad hosts each year.

Winning Startups

Three businesses developed by graduate students recently claimed the top prizes in the 鈥機use Tank competition, one of the University鈥檚 premier business plan competitions. Here, the winners offer advice for other graduate-level students who have an entrepreneurial spirit.

Natasha Brao

developed , inspired by the Mediterranean dish Shakshuka. The MBA student says she plans to run the business full time after she graduates this spring. Brao recently began production runs and is forming relationships with small local retailers. She will expand the business by hiring staff and ramping up marketing and sales and hopes it will soon be investor ready.

鈥淐reating a food product and brand has been something I have dreamed of doing since I was a kid, and now I owe it to myself to give it all I鈥檝e got,鈥� she says. She encourages others to pursue their startups while still in school. 鈥淚f you have an idea you want to explore or that is ready and has a place in the market, this is the best time for that. Starting a business while being in grad school has made me more passionate and driven me to absorb as much as I can from my classes. They provide invaluable tools to learn as I go and I can immediately apply those lessons to the real world.鈥�

Waqar Hussain

founded , a cloud-hosting platform engineered with proprietary software that offers streamlined cloud server management solutions. He is on track to earn an MBA with a concentration in entrepreneurship and marketing next year. Now, he鈥檒l use his 鈥機use Tank prize to fund product development, improved technology, automation, marketing and the infrastructure and operations teams, he says. He encourages graduate students to take on startup ventures.

鈥淸The experience] allows grad students to start building while they鈥檙e studying. These programs help you think more holistically when you鈥檙e competing鈥攆rom writing to pitching to financing. You find there鈥檚 a whole world of things you can put into practice to build your real-world skills.鈥�

heads , which uses engineering analysis software to design systems for active space debris removal, on-orbit satellite servicing and in-space manufacturing missions. He is in his final year of the H. John Riley dual engineering/MBA program.

Marin鈥檚 interest in creating a space company began in high school after a military representative at a science fair thought his passion could become something more. He credits a first-year entrepreneurship course with helping him better understand how to solve problems and seek opportunities. 鈥淓xplore the connection between your passion and problem-solving while there鈥檚 time for it,鈥� he suggests. 鈥淚f you find something worth doing, do it.鈥� He says he will enter his company in additional competitions this semester, then look for longer-term sources of funding.

Additional Resources

Students can also find entrepreneurship opportunities in their home school or college.

: The (New Explorations in Information and Science) Lab is a research lab where student innovators initiate IT projects, work with peers and explore emerging technologies. Students work on independent projects that advance the fields of information science, engineering and technology. The school also hosts workshops and hackathons.

: The 听provides information about patents, trademarks and copyrights. Student entrepreneurs can meet with law student experts regarding questions on intellectual property, regulatory compliance and commercialization resources as well as the technical, legal and business aspects of bringing new technologies to market. The center also hires graduate students from a wide range of disciplines to assess and analyze proposals submitted by real-world clients.

: The is an entrepreneurial workspace that partners with new media startups and offers tailored services to help students鈥� companies grow and succeed. The coordinates co-op internships that allow students to work with some of the world鈥檚 fastest-growing media startups.

: The graduate degree program in offers specialized tracks in four areas: new venture, social, corporate and family entrepreneurship. The school presents several competitions each year, including , the and . Whitman is also home to the , a student-centered co-working space and mentorship program, and the

: Veteran or military-connected students will find many at IVMF. help students get their ideas off the ground. The annual focuses on the opportunities and challenges faced by growth-stage businesses that are actively scaling or ready to scale. is a one-day entrepreneurship training event, offered in cities across the U.S., for veterans, active-duty military and military spouses or life partners who are just beginning to explore the opportunity of small business ownership as a post-service career path.

The symposium will feature a panel of successful entrepreneurs, financial investors and legal experts in a discussion on the challenges that high-growth, privately held tech companies face as they take on private equity, venture capital or other forms of funding. Panelists will cover investment deals they have completed, trends in financing and their career paths in the technology commercialization space.

Those interested in the legal, financial, business and entrepreneurial aspects of high-growth companies are encouraged to attend. .

, professor of practice and executive director of the ILC, will moderate the discussion.

The event will be streamed live via the ILC and a recording will be made available for those who cannot attend.

The symposium is co-sponsored by the , the College of Law鈥檚 Corporate Law Society and Intellectual Property Law Society, and the at 黑料不打烊 Libraries.

The panelists are:

Peter Alfano L’94, Partner,

Alfano represents private equity sponsors, corporations and lenders in a wide variety of domestic and cross-border finance transactions, including leveraged acquisitions, corporate financings, dividend recapitalizations, restructurings and asset-based lending transactions. He has experience across several tech industries and advises companies in connection with intercompany finance arrangements, corporate restructurings and general corporate matters, including for private equity-owned portfolio companies.

Luke Cooper L鈥�01, Founding General Partner and Managing Director,

Cooper is the founding general partner and managing director at Latimer Ventures. Latimer Ventures is an enterprise-focused Venture Capital firm dedicated to helping Black and Hispanic founders build and exit the next RedHat, Datadog or Tableau. He spends most of his time fundraising and nurturing a strong pipeline of early-stage enterprise SaaS companies.

Before Latimer, Cooper was a 2x successfully exited enterprise software founder (Cybersecurity and Insurtech) with both exits to Fortune 300 acquirers. In 2020, he sold his company, Fixt, an enterprise-focused third-party administration software, to Assurant (NYSE:AIZ), a Fortune 300 leader in insurance risk management. After raising a $6.5 million Series A, he became one of three Black founders to reach a profitable exit that year.

James Kelly L’99, Partner and Chair, New York Private Equity,

Kelly is a strategic advisor to private equity funds and operating companies across many industries. He focuses his practice on representing private equity funds in all aspects of their investment activities, recently acting for Atlas Holdings, Bregal Partners, The Carlyle Group, Oaktree Capital Management and Stellex Capital Management, among several others.

He is recognized by The Legal 500 US鈥痠n Private Equity Buyouts and has been recognized for numerous consecutive years by Chambers in New York M&A, has been featured in Buyouts, including a Buyouts Deal of the Year,鈥疶he Deal,鈥疊loomberg鈥痑nd鈥疞aw360,鈥痑s well as other leading publications.鈥疕e has presented for several education providers, including Practicing Law Institute and Strafford, and has received recognition for his pro bono work, including the Pro Bono Publico Award from The Legal Aid Society. Kelly is a member of the College of Law Board of Advisors.

Lon Levin L’80, President,

Levin is president of SkySevenVentures, which invests in, advises and provides executive鈥痵ervices for space and other technology businesses. He has more than 40 years of experience as an鈥痚xecutive and entrepreneur in the telecommunications, media, and aerospace industries.

Recently, from 2017-2023, Levin was an executive for Lockheed Martin Space developing new businesses and markets. He served as president and chief executive officer of GEOshare, an entrepreneurial subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, and as vice president-new ventures.

Levin co-founded XM Satellite Radio and played executive leadership roles in the formation and development of other satellite, space and media companies, including Mobile Satellite Ventures, XM Canada, Slacker Radio, American Mobile Satellite Corporation, TerraStar Networks (mobile satellite), GEOshare (condosats) and Parsec (lunar telecommunications).

He served as a U.S. Delegate negotiating technology treaties at many International Telecommunication Union conferences and holds five telecommunication satellite patents. Levin has served as a special government employee on the Defense Department鈥檚 Defense Business Board and the NASA Advisory Council.

Levin is treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors of The Planetary Society and Board Member Emeritus of the Space Foundation, where has was chairperson from 2014-16.

Kevin Whittaker L’02, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer,

Whittaker is the chief legal and compliance officer and corporate secretary of Ripcord, a NASA spinoff specializing in the digital optimization of data through robotics and AI. Ripcord is backed by Silicon Valley鈥檚 leading investors, including Kleiner Perkins and Google Ventures.

Whittaker provides counsel on venture financing, M&A, operations, human resources and governance. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, he plays a pivotal role in aligning the company’s business strategies with legal and compliance standards, fostering collaboration with stakeholders, customers and investors.

Whittaker was a speaker at Match-Up 2023, speaking on “AI Unleashed: Pioneering a New Epoch of Innovation,鈥� which explored the profound impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on diverse industries and its pivotal role in shaping the future. Before becoming an in-house corporate counsel, he was a partner at Reed Smith, and of counsel to Baker McKenzie and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.

Alexis Pe帽a 鈥�16 (Photo courtesy of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine)

Despite the dominance of cheap, quick clothing production among modern retailers, 黑料不打烊 biomedical engineering alumna Alexis Pe帽a 鈥�16, and her colleague, Lauren Blake, are determined to revolutionize the textile industry with their start-up, Good Fibes.

鈥淪ince summer 2022, Lauren and I have embarked on understanding the fashion industry ecosystem to provide innovative solutions for the current challenges,鈥� says Pe帽a. 鈥淎t Good Fibes, we鈥檙e developing methods for biomanufacturing natural textile fibers using biological building blocks. Our mission is to enable a circular textile economy through material innovation.鈥�

The biotech startup aims to produce lab-grown fibers through cellular agriculture and use engineered molecules to create renewable, biodegradable and non-toxic fibers. They hope this will offer alternatives to synthetic fibers such as polyester, which currently make up over 50% of clothing material. Synthetic fibers can also take hundreds of years to degrade and shed microplastics and chemical pollutants into the environment.

Though fibers like cotton, silk or wool are natural fibers, their production processes don鈥檛 align with sustainability goals or meet the industry鈥檚 needs. Cotton processing demands extensive amounts of water and silk production requires a considerable amount of energy. Wool products may also contain harsh chemicals and dyes that make them less biodegradable.

Alexis Pe帽a ’16 and Lauren Blake present a pitch for Chain Reaction Innovations (Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory)

Natural materials can also be unpredictable in supply due to weather, humidity, animal diet or plant soil, which can cause variations in harvest seasons and batch-to-batch quality. Additionally, the industry faces challenges related to performance criteria and variability in quality, which ultimately leads to a reliance on synthetic fibers.

Good Fibes鈥� bioengineered fibers solve these issues by providing environmentally conscious production and better-quality materials compared to current synthetic textiles.

鈥淭he lack of reliable alternatives to synthetic fibers is a major pain point in the textile industry. Our bioengineered fibers not only provide an alternative to petroleum-based fibers, but also address limitations of cotton, silk and wool by having year-round production and tunable properties such as elasticity, tensile strength and dye affinity鈥� says Pe帽a.

Pe帽a and Blake recently completed their Ph.D.s in May 2023 at Johns Hopkins University. The co-founders also taught a course called 鈥淔uture Fashion Innovation鈥� to material scientists and engineering undergraduates at Johns Hopkins during intersession and adapted the course into a webinar for Johns Hopkins School of Medicine alumni during Earth Week in 2023.

Additionally, Good Fibes has been selected as a participant in a lab-embedded entrepreneurship program (LEEP), Chain Reaction Innovations (CRI) program at Argonne National Laboratory.听The CRI program is designed to support entrepreneurs and their innovative research with a focus on clean energy.

鈥淔ashion should allow people to feel good about their clothing, but also feel good about what happens to their clothing after they wear it,鈥� says Pe帽a. 鈥淲e believe this can truly innovate the textile industry and bring a much-needed change to fashion鈥檚 monolithic infrastructure.鈥�

Inaugural winners of the Orange Innovation Fund awards, from left: Thomas Montfort, Natasha Brao, Trustee Raj-Ann Rekhi Gill, Scott Warren, senior associate dean for research excellence, Alex Levy and Sam Schreiber

The Orange Innovation Fund supports student research initiatives emerging from campus innovation programs. The grant “concept to commercialization” fund is designed to help move graduate and undergraduate student research or scholarly projects from ideation to proof of concept to commercialization. Initial funding from the program came from a gift to the Libraries from Raj-Ann Rekhi Gill 鈥�98, a member of the 黑料不打烊 Board of Trustees.

Grants up to $5,000 per award will be made, with a total of up to $50,000 per academic year based on the merit of applications.

The program is administered through 黑料不打烊 Libraries, in collaboration with the University鈥檚 research and commercialization programs, including the , ,听,听, the听, the听听at 黑料不打烊,听,听, the听听(NYSTAR designated Center for Advanced Technology) and the听. Applicants can also come directly through research classes, labs or independent study programs across the University.

Student applicants must identify specific tangible needs related to the product, service, technology or creative work they are developing. Grants will support defined projects over a clear timeframe with identified outcomes that will help move a research project or innovative venture toward proof of concept toward commercialization.

A prerequisite to applying is attendance at one of the proposal writing workshops being offered by Linda Dickerson Hartsock, advisor, strategic initiatives 黑料不打烊 Libraries, and former founding director of the Blackstone LaunchPad. Students should attend one of the following workshops to create a successful application:

• March 6, 3 to 4 p.m. in Bird Library
• March 7, 3 to 4 p.m. in Bird Library
• Friday, March 8, 10 to 11 a.m. ET via Zoom (Zoom link provided upon e-mail to orangeinnovation@syr.edu)

Applications are due Friday, March 29, by 5 p.m. ET to 黑料不打烊 Libraries. For a link to the application or to register for a workshop, please email orangeinnovation@syr.edu to indicate your interest in the program.

Following a cross-campus committee review process, announcements and award letters will be made in late April or early May.

Three student teams were the fall 2023 winners of inaugural Orange Innovation Fund awards.

• 

  Emma Leuders (left) and Jennie Bull

  1st Place: $5,000 awarded to Moody Mag, founders Emma Lueders 鈥�24 (College of Visual and Performing Arts [VPA]) and Jennie Bull 鈥�24 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management). As first prize winner, Moody Mag will be representing the University at the in Boston.

• 2nd Place: $4,000 awarded to EcoBamboo Living, founders Justin Diaz 鈥�24 (Whitman School) and Keif Timmins 鈥�25 (SUNY ESF).
• 3rd Place: $3,000 awarded to Continual, founder Katy Arons 鈥�24 (School of Information Studies).
• Runner-Ups: $1,000 awarded to each of the following: Marhold Space Systems, founder Frank Marin G鈥�24 (Whitman School); Ta, founder Motolani Oladitan 鈥�25 (College of Arts and Sciences); and Scale Sense, founders Oliver Raycroft 鈥�25 (College of Engineering and Computer Science [ECS]) and Adya Parida 鈥�25 (ECS).
• Up and Coming Awards: $250 each awarded to: Queen鈥檚 Wellness Institute, founder Fatim Cisse G鈥�24 (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics); Dormbank, founder Mariah Brown 鈥�26 (Whitman School); Shelstie, founder Shelstie Dastinot 鈥�24 (VPA); and GbaA么ndo (GBA) Energy, founders MoAde Jagusah 鈥�24 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs), Adam Youngs 鈥�26 (Whitman School), Court Watson 鈥�26 (Whitman School), Nicole Mazzeo 鈥�25 (Maxwell School) and Semirat (Bushrah) Balogun G鈥�24 (School of Information Studies).

• 

  Shooka, founded by Natasha Brao 鈥�22

  Shooka, founded by Natasha Brao 鈥�22 () G鈥�24 (). Shooka is a consumer-packaged goods brand that celebrates the mixing and melding of cultural cuisines to promote creative, adaptable cooking, bringing new experiences to the modern table. Inspired by the classic dish Shakshuka enjoyed in many Mediterranean cultures, Shooka makes creative variations that allow you to experience the dish at home. Brao has solidified the contractual relationship with her co-packer and is hoping to launch her first line by the end of the fourth quarter with the funds awarded from ‘Cuse Tank.

• 

  Marhold Space Systems, founded by Frank Marin 鈥�23

  Marhold Space Systems, founded by Frank Marin 鈥�23 () G鈥�24 (Whitman). Marhold Space Systems, LLC is a space manufacturing company that is developing technology to assist in building long-term, in-space sustainable growth. They will be providing services through novel methods for active debris removal, on-orbit servicing and in-space manufacturing. Through designs and novel methodology, Marhold Space Systems promotes safer interactions with debris by minimizing contact with uncooperative objects. They will utilize the prize money for astrodynamics software to validate their debris removal methodology.

• 

  IconnHost, founded by Waqar Hussain G鈥�24

  IconnHost, founded by Waqar Hussain G鈥�24 (Whitman). IconnHost is a fully managed cloud hosting platform, engineered with proprietary software that crafts tailored hosting solutions with one click. They offer subject matter experts a streamlined cloud server management solution, enabling them to easily deploy and scale their digital products on dedicated cloud platforms. IconnHost will use the prize money to invest in product development, performance-improving technology, scalability, automation and marketing, and to build out their infrastructure and operations team.

This year鈥檚 prizes were generously donated by: Corey Lieblein 鈥�93, parent Ajay Nagpal and Andrew 鈥�79 and Linda Schwartz.

This year鈥檚 judges included:

• Jack Adler 鈥�23, CEO of Out2Win Sports
• Melinda Dermody, associate dean of academic success, 黑料不打烊 Libraries
• Ana Gil, owner, Ana Gil Studios
• Corey Lieblein, CEO of CP8 Capital
• Ajay Nagpal, president and COO of Millenium
• David Reed 鈥�83, Champion Products
• Kira Crawford, technology consultant
• Tyrin Fernandes 鈥�20, entrepreneur
• Karla Lellis JD鈥�25, legal compliance specialist
• Lee McKnight, faculty, School of Information Studies
• Kate Oja, associate director of ERIE21, Le Moyne College
• Mark Wassersug, former COO of Intercontinental Exchange

About 黑料不打烊 Libraries鈥� Blackstone

The is 黑料不打烊鈥檚 innovation hub, connecting the campus resource-rich ecosystem with a global network that provides support for aspiring entrepreneurs, inventors and creators. The program serves faculty, staff, students and recent alumni across all disciplines who are interested in entrepreneurship, venture creation and innovation careers. The program supports a key pillar of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 academic strategic plan to give students experiential opportunities that help prepare them to be trailblazers in an entrepreneurial world.

Winners of the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Award (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

The power and impact of the entrepreneurial spirit was on center stage during two recent alumni events on campus. First, on Nov. 9, were honored during the inaugural听鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards.

At the awards ceremony held at the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D鈥橝niello Building, , vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and executive dean of the Whitman School kicked off the evening. 鈥淚 am an evangelist for entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is about empowerment,鈥� said Haynie. 鈥淚 know this because the work that I do has afforded me a front row seat to see how entrepreneurship can change the trajectory of lives.鈥�

Tamekia Flowers-Ball

Tamekia-Flowers-Ball 鈥�97, Founder/CEO of , spoke on behalf of the inaugural class and shared how during her time at 黑料不打烊 she took the University鈥檚 first entrepreneurship course. The course opened her eyes to the limitless possibilities of innovation and self-driven success. 鈥淚t sparked my entrepreneurial spirit, encouraging me to pursue my dreams and transform ideas into tangible ventures,鈥� said Flowers-Ball.

Ball stressed to her fellow honorees the importance of extending a hand and opportunity to the next generations of awardees. 鈥淲hether hiring current students as interns or donating to scholarship programs, like Our Time Has Come, spearheaded by the Office of Multicultural Advancement, let鈥檚 ensure the success of future generations,鈥� said Flowers-Ball.

The following day, the alumni gave back to the community that they so proudly came from by taking part in the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit. The summit was open to the entire campus community, but specifically targeted students to allow them to learn about startup thinking, to develop personal and professional skills and to meet and network with alumni founders and top executives of fast-growing companies.

The day started with welcome remarks from Haynie and Alexander McKelvie, interim dean of the Whitman School of Management and professor of entrepreneurship. McKelvie thanked the alumni panelists for paying it forward to the next generation. 鈥淓ach of you likely remember that one friend, mentor or role model who helped inspire you and think differently about how you approach a challenge,鈥� said McKelvie. 鈥淭oday is about that same inspiration.鈥�

Students meet and network with alumni founders and top executives of leading companies at the 鈥楥USE50 Summit. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Entrepreneurship certainly changed the lives of many alumni honored during the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 awards. This was showcased during the interactive panels with the honorees and more than 300 students during two different sets of sessions of the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit. Topics included developing entrepreneurial and growth mindsets, community building and customer acquisition, branding, finding talent and developing teams, mental health and the startup life, finding advisors, mentors and coaches, and setting yourself up for success by raising money and leveraging resources.

When asked what advice they would give to young entrepreneurs who are hoping to start and/or grow a business, here’s what a few of the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 winners had to say:

• 鈥淣ever stop asking questions. Seek advice at all turns. Every business can be improved and the key for entrepreneurs is to identify the opportunities and fill the need. It is also normal to fail, regroup and try again.鈥�鈥擜dam Sulimirski ’85, managing partner of
• 鈥淲ork for either an entrepreneur or an entrepreneurial-oriented organization for a bit after college to learn the good, the bad and the ugly. Learn what works and what you like and build your business around those values. You will attract like-minded people听who share your passions, and you will love coming to work every day.鈥�鈥擣rank Shultz ’03, CEO and founder of
• 鈥淓mbrace every learning opportunity, even if it seems unrelated to your primary field of study. Skills and knowledge acquired in one area can often be applied in unexpected ways in another. Stay adaptable, be open to change, and always prioritize effective communication. Surround yourself with a diverse team that brings different perspectives and strengths to the table. Also, be mission-driven and seek inspiration from the brands, companies, and causes you work for. Aim to inspire others to achieve bigger and better things than they can do alone.鈥�鈥擶hitney Mitchell ’06, CEO and founder of
• 鈥淛ust start building and don’t be afraid to fail because the failure is putting you one step closer to achieving your ultimate goal.鈥� 鈥擪ori Hale ’13, CEO of

From left: Thomas Montfort, Natasha Brao, Raj-Ann Rekhi Gill, Senior Associate Dean for Research Excellence Scott Warren, Alex Levy and Sam Schreiber

Three student teams are the winners of inaugural awards, a grant program administered through designed to help students commercialize their research ideas.

Natasha Brao 鈥�22, G鈥�23, G鈥�24

Brao, who received an undergraduate degree from the , a graduate degree from the and is currently pursuing an MBA from Whitman, is the recipient of the 黑料不打烊 Orange Distinction Award and an Invest in Success Scholar.

She is founder of a creative agency that creates brand strategy and design for clients ranging from products to services to environments. She also serves as the lead designer, marketing team lead and innovation mentor at the .

A culinary entrepreneur who is fascinated by food creativity, she is also founder of Root and Seed Brands, a company that is bringing real, whole and culturally diverse food products to market. This Orange Innovation Fund award will help her produce her official batch of product, Shooka Sauce, a Mediterranean spiced sauce that celebrates the mixing and melding of cultural flavors.

Working with the LaunchPad and Whitman faculty, as well as industry advisors, she recently produced her first test batch of professionally bottled sauce, which won accolades and funding in Whitman鈥檚 fall 2023 Orange Tank. She incorporated her venture with the assistance of a LaunchPad Innovation Award (funded by 黑料不打烊 Libraries鈥� Advisory Board member Jeff Rich 鈥�67) and is now working with a co-packer in Rochester to bring the product to market.

This grant will help her with final third-party independent nutritional analysis, labeling and other regulatory requirements, and to start larger scale production of her sauce for market placement.

Alex Levy 鈥�25 and Sam Schreiber 鈥�25

Levy, a student, and Schreiber, a student in the ,听were recent first-place winners of the spring 2023 Intelligence ++ inclusive design and entrepreneurship competition, funded by Gianfranco Zaccai 鈥�70, H鈥�09.

Levy and Schreiber are founders of Optimal Assessment, LLC, an ed-tech venture incorporated with the assistance of a LaunchPad Innovation Award (funded by Jeff Rich 鈥�67), and are developing an original software platform to help faculty design courses for students with diverse and varied learning styles, including those who are neurodivergent.

Their Orange Innovation Fund award will assist them in working with industry advisors and software development experts to build out a prototype to pilot in spring 2024. Levy is a designer for Innovate Orange, an organization that plans and runs CuseHacks, and recently completed a designer internship with IBM where he earned eight IBM licenses and certifications, including Accessibility Foundations and Enterprise Design Thinking Team Essentials for Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Schreiber is a Venture Fellow for the ORCA Network, a ChatGPT-powered platform for connecting founders and investors and serves as an innovation mentor for the LaunchPad.

Thomas Montfort 鈥�24

student Montfort recently completed a software engineering internship at Amazon Web Services in Austin, Texas, following a software engineering internship at JPMorgan Chase. Montfort is one of the original co-founding team members and former vice president of Cuse Blockchain, a student organization based in the LaunchPad focused on research and education around blockchain technology.

He founded Agora Labs this summer with two other students he met in Austin. Agora is focused on democratizing access to AI computing resources via affordable peer-to-peer GPU networks. He and his team will use the Orange Innovation Fund award to build tools that engineers need for integrating Large Language Models into their tech stack. The funding will enable Agora to develop their product over the coming months and get user feedback.

Funding for the Orange Innovation Award program comes from a gift from Raj-Ann Rekhi Gill 鈥�98, a member of the 黑料不打烊 Board of Trustees who is operating partner of Silicon Valley Quad, an angel investing syndicate. Gill presented the three awards to the student teams and announced that applications are now open for the spring 2024 grant round.

The Orange Innovation Fund supports student research initiatives emerging from campus innovation programs. It is intended to help move graduate and undergraduate student research or scholarly projects from ideation to proof of concept and commercialization, supporting the University鈥檚 goals of excellence in research, scholarship, student experiential learning and innovation.

Applications for the spring semester will be due Friday, March 29, 2024, by 5 p.m. ET. . For a link to register for the required proposal writing workshop, as well as application materials, please email orangeinnovation@syr.edu.

From production and digital media companies to pizza tours and EV charging solutions, the honorees of the inaugural are an impressive group of leaders representing the 50 fastest-growing 黑料不打烊 alumni-owned businesses.

Honorees will be Thursday, Nov. 9, followed the next day by engagement sessions between the alumni entrepreneurs and the University community. 鈥淲e look forward to having this group of alumni honorees back on campus to celebrate their outstanding achievements in a whole new way,鈥� says Tracy Barlok, senior vice president and chief advancement officer. 鈥淪o many of our graduates have a strong entrepreneurial spirit and it is important that we get to celebrate the impact they are making in the world with their businesses.鈥�

Students, staff and faculty will have an opportunity to engage with the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 honorees during the on Friday, Nov. 10, at the Whitman School of Management. The summit is open to everyone, but organizers, including 黑料不打烊 Libraries, are especially encouraging students from across campus to participate. The summit represents an opportunity for students to learn about startup thinking, to develop personal and professional skills, and meet and network with alumni founders and top executives of fast-growing companies.

for the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Summit, which will run from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., starting in the Flaum Grand Hall and move to Whitman鈥檚 classrooms for panel discussions.

鈥淭his is a unique learning opportunity for our students,鈥� says , vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and executive dean of the Whitman School. 鈥淭he inaugural 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Alumni Entrepreneur Award event and Summit sets conditions for our students to engage directly with alumni leaders who started their entrepreneurial journey at 黑料不打烊 in a way that connects our graduates to the entrepreneurial aspirations of our current students.鈥�

The summit will begin with welcoming remarks from Haynie and Alex McKelvie, interim dean of the Whitman School, and will move to breakout sessions featuring interactive panels with 鈥机鲍厂贰50 honorees and will be moderated by students who are conversation fire starters. The summit will conclude with a networking reception where students are encouraged to bring laptops to showcase their portfolio of work.

For more information about the event, visit the .

鈥淭his is a huge achievement for 黑料不打烊 and the Whitman School,鈥� says J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and executive dean at the Whitman School. 鈥淭his ranking further validates our commitment to the rigorous pursuit of entrepreneurship and the type of research productivity necessary to advance this important strategic priority. This type of productivity represents the depth of our entrepreneurship programs and of our faculty who demonstrate scholarly excellence through their dynamic research and findings in the discipline.鈥�

鈥淲e are proud of the academic excellence and research productivity at 黑料不打烊 and in the Whitman School by our outstanding group of faculty,鈥� says Alexander McKelvie, interim dean of the Whitman School. 鈥淭his ranking has grown in importance in recent years given it鈥檚 the only global research ranking of its kind. Not only does our position on this ranking highlight our thought leadership in the competitive entrepreneurship space, it also affirms that the University鈥檚 strategic focus on leveraging our entrepreneurial spirit in everything we do continues to serve us well鈥揻rom both an academic and research perspective. We don鈥檛 just talk about entrepreneurship at 黑料不打烊, we live it every day.鈥�

Launched in 2009 by the at Texas Christian University (TCU), the TCU Global University Entrepreneurship Research Productivity Rankings track research articles in entrepreneurship journals according to authorship and university affiliation. 黑料不打烊 and the Whitman School were ranked based on publications by its faculty in three of the top entrepreneurship journals鈥擩ournal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice and Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal鈥攐ver five years from 2018-2022.

The data for this ranking is not adjusted for faculty size. All counts are made at the university level; differentiations are not made between departments or other units. Only one affiliation per article is counted.

Jack Adler 鈥�23, G鈥�24 (far right) was awarded the $25,000 first-place prize for Out2Win sports. From left are Derrell Smith 鈥�10, G鈥�13; Maria Minniti, chair of Whitman鈥檚 Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises and Bantle Chair in Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, and Adler.

Held Sept. 29 at the Whitman School, this 鈥淪hark Tank鈥�-like competition showcased the ideas of Whitman students and alumni as they competed for cash prizes and valuable feedback from alumni entrepreneurs and business professionals judging the event.

Forty-one ventures were submitted for initial consideration this year with five selected to pitch at the competition based on a variety of criteria that ranged from market potential and sound execution strategy to the ability to protect the intellectual property and the scalability of the business.

Thanks to the continued generosity of Whitman Advisory Council (WAC) member and University Life Trustee John Couri 鈥�63 (College of Arts and Sciences (A&S)), H鈥�08, $35,000 in cash prizes for first, second and third place were awarded at the competition.

New this year was the inaugural Scrub Daddy Jumpstart Innovation Award of $10,000 presented by Aaron Krause 鈥�92 (A&S), founder, president and CEO of Scrub Daddy, who also served as one of the Orange Tank judges at this year鈥檚 competition.

The five finalists presented a 5-minute pitch followed by a Q&A from the judges, who, along with Krause, included Blake Brossman 鈥�98 (), founder of PetCareRx; Molly Fisher 鈥�08, G鈥�12, head of finance for Skiptown and a member of the Young Whitman Advisory Council; and Keir Weimer 鈥�11, founder and CEO of Weekender Hotels.

While the judges deliberated behind closed doors, Maria Minniti, chair of Whitman鈥檚 Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises (EEE), thanked the competition鈥檚 sponsors and gave the audience an overview of the outstanding work going on within the EEE department.

Event emcee and former 黑料不打烊 and NFL football player Derrell Smith 鈥�10 (), G鈥�13 (), now an entrepreneur, executive producer and host of “Mad Good Food” on Tastemade and CEO of 99EATS, then had a Q&A with Sam Hollander 鈥�21 (Whitman/Newhouse). Hollander was one of last year鈥檚 Orange Tank winners with ShareClub, an entrepreneurial venture that enhances the ownership experience for the everyday investor by providing the tools and resources to achieve their financial goals.

After much anticipation, the judges announced their decision with Jack Adler 鈥�23, G鈥�24 walking away with a $25,000 first-place prize for Out2Win sports, a platform designed to streamline the way brands connect with athletes for marketing partnerships. Eric Marcarian 鈥�06 received a $7,500 second place prize for Mission Focused Ethos, a digital solution designed for the military that offers a modernized method of aircraft inspection, resulting in more on-time flights; and Xheneta Sopjani G鈥�24 was awarded third place and $2,500 for Revive by Deinde, an at-home anti-aging device using science-based, non-invasive technology.

鈥淚 was honored to come away with the grand prize from among such a competitive pool of startups,鈥� says Adler. 鈥淭he winning prize money is legitimately going to help me take Out2Win Sports to the next level.鈥�

Krause presented the Scrub Daddy Jumpstart Innovation Award to Natasha Brao 鈥�22 (VPA), G鈥�23, G鈥�24听 for Shooka, a spicy tomato sauce based on the classic North African and Middle Eastern dish Shakshuka. According to Krause, he selected Brao and her distinctive product because he 鈥渟aw the potential to get the product to market quickly.鈥�

鈥淥nce again this year, the Orange Tank pitch competition was an opportunity to witness the level of innovative thinkers and amazing ideas coming out of the Whitman School,鈥� says Minniti. 鈥淚t is to the credit of the Whitman School鈥檚 EEE department faculty, our students, the judges and our generous donors that Orange Tank continues to be so successful. It鈥檚 exciting to see those with such an enthusiastic entrepreneurial mindset take yet another step forward into turning good ideas into great ones.鈥�

Story by Caroline Reff

Gill

The Orange Innovation Fund is a concept to commercialization seed fund for student research initiatives emerging from the Blackstone LaunchPad and other campus innovation programs. The fund is designed to help move student research, scholarly or creative projects from ideation to proof of concept and commercialization by helping overcome some financial barriers students face.

The program will be administered through 黑料不打烊 Libraries, in collaboration with the University鈥檚 existing research and commercialization programs such as the , the , , , the , the at 黑料不打烊, , , the (NYSTAR designated Center for Advanced Technology) and the . Applicants can also come through research classes, labs or independent study programs across the University.

“It’s been wonderful to see 黑料不打烊’s Blackstone Launchpad and its other innovation programs be so enthusiastically embraced by students across all disciplines. I hope this new fund will help remove any barriers student entrepreneurs might encounter as they develop their products for market. The U.S. economy depends on the tenacity of entrepreneurs to keep its edge,” says Gill. The Orange Innovation Fund supports the University鈥檚 goal to distinguish 黑料不打烊 for excellence in research, scholarship, student experiential learning and innovation.

鈥淲e are so grateful for Raj-Ann鈥檚 commitment to 黑料不打烊, the Libraries and most importantly to the students we serve,鈥� said David Seaman, dean of 黑料不打烊 Libraries and university librarian. 鈥淭hrough her generosity, students will have the opportunity to apply for grants that will help bring their ideas to fruition, removing barriers to development of their products, services, technology and creativity.鈥�

Each semester graduate and undergraduate students engaged in commercialization projects will have an opportunity to apply for grants up to $5,000 per award, with a total of up to $50,000 per academic year awarded over five years.

Applicants must identify specific tangible needs related to the development of a product, service, technology or creative work in the discovery, testing, building and/or launching of their initiative. Prospective applicants are encouraged to attend two proposal/grant writing workshops on Sept. 13 and 14 at 3 p.m. in the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons in Bird Library. The workshops will be offered by Linda Dickerson Hartsock, advisor, strategic initiatives at 黑料不打烊 Libraries, and former founding director of the Blackstone LaunchPad.

The first application round will close Sept. 29. Applications for funding will be directed to the Libraries and reviewed by a cross-campus committee. For additional information email听 orangeinnovation@syr.edu.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for 黑料不打烊

Orange isn鈥檛 just our color. It鈥檚 our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for 黑料不打烊 is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit听听to learn more.

Entrepreneurship is one of the three major pathways that servicemembers pursue during the transition to their post-service lives. According to the , veterans are not only more likely than their civilian peers to start and run their own businesses but on average, they also out-earn their non-veteran counterparts.

The 黑料不打烊 2023 cohort for Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (photo courtesy of Angela Ryan).

During the Saturday evening graduation ceremony at the National Veterans Resource Center, J. Michael Haynie, IVMF鈥檚 Co-Founder and Executive Director, shared his personal opinion on what makes the program a success in preparing veterans for the challenges of entrepreneurship.

Mike Haynie, vice chancellor of strategic initiatives and innovation at 黑料不打烊, welcomes the 2023 EBV 黑料不打烊 cohort.

鈥淭he EBV program really embodies the convergence of two truths that I hold very closely. The first of those is the power of business ownership to change the trajectory of lives and families,鈥� says Haynie, a U.S. Air Force veteran and the University’s vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation. 鈥淭he second truth is the resiliency, the grit, and the selflessness of those who have served, and how those attributes translate to the relentless pursuit of the next big challenge, however daunting that challenge may be.鈥�

With more than 2,400 EBV graduates to date, the program also calls upon previous graduates who have seen significant success after attending one of the IVMF鈥檚 entrepreneurial training programs. One such graduate is U.S. Marine Corps veteran Chris Dambach, owner of Industry Standard USA. Dambach鈥檚 business provides construction and facility support services for government projects and has been featured on the Inc. 5,000 list celebrating the fastest-growing businesses in the United States.

Dambach also had a hand in recruiting one of this year鈥檚 graduates, local 黑料不打烊 business owner and U.S. Air Force veteran, Brandon Johnson. Johnson is the owner of Crossett Property Management, which manages several properties located primarily in the Strathmore area of the city.

鈥淚 met Chris at a veteran-focused conference a few years ago, and we were talking about getting into the government contracting space eventually, and he told me I had to do the EBV program,鈥� Johnson says. 鈥淛ust feeling the energy in the room and being exposed to the faculty that鈥檚 here, it鈥檚 just a great refresher to keep our tools sharpened to go out there and be successful in business.”

Alex McKelvie, interim dean of the Whitman School, teaches a class for the 2023 Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans at 黑料不打烊 cohort.

The program does more than teach about small business management, however, it also gets the participants out into the local community to speak with local business owners. This year鈥檚 cohort visited Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Talking Cursive to learn firsthand what struggles local owners go through as they grow their businesses.

In addition to the EBV program, the at 黑料不打烊 leverages access to world-class faculty for introductory lessons in entrepreneurship for a small group of participants with the Warrior Scholar Project (WSP).

The WSP program is designed to prepare transitioning service members for higher education. Understanding that most of the program participants haven鈥檛 been in an academic classroom for several years, WSP prepares participants for the rigors of higher education, equipping them with the tools necessary to be successful in the pursuit of their academic goals.

The WSP program spanned the course of two weeks; the first week focused on humanities and the second week focused on entrepreneurship. Tristan Whipps, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran studying information management technology and professional technical writing at the School of Information Studies, served as a business fellow over the summer to help guide and mentor this year鈥檚 participants after being a program graduate with last year鈥檚 cohort.

鈥淭he business week is designed to demystify business as an undergraduate degree. They鈥檙e getting a crash course on topics related to entrepreneurship like some legal considerations for entrepreneurship, branding and marketing, as well as small business finance,鈥� Whipps says.

Crystal Houston, an adjunct professor in the Newhouse School, teaches a class on how to leverage social media to help grow a small business.

Both cohorts would not be nearly as successful without the dedication and support from professors and faculty members of 黑料不打烊. This year, 11 professors and faculty members from outside the IVMF taught crucial lessons in a range of disciplines between the two programs. Those faculty members are:

• Sean Branagan, director of the Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• Craig Champion, professor of history, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Carol Faulkner, professor and associate dean for academic affairs, the Maxwell School
• Tim Gerkin, professor of writing and rhetoric in the College of Arts and Sciences
• Crystal Houston, adjunct professor, the Newhouse School
• Thomas Keck, professor of political science, the Maxwell School
• Eileen Schell, professor of writing and rhetoric, the College of Arts and Sciences
• Alex McKelvie, interim dean, the Martin J. Whitman School of Management
• John Torrens, professor of entrepreneurial practice, the Whitman School
• Kenneth Walsleben, professor of practice, the Whitman School
• Elizabeth Wimer, assistant teaching professor, the Whitman School

John Wildhack, the University’s director of athletics, served as the guest speaker during the graduation ceremony. Wildhack shared some of his personal insight from his time during the startup of ESPN and provided some of his own advice to guide them on their path upon leaving campus and returning to their entrepreneurial journey.

鈥淎s you embark on your next chapter or continue to grow the business you鈥檝e already established, identify what motivates you, what drives you, and what鈥檚 most important to you both in your work and as an individual,鈥� Wildhack says. 鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 the three F鈥檚: Family, Faith and Friends.鈥�

For more information on the programs and services offered to service members, veterans, and military-connected spouses, please visit the.

鈥満诹喜淮蜢� is home to one of the first academic entrepreneurship programs in the U.S., and we have a longstanding tradition associated with supporting and elevating the entrepreneurial aspirations of our students,鈥� says . 鈥淭he 鈥楥USE50 Alumni Entrepreneur program is a natural extension of that tradition, and a unique opportunity to connect our alumni entrepreneurs with our current students and faculty.鈥�

鈥机鲍厂贰50 recognition is open to alumni of any school or college, graduates of 黑料不打烊 executive education programs and alumni of entrepreneurship programs operated by the

鈥満诹喜淮蜢� alumni are doing extraordinary work all over the world, and I am thrilled that we are going to recognize the business acumen they developed at 黑料不打烊. What I鈥檓 most excited about is that our honorees will return to campus to pass along valuable insights to the next generation of Orange entrepreneurs,鈥� says Tracy Barlok, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 chief advancement officer.

Awardees will be honored on campus on Thursday, Nov. 9, in the K.G. Tan Auditorium in the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D鈥橝niello Building. While on campus, 鈥机鲍厂贰50 Awardees will also share insights with each other and current students, as part of a series of cross-campus engagement sessions planned for Nov. 10.

Do you want to compete to be recognized in the inaugural class of 鈥机鲍厂贰50 awardees?

Eligibility criteria for the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 awards are as follows:

• Applicants must be alumni of 黑料不打烊 and be either a majority owner or hold a C-suite level leadership position in the company;
• Applicants must have founded their business at least three calendar years prior to the date of application for 鈥机鲍厂贰50 recognition;
• The company must have had verifiable revenues of $100,000 or more, at a point two years prior to the date of application, and verifiable revenues of $250,000 or more, at a point one year prior to the date of application.
• The company must meet one or more of the following criteria:
  • An alumnus or group of alumni maintain ownership in the company and have served as a C-Suite executive (i.e., chairman, CEO, president, or managing partner) for three consecutive years prior to nomination; or
  • An alumnus has led the company as a C-Suite executive for three consecutive years prior to nomination; or
  • An alumnus founded the company and has been active as a member of its senior management team for three consecutive years prior to nomination.
• Additionally, the company and its leaders and/or founders must act with high integrity and operate in a manner consistent with the values of 黑料不打烊, including accepting responsibility for their actions; practicing equity in human rights; upholding the law and respecting the rights of others; and contributing positively to 黑料不打烊 and the national and global community.

The deadline to apply for recognition is Thursday, Aug. 31. To learn more about the 鈥机鲍厂贰50 awards and nominate your company for recognition, visit .

Participants will learn to apply discovery methodology to help translate technology innovation from the lab into a successful product and/or service through a better understanding of how to achieve product-market fit.

The monthlong virtual course will be offered Sept. 18-Oct. 18听through 黑料不打烊 as a partner in the , funded by the NSF, led by Cornell University and with other collaborators, including Dartmouth College, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Buffalo, University of Pittsburgh, University of Rochester, University of Vermont and West Virginia University. The Hub is part of the , connecting researchers, entrepreneurial communities and federal agencies to help commercialize research.

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Course Overview

This virtual course combines self-directed online learning activities, with six Zoom-based class meetings and one-on-one instructor check ins. The course is technology-agnostic, and any sufficiently developed (i.e., beyond ideation) tech innovation team is welcome to apply.

In the first half of the course, teams learn how to identify target customer segments, develop hypotheses about the value proposition offered to each customer segment and effectively interview potential customers about their problems/needs.

In the second half of the course, teams will conduct customer discovery and join personalized calls with instructors to share progress and receive coaching. In the final class, teams present their findings, receive additional coaching, learn about other local entrepreneurship programs and receive information about applying for the national I-Corps Teams program and various grants.

Applicant Information

Criteria for apply to the program are as follows:

• Applicants should have an early-state technology innovation, with either a prototype or some form of scientific validation.
• Teams of one to three people may apply.
• All team members are required to attend and participate fully in every course session and complete all coursework to be considered for NSF lineage and a nomination for 听the national I-Corps Team.

While all applicants are welcome, preference is given to those with university-affiliated technology (i.e., faculty working with the Office of Technology Transfer), as well as postdocs, graduate students and undergraduate students who are commercializing research.

Applications are also encouraged from researchers and early-stage founders engaged with other campuses as well as community incubators and accelerator programs.

The application closes Wednesday, Aug. 23.

More Information

NSF I-Corps course programming at 黑料不打烊 is being co-led by Linda Dickerson Hartsock, strategic initiatives advisor, 黑料不打烊 Libraries, who was founding director of the Blackstone LaunchPad, and Jeff Fuchsberg, director, 黑料不打烊 Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering. Both Hartsock and Fuchsberg led the 黑料不打烊 Tech Garden before joining the University. NSF certified instructors will be teaching the course modules.

Read more about 黑料不打烊鈥檚 participation in the new IN I-Corps Consortium and its $15 million STEM innovation program. The new initiative aims to create a cohesive innovation ecosystem through inclusive models of education and workforce training designed to catalyze innovation in economically underserved areas.

Partners in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 NSF I-Corps programming are resource providers across campus, including the Office of Research, Office of Technology Transfer, 黑料不打烊 Libraries, the College of Law鈥檚 Innovation Law Center, the College of Engineering and Computer Science and its Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

For more information about the upcoming NSF I-Corps course, contact Linda Dickerson Hartsock (ldhart01@syr.edu) or Jeff Fuchsberg (jrfuchsb@syr.edu).

WISE is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and hosted by the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

Designated by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as a Women’s Business Center in 2006, WISE has supported thousands of women reach their small business goals. In 2022 alone, WISE supported over 600 women with no-cost programs and services. This included over 1,000 hours of no-cost technical assistance in areas ranging from business planning and financial projections, to creating a plan for strategic growth. Over 40% served were minority women.

As one of nearly 150 women business centers across the nation, WISE is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and hosted by the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

The unprecedented impacts of the pandemic continue to take their toll on the economy and our community. The challenges women business owners face often require a unique approach. This special funding will allow WISE to support women with the technical assistance they need when they need it and position the counseling program for the future. This work will include hiring a Spanish-speaking small business counselor.

“The demand for expert technical assistance has risen significantly. We’re incredibly grateful to 黑料不打烊 for recognizing the importance of equitable access to trusted small business resources. We take our role in the community seriously and will do all we can to stand behind and beside CNY women as partners in their success,” says Meghan Florkowski, director of the WISE WBC.

鈥淥ver the past decade, women have represented one of the fastest growing segments of the community business owners across the U.S. Here in Central New York, the WISE Women’s Business Center has fueled that growth locally and empowered countless women in pursuit of their business ownership aspirations. For that reason, 黑料不打烊 is proud to support and advance the work of the WISE Women’s Business Center,鈥� says Mike Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and Barnes Professor of Entrepreneurship.

Scott Warren, of 黑料不打烊 Libraries (left), and Bruce Kingma, of the School of Information Studies (right), present a check to Ben Ford 鈥�23, founder of Fundwurx.

The concurrent competitions were coordinated by the Blackstone LaunchPad at 黑料不打烊 Libraries (LaunchPad).

The following nine student startup teams each won $2,000 in RvD funding:

• Ben Ford 鈥�23 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Fundwurx
• Adya Parida 鈥�25 and Oliver Raycroft 鈥�25 (College of Engineering and Computer Science), co-founders of Scale Sense
• Motolani Oladitan 鈥�24 (College of Arts and Sciences), founder of Ta
• Jeremy Shinder 鈥�24 (College of Visual and Performing Arts), founder of Jere Bear Films, LLC
• Travis Ghirdharie G鈥�22 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs), founder of Many Hands
• Sai Krishna Bolla G鈥�23 (School of Information Studies), founder of Cognition X
• Aidan Mickleburgh 鈥�23, G鈥�23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science and Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Intervea
• Kai Patricio G鈥�23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts), founder of Farm Loop
• Rob Goldblatt 鈥�23 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), Paul Sausville and Nicole Byrnes (SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry), co-founders of Tree-Spun

The 2023 Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award was given to four students who best exemplify 鈥淭he Spirit of Entrepreneurship.鈥� Prizes honor the memory of Hunter Brooks Watson, a University student who died tragically in a distracted driving accident. Winners of $2,500 each are the following:

• Rabia Razzaq G鈥�23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts), Kai Patricio G鈥�23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts), Priscilla Cruz 鈥�24 (School of Information Studies) and Peyton Sefick, members of Re-mend team
• Motolani Oladitan 鈥�24 (College of Arts and Sciences), founder of Ta
• Jeremy Shinder 鈥�24 (College of Visual and Performing Arts), founder of Jere Bear Films, LLC
• Ethan Tyo 鈥�17, G鈥�22 (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics), AlterNative Project and cookbook author

Traci Geisler ’90

Prior to joining the LaunchPad, Geisler served in an investment, program and contract management role at The Tech Garden since 2016. There she provided business development services to incubator member companies and managed procurement, funding programs and the investment portfolio of the incubator. Geisler also has more than 25 years of experience in corporate and finance law in 10 countries. She began her career in communications and sports/entertainment after graduating with a dual degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the College of Arts and Sciences. She obtained her master鈥檚 in business administration from the City University of New York and her juris doctorate from New York Law School.

In her role as director of the LaunchPad, Geisler will be responsible for creating programs and services that support 黑料不打烊 students, faculty, staff and alumni across all disciplines. This includes entrepreneurship resources for those who want to build and create, as well as intrapreneurship resources for those who want to strengthen leaderships skills. The LaunchPad is dedicated to inspiring, coaching and empowering the world鈥檚 future innovators through connections with subject matter experts, co-working space, individualized coaching, alumni and peer mentoring, workshops, professional networking events, demo days and talent fairs, competitions for seed funding, toolkit resources, technology platforms, access to accelerators and innovation grant funding.

鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to have someone with Traci Geisler鈥檚 experience and skills join 黑料不打烊 Libraries鈥� Blackstone LaunchPad as the new director. Linda Dickerson Hartsock created a communal hub for student entrepreneurs that is well known across the region and has allowed the Libraries to serve 黑料不打烊鈥檚 schools and colleges in their various innovation programs, bringing new energy and capacity to entrepreneurship,鈥� says David Seaman, dean of the Libraries, University Librarian and interim dean of the School of Information Studies. 鈥淗aving Traci now in this role will ensure the LaunchPad continues to evolve and grow organically. Traci鈥檚 background and connections will add another layer of depth that will translate to more opportunities for our student entrepreneurs, innovators and creatives.鈥�

About 黑料不打烊 Libraries鈥� Blackstone LaunchPad

The is 黑料不打烊鈥檚 innovation hub, connecting the campus resource-rich ecosystem with a global network that provides support for aspiring entrepreneurs, inventors and creators. The program serves faculty, staff, students and recent alumni across all disciplines who are interested in entrepreneurship, venture creation and innovation careers. The program supports a key pillar of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 academic strategic plan to give students experiential opportunities that help prepare them to be trailblazers in an entrepreneurial world.

Winning team and judges from Hult Prize Competition Qualifier: Chris Thomas, a judge; Tree-Spun team members Nicole Byrnes, Rob Goldblatt and Paul Sausville; Caeresa Richardson, a judge; Cjala Surratt, a judge; and organizer Sasha Temerte

, a student in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and co-founder of Tree-Spun, and his teammates, Paul Sausville and Nicole Byrnes, both from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, won the 2023 黑料不打烊 Libraries鈥� Blackstone LaunchPad Hult Prize campus qualifier competition. The competition was held at the LaunchPad in Bird Library on Feb. 17.

听is a prestigious global business competition started by a partnership between the听听and the听. The competition challenges students to present products, services, technologies and other solutions to societal problems.

This year鈥檚 challenge is Redesigning Fashion, which asks student teams to pitch a for-profit business venture in the fashion/clothing industry that positively impacts people and the planet.

Rabia Razzaq 鈥�23, a student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and founder of Re-mend, and Sahitya Sampath 鈥�25, a student in the Whitman School and founder of Block Threads, were runners-up.

Winners of the campus competition will advance to a regional competition for a chance to compete with international student teams for the opportunity to work with world class mentors and pitch at the United Nations for $1 million in investment. Past 黑料不打烊 winners have gone on to compete in Toronto, Boston and San Francisco.

This year鈥檚 Hult Prize Competition qualifier was organized by Alesandra (Sasha) Temerte 鈥�23, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and a LaunchPad Global Fellow.

2022 Panasci Business Plan Competition winners

The 2023 competition will be held on April 14. The Panasci Business Plan Competition, hosted at the Whitman School of Management at 黑料不打烊, is a campuswide student event made possible by a longtime Whitman supporter, the late , founder of Fay鈥檚 Drugs.

Competing gives collegiate entrepreneurs real-world experience to pitch their startups, enhance their business strategies and learn what it takes to launch successful companies. The Panasci competition is open to all students at 黑料不打烊. Applicants will write and submit a business plan for the chance to advance to the finals on April 14, 2023, at the Whitman School.

Key Dates

• Dec. 2, 2022, 7-8 p.m.: First information session, Q&A to learn about the competition and hear from past winning teams. .
• Jan. 30, 2023, 7-8 p.m.: Second information session, Q&A to learn about the competition and hear from past winning teams. .
• Jan. 31, 2023, midnight: Submission of due鈥攏ot mandatory to compete but useful to stay up-to-date on the competition.
• Feb. 18-19, 2023: Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises 458鈥擝usiness Plan Laboratory weekend course offered to learn how to write a business plan (1 credit). It is not a pre-requirement to compete but useful to write a better business plan. For information about the course, email Professor of Entrepreneurial Practice Ken Walsleben at kpwalsle@syr.edu.
• March 26, 2023: Deadline to submit business plan听to compete.
• April 14, 2023: , Whitman School of Management.

A Few Items to Get You Started

• Review the .
• If you need help preparing for the competition, reach out to the Blackstone LaunchPad at 黑料不打烊 Libraries by email.
• .

The competition is designed to catalyze social entrepreneurship for students interested in pitching products, projects, services or technologies that are practical, innovative and sustainable solutions to societal problems around the globe. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 1 via . The Impact Prize competition, with $15,000 total in prizes, will take place at Bird Library on Friday, Nov. 11 from 2 to 5 p.m.

The Impact Prize is a gateway to other LaunchPad competitions in the spring, like the Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award. Examples of business or project ideas include:

• Arts and culture
• Community revitalization
• Disability and accessibility
• Diversity, equity and inclusion
• Employment and training
• Energy and climate change
• Environmental sustainability
• Food access and nutrition
• Health and mental health
• Literacy and education
• Poverty
• Sustainability
• Transportation and mobility
• Underserved populations
• Youth leadership and empowerment
• Other public policy challenges

This year鈥檚 competition is supported through a $15,000 gift from 黑料不打烊 Libraries Advisory Board Member Carl Armani and his wife, Marcy, made in honor of Linda Dickerson-Hartsock, retiring LaunchPad executive director. Dickerson-Hartsock created the Impact Prize in 2017 and has inspired the next generation of founders and makers to aspire toward opportunities that benefit the greater good. This sixth annual competition, created to champion venture development that help solve 鈥渨icked problems鈥� in communities around the world, is important to Dickerson-Hartsock personally and professionally, and she has championed social entrepreneurship throughout her career.

Previous Impact Prize competitions funded by the Armani family have honored Gay Culverhouse, a pioneer in education, sports and medicine who served as president of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1988 to 1994. She was the voice for retired players with brain disorders that might have resulted from on-field concussions.

For more information on the Impact Prize competition, e-mail LaunchPad@syr.edu.

Grant applications from companies who are new or existing members of the are being accepted through 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 20. Awards of up to $10,000 each for up to five projects may be presented.

M3 Innovations’ Chris Nolan, left, and Joe Casper with their Mako Solution System. The company received Innovation Fund grants in 2020 and 2022. (Photo by Kerrie Marshall)

Companies at all 鈥攊ndustry, affiliate and start-up鈥攁re invited to apply for the grants. Project proposals must address a challenge in the 黑料不打烊CoE鈥檚 core focus areas of indoor environmental quality, clean and renewable energy and water resources.

Led by 黑料不打烊, 黑料不打烊CoE is one of听 designed to foster collaboration between the academic research community and the business sector to develop and commercialize new products and technologies and promote private sector investment in emerging high-technology fields in New York state.

黑料不打烊CoE Executive Director , who is also a professor of in the University鈥檚 , notes that many 黑料不打烊CoE partners have leveraged their Innovation Fund awards听to commercialize their technologies and strengthen their companies.

Jianshun 鈥淛ensen鈥� Zhang, executive director, 黑料不打烊CoE.

鈥淭hese awards accelerate research and development and help transform innovative discoveries into commercially viable products and services, making the companies more competitive. The entrepreneurial culture that is inherent in university-industry collaboration contributes to a strong economy for New York state, while addressing important, multifaceted societal challenges,鈥� Zhang says.

Zhang cites the success of three prior grantees as a measure of the potential the awards can mean. used its 2016 grant to build financial and physical models of their system to advance critical conversations with utilities. The company is now working with National Grid to build New York state鈥檚 . 2014 award allowed it to test new, innovative LED sports lighting technology that they used the following year to light the Super Bowl. 鈥檚 2016 grant helped it test the heat management system for its portable electric vehicle chargers. The startup built its first prototype at 黑料不打烊CoE headquarters and has won millions in other grants. Founder Josh Aviv 鈥�15 G鈥�17 has received multiple 鈥渂est entrepreneur鈥� honors. Recently, he introduced President Joseph R. Biden Jr. L’68 at the White House signing of the CHIPS and Science Act.

Those who are interested in joining the partner program now to be eligible for grant consideration for this October鈥檚 awards can contact Tamara Rosanio at tlrosani@syr.edu.听More details about the program and application process can be found on the .

The NSF award is providing the funding to a consortium of 10 academic institutions for the implementation and execution of the IN I-Corps Hub program. The program aims to expand the nation鈥檚 geography of innovation by creating a cohesive innovation ecosystem that delivers inclusive models of education and workforce training designed for and by innovators in rural regions and small cities. The region that includes 黑料不打烊 stretches from New Hampshire to West Virginia and represents large portions of the U.S. that are largely rural, economically underserved and working to restore economic vitality.

黑料不打烊 is joined by hub lead Cornell University and hub partner institutions Dartmouth College, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Buffalo, University of Pittsburgh, University of Rochester, University of Vermont and West Virginia University. Each institution will be hosting regional I-Corps courses and contributing to programming and curriculum strategy in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The grant captures activities taking place across the 黑料不打烊 campus, including at the College of Law鈥檚 Innovation Law Center; the College of Engineering and Computer Science and its Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering; and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

Gretchen Ritter, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, says the University is excited to partner with the NSF and other colleges to boost entrepreneurism and contribute academic programming and curriculum development in that field.

鈥淭he University has a long and distinguished reputation as a leader in entrepreneurship education, evidenced by the many innovative programs in place across our campus,鈥� Ritter says. 鈥淲e are pleased to lend our expertise and capacities to the I-Corps program goals. Given our institutional priority to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, we are gratified to see that a special program focus is assuring equitable access to resources and talent development among groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in STEM field education.鈥�

Duncan Brown, vice president of research, says the program provides new opportunities, both interdisciplinary and cross-school collaboration on campus and dynamic partnerships with other colleges that emphasize innovation, entrepreneurship and local economy initiatives.

鈥淲e are pleased to join with these institutions and the NSF in this initiative and the University looks forward to the many ways our faculty and leadership can enhance STEM learning and market innovation through this collaboration,鈥� Brown says.

New Tech for Society

Founded by the National Science Foundation in 2011, I-Corps programming nationwide empowers researchers to combine their technical and scientific knowledge with an entrepreneurial mindset to develop new technologies and startups that benefit society. The I-Corps curriculum addresses the knowledge gap between the skills needed to develop an innovative technology in a lab and the skills needed to bring that technology to market. With a core tenet of customer discovery, participants in I-Corps courses work to connect with potential customers and ensure the solutions they are developing fill an existing market need.

Campus Leads

Alexander McKelvie

Alexander McKelvie, interim dean and professor of entrepreneurship in the Whitman School, is the principal investigator for the 黑料不打烊 portion of the grant. Todd Moss, chair of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises and the Pettinella Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Whitman School, is the research lead for the program. Pramod Varshney, distinguished professor of electrical engineering and computer science and director of CASE, is the faculty lead.

鈥淲e are delighted to collaborate with these partner institutions in the interior northeast region on this transformational program,鈥� says McKelvie. 鈥淭he combination of practical teaching and academic research reflects the 鈥榮weet spot鈥� of the strengths of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 entrepreneurship model. It is also gratifying that Todd Moss has been selected to the be research lead for the program, and that the work aligns closely with the expertise of multiple Whitman School faculty members. This reflects Whitman鈥檚 academic standing in the field.鈥�

Todd Moss

黑料不打烊 is a recognized leader in the field of entrepreneurship. Its entrepreneurship programming includes applied education in the community, such as through the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans, the WISE Women鈥檚 Business Center, the South Side Innovation Center, the Innovation Law Center and the Blackstone Launchpad, among other programs. Its leadership in the field is also reflected as a globally ranked academic research unit having 11 tenure-track faculty housed at the Whitman School, many of whom are thought leaders in their entrepreneurship fields, as well as multiple other scholars across campus. The University has hosted a number of I-Corps courses in recent years in collaboration with the UNY I-Corps Node.

DEIA Focus

Pramod Varshney

A mission-critical element of the IN I-Corps Hub鈥檚 approach to entrepreneurship is the creation and administration of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives. IN I-Corps officials report that STEM researchers in underrepresented groups face heightened barriers to success and creating equitable access to resources and talent development is crucial to ensuring the most innovative deep-tech developments are being discovered and amplified. Hub leadership and partners are working to actively create opportunities to support the development of STEM research talent who are women, veterans, people of color and individuals with disabilities. These initiatives will include collaborations with such organizations as the National GEM Consortium鈥檚 and.

The IN I-Corps Hub joins eight other I-Corps Hubs within the (NIN). 听The hub will regularly offer regional courses designed to support geographically dispersed participants in learning the I-Corps method of customer discovery and applying it to real-world opportunities, while still remaining connected to their home institutions and communities.

The Interior Northeast Hub launches officially on Jan. 1, 2023. STEM researchers interested in learning about opportunities to participate in regional I-Corps courses at Hub institutions will be able to look for that information on the program website.

The CASTLE curriculum consists of a minimum of 12 credits, including a foundational course in entrepreneurship offered at Whitman and an applied capstone course offered at the College of Law through its Innovation Law Center (ILC). The ILC offers a unique, interdisciplinary experiential learning program for students interested in the commercial development of new technologies. It is also the designated New York State Science & Law Technology Center by Empire State Development鈥檚 Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR). Under the leadership of Director Brian Gerling L鈥�99, ILC students and faculty provide research, information, and advisory and support services to the more than 30 universities and research centers in New York supported by NYSTAR as well as New York state entrepreneurs and companies with new technologies.

Students enrolled in CASTLE can choose from courses in the areas of intellectual property, patents, venture capital and startup advising, among others. CASTLE is open to graduate and law students enrolled at 黑料不打烊, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) and SUNY Upstate Medical College.

鈥淭he College of Law鈥檚 Innovation Law Center has a twenty-plus-year track record of preparing law students to drive growth in tech-related industries, including emerging medical, pharmaceutical, robotics, computing and manufacturing technologies, by combining real-world practical experience and academics, including courses at Whitman. CASTLE formalizes this interdisciplinary approach with an advanced credential that employers will immediately recognize as an added value in candidates,鈥� says Dean Craig M. Boise.

Whitman School Interim Dean Alexander McKelvie says, 鈥淲e are delighted to be able to launch this new program with the College of Law. We have a long history of working collaboratively and this new program formalizes our joint work in support of technology entrepreneurs and innovators. This new program is a major benefit to students as they learn both business and legal skills, like how to do market sizing, competitive analyses and commercialization, as well as intellectual property law and how to do patent searches.鈥�

Students interested in CASTLE can apply at any time during their graduate programs. College of Law students should apply in the spring of their 1L year. Tuition follows the current tuition rate per school and course.

For more detailed information about this Certificate of Advanced Study, please visit the College of Law鈥檚 . Current College of Law students interested in the certificate should contact the ILC at 315.443.8933 while prospective law students should contact College of Law admissions. Whitman students should email Christopher Wszalek, executive director of graduate admissions and student recruitment.

Mayra Quintana (left) and Kamryn Olkowski interned for one month at the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families.

Kamryn Olkowski hails from Colorado Springs, Colorado, where prior to attending the USAFA she served as a signal intelligence analyst for the U.S. Air Force. She always knew she wanted to go to the academy growing up because she attended local sports camps and programs there. When she applied the first time, however, she was denied. With a no-quit attitude, Olkowski applied twice while serving active duty and was finally accepted to attend the USAFA. As a rising senior, Olkowski is a management major, which covers topics such as accounting, finances and marketing.

Mayra Quintana was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where a tough family life molded her into the person she is today. 鈥淢y dad was arrested when I was 8 years old, and he’s been in prison for most of my childhood,鈥� says Quintana. Her community is heavily impoverished and deals with constant violence and drugs. Quintana had her eyes set on college, and during junior ROTC in high school, she decided to apply to the USAFA and become a beacon of hope for others. Similarly, to Olkowski, Quintana is a rising senior also majoring in management and uses her experiences to speak with members of her community about the ways she has avoided becoming a statistic in her community.

Both cadets, as part of CSRP, gained insight on opportunities available to them in the workforce. Olkowski says, 鈥淲hen looking at what the IVMF was and the focus on entrepreneurship, as an aspiring entrepreneur I knew that it could provide me with some insight and maybe something that I could use in the future.鈥� While cadet Quintana says she initially found out about VET-SIM (a project focused on helping student veterans navigate collegiate study), she thought this would give her the experience and opportunity to help others, specifically veterans, through research.

Quintana is looking forward to taking what she has learned under Linda R. Euto, associate director for research and evaluation at the IVMF, and Professor Benjamin Dotger, from the School of Education, and the project and implementing it at the academy. Quintana says, 鈥淲ithin each squadron [100 cadets] at the academy, there is an officer and enlisted member in charge of those cadets. Applying what VET-SIM is trying to accomplish can potentially close the gap between officers, who have much more training through the academy, and their enlisted peers who are working with students.鈥�

Within entrepreneurship, Olkowski has been working on the community navigator pilot program (CNPP), which was awarded to the IVMF through a Small Business Administration grant. The CNPP program includes seven hub organizations, in this case one of them being the IVMF, at the center of a network of spoke organizations that engage trusted community advocates to support veteran small businesses. Olkowski says, 鈥淚 have been analyzing what our hub at the IVMF does to coordinate with our 16 spokes. I am then comparing that to the other seven hubs and taking the best parts of what they are doing and coordinating with IVMF staff to implement them [the best parts] into our hub.鈥� Through her analysis Olkowski has also been part of restructuring the community navigator website design, as well as creating a document explaining the project.

While the cadets spent most of their time working in their respective groups, they did have the opportunity to attend the Veteran Entrepreneur Success Summit in Washington, D.C., featuring members of the . They were able to make new connections with successful veteran business owners and learn about other segments of IVMF programming. Reflecting on the experience Quintana says, 鈥淓veryone was super genuine and supportive and giving us so much wisdom and knowledge. It was cool to be there and see successful people encouraging us to start our businesses and careers earlier than later.鈥� Olkowski says, 鈥淲e were nervous about it, we did not want to annoy all the people from their actual networking opportunities. But everyone was genuine about wanting to connect with us and talk with us.鈥�

As both cadets enter their final years at the academy, they thought about what life might be like for them after they fulfill their military service. Olkowski says her hope is to one day open a consulting business for people who are dealing with death and navigating that process. She hopes that she can bridge the gap for folks struggling to balance the administrative nature of the task of dealing with death and the personal emotion that accompanies the process. Quintana is looking back on her community, and what it means to be a female minority in the military. She hopes that others will see what she has done and be inspired to follow in her footsteps making positive change in her community and others across the country.

Quintana and Olkowski shared their appreciation of the IVMF and what they learned in a short amount of time. Olkowski says, 鈥淎fter seeing the number of resources offered at the IVMF I am going share what I have learned with others facing the transition process. It is nice to have this resource in my back pocket for when I transition out as well.鈥� Both women are excited to get back to the academy and share their experiences from the IVMF with other cadets.

Peter DePasquale 鈥�12

Creative business coach Peter DePasquale 鈥�12 (dual B.F.A. in arts education and printmaking), as well as an M.F.A. (printmaking from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago) will be leading a four-week intensive boot camp accelerator to help students and recent alumni learn how to commercialize their creative endeavors. Space is limited and will be open on a competitive basis to those pursuing professional pathways in all aspects of the visual and performing arts, writers, musicians, designers and aspiring NFT producers, as well as creatives who are fabricators and makers.

Fortunately, DePasquale is an expert in this arena. He is eager to share that expertise with fledging artistic professionals across all disciplines, sole proprietors and small business startups, and creative arts students alike via this program, which he will host virtually at the Blackstone Launchpad in July and August. The four-week program starts on Monday, July 11, and runs until Wednesday, Aug. 3, with sessions held each week on Monday and Wednesday nights from 6 to 8:30 p.m. ET via Zoom. The program is open to a maximum of 14 people, so apply early before seats fill up.

DePasquale is co-owner and production director of MINIMA-MAXIMA, a gender-inclusive wearables company that specializes in crafting bolo ties and ear jackets that incorporate stunning geometrical patterns in their design philosophy. He serves as the primary technician for small-batch manufacturing of in-house merchandise鈥攃reating, editing and producing laser-cut components for their handcrafted wooden and acrylic products. He also trains studio assistants on production methods and manages the day-to-day operations, including accounting and tax preparations, client correspondence, shipping and receiving, and e-commerce maintenance and expansion.

He has also been a professional printmaker, visual artist, jewelry maker and expert NFT artist. Additionally, he provides creative business consulting services out of Pittsburgh, where he now resides, and has been supporting creative businesses in this way for nearly five years.

DePasquale鈥檚 program, like his consulting work, is designed to educate and coach artistic entrepreneurs on the core essentials of starting, running and maintaining a successful art-based business that sells to retail and wholesale clients in spaces both physical and digital. This program will help create a community of support for artist business owners moving forward鈥攁iming to foster collaboration and local assistance in tackling the daunting task of launching and maintaining a professional artistic endeavor.

Participants in DePasquale鈥檚 program will learn the principles of creating thoughtful work; selling it at in-person events and through an e-commerce platform; managing the production of items and keeping an inventory system; managing customer service; ordering sustainable materials and supplies; customizing shipping procedures and operating on a shipping platform; meeting legal requirements of state and federal standards; social media account management; fundamentals of bookkeeping; and financial management for creatives and artists.

The Blackstone LaunchPad is pleased to support this intensive summer accelerator. Nearly 40% of LaunchPad participants are creatives such as artists, photographers, filmmakers, animators, illustrators, authors, illustrators, fashion designers, graphic designers, musicians and makers. 鈥淐reatives are the quintessential entrepreneurs,鈥� says Linda Dickerson Hartsock, director of the LaunchPad, who is also an arts entrepreneur, as one of the co-founders of the Center for the Arts of Homer. 鈥淐reative economies help build strong communities, and these professions are increasingly primary career paths and side-gigs for many members of Gen Z.鈥�

Serving as peer mentor and program support for the accelerator will be John (Jack) Rose 鈥�24, a writer and entrepreneurship student at 黑料不打烊. Rose is founder of Bladepoint Media and a passionate storyteller who is working on his first book. His goal is to combine his love of writing and creativity, combined with his knowledge of the business world, in a meaningful way to bring positive impact and value to others. He will be available to work with students throughout the program.

The cost to participate is $125 per individual for the entire four-week virtual program, paid directly to DePasquale. Interested parties should email Peter DePasquale directly at peter@minima-maxima.com and include the following information:

• Full name
• Contact information (email, phone)
• Student/alumni status
• Employment status
• Primary artistic or creative medium
• History of owning/running a business (if applicable)

Story by Jack Rose 鈥�24

Whitman Assistant Professor David Park with students

At the Whitman School, Park teaches Introduction to Entrepreneurship: How to Launch a Startup, where he uses his entrepreneurial experiences and research to make the subject relatable and easier to learn.

Park was nominated as a top MBA professor based on his talent, caring dedication and teaching methods. He was widely supported by his peers and students, past and present.

As one nominator related to Poets&Quants, 鈥淧rofessor Park is one of the most memorable educators in my life. He cared about his students as whole people; he cared that we understood the content and that he also understood us as individuals. By caring to understand what motivated each of us, he was able to create an adaptable pedagogy for his teaching and offered multiple ways of understanding a problem. In my case, the complex financial model could become a poetic story that brought the issue to life and stuck in my brain. Six years after being his student鈥 still feel inspired to nominate him because I still feel his impact as someone who embodies the 鈥楶oets&Quants鈥� energy.鈥�

Park was also the winner of several teaching awards and recognitions while at the University of Washington, where he completed his Ph.D., including the Star Teacher Award and the Ph.D. Program Teaching Award. Before joining academia, he co-founded a high-tech startup and served as a Marine Corps officer.

鈥淐ongratulations to Professor Park for this outstanding achievement. It speaks volumes about his dedication to his students, as well as his research that has been published in top journals. We are glad to have him in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises,鈥� says Todd Moss, chair of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises and associate professor of entrepreneurship.

There were more than 2,240 nominations for nearly 140 individual professors in this year鈥檚 ranking. The Poets&Quants editorial staff evaluates each nominee on teaching (given a 70% weight) and research (given the remaining 30% weight). For teaching, they consider the nominations received鈥攂oth quality and quantity. For research, the volume and impact of the professor鈥檚 scholarly work is considered.

Answers to that question are what ’80, director of the and an adjunct faculty member in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, hopes to seed through his Fulbright Specialist grant project in Estonia this spring.

Sean Branagan

Branagan was awarded the prestigious grant to teach a digital media entrepreneurship course at cutting-edge . He鈥檒l work with students and faculty at the public research university鈥檚 film, media and arts school and with community entrepreneurs for six weeks.

As part of the larger hosted by the U.S. Department of State, his grant is one of 400 typically awarded each year to professionals and academics to share expertise, strengthen institutional partnerships, and gain international and other-cultures experiences. The grants are awarded based on academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership and the potential to foster cooperation.

Tallinn University is one of the three largest higher education institutions in Estonia and is ranked among the top 1,000 universities in the world. It promotes achieving an 鈥渋ntelligent lifestyle鈥� through education, research and cross-discipline collaborations to promote citizens鈥� well-being and to improve society.

A Digital Nirvana

The digital media landscape is at another moment of acceleration, Branagan says, and that鈥檚 what prompted his interest in the Fulbright Specialist program as he and his peers started asking, “What鈥檚 next after the pandemic?”

Estonia is a perfect place to assess how the digital media future might unfold, he says.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the most digital countries in Europe and maybe one of the most digital countries in the world. It鈥檚 the Silicon Valley of Europe, yet with just 1.3 million people, it has the highest concentration of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial 鈥榰nicorns鈥� in a community that鈥檚 just a fraction of Silicon Valley鈥檚 size.鈥�

Take Chances Now

Sean Branagan

Branagan plans to optimize the current disruptive state, a business environment ripe for innovation and a world more accepting of change to teach Estonian students to take chances and create new types of media right now. He foresees a whole new group of creative lifestyle and small businesses, new media platforms and new business models emerging from this time.

鈥淩ight now, it鈥檚 all Game On. It feels like 2006 again, and I think we鈥檙e about to see another 20 years of major disruption taking place in the media world. There鈥檒l be new players, new centers of media, new films coming out of unusual places. It鈥檚 going to be a mix and match of things that used to be very distinct. So, it鈥檚 opportunity time again,” Branagan says. “New voices, new media owners and new kinds of media create new narratives that change our culture and society. Media entrepreneurship is powerful. It’s a very accessible type of entrepreneuring. I see it as a force multiplier for social change.鈥�

Branagan has been teaching digital media entrepreneurship since 2011, when the late Newhouse School Dean Emerita Lorraine Branham 鈥渢ook a chance on me,鈥� he says, and established the Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship.

In addition to starting lifestyle businesses and high-tech companies, Branagan served five years as entrepreneur in residence at the in 黑料不打烊. He has been instrumental in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Kauffman-funded, award-winning听, and is the creator and co-founder of , a national collegiate startup tournament that culminated at SXSW. He has been involved from the early days of entrepreneurship programming, and still teaches entrepreneurship to transitioning military personnel via the program. He also serves as advisor, board member and in other roles with several early-stage startups and venture funds.

Three Goals

The professor has three goals for the project. They are to show students that entrepreneurship is a creative endeavor they can pursue freely, versus a mechanism or a business focus; to help faculty cast aside myths about who entrepreneurs are (鈥渂ecause the student getting a C grade is more likely to innovate and do something creative, unusual, and non-conforming鈥�); to share perspectives with and soak in the Tallinn startup community.

How will the immersion in the Estonian innovation space disrupt him?

鈥淚 want to come back and look more expansively at what we have built at the Newhouse School around media entrepreneurship and media innovation. We already have been expanding the academic offering inside the school,” Branagan says. “I’d like to go further and bring media entrepreneurship to other parts of the 黑料不打烊 campus to take advantage of the emerging Creator Economy. And then I’d like to go beyond 黑料不打烊 and bring the Newhouse brand of media entrepreneurship and media innovation to other schools, especially schools with underserved populations and globally. Ultimately, we could have an institute that trains faculty from all over the world to teach media entrepreneurship in their programs.鈥�

Approximately 200 women veterans, spouses and partners from around the country registered for V-WISE, held in Phoenix, Arizona, Jan. 28-30.

黑料不打烊鈥檚 Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) held its program in person for the first time in more than two years. Approximately 200 women veterans, spouses and partners from around the country registered for V-WISE, held in Phoenix, Arizona, Jan. 28-30, marking the return to its in-person training model and the 23rd V-WISE program.

Nationally hailed as one of the Best Veteran Resources, the V-WISE program offers education, collaboration and ongoing mentorship to participants who want to start or grow their own businesses. Participants arrived in Phoenix for three days of intensive training and networking, after completing coursework online prior to their arrival in Phoenix. They left inspired, connected and ready to fully optimize ongoing support from the IVMF Alumni team.

demonstrates how military-connected entrepreneurs have unique advantages over their civilian counterparts. shows that female veteran entrepreneurs cite lack of mentors for business (29%) and lack of experience or exposure to other business owners (24%) among their top barriers to achieving their business goals. V-WISE programming helps to directly address and mitigate these challenges.

Organized into two tracks concentrating on both start-up and growth, V-WISE Phoenix included subject matter tailored to meet participants wherever they are in their entrepreneurial journey. The event was packed with opportunities to network, participate in breakout sessions and access personalized expert advice from instructors and speakers. V-WISE Phoenix included a variety of instructional sessions, keynote addresses and advice from leaders in academics, government and the private sector.

Whitman School of Management Professor Elizabeth Wimer delivered an inspiring closing keynote address, reminding participants that creative problem solving is part of the entrepreneurial mindset.

V-WISE Phoenix included subject matter tailored to meet participants wherever they are in their entrepreneurial journey.

鈥淰-WISE attendees are already motivated to overcome the challenges associated with entrepreneurship,鈥� says Wimer. 鈥淢y goal was to illuminate the creative pathways that help these growing business leaders channel their ideas into reality while building upon the network they created with each other this weekend.鈥�

鈥淟ike we did with IVMF鈥檚 Veteran EDGE last fall, it felt great to be back in person with our participants, partners, instructors, and alumni,鈥� says Misty Stutsman Fox, IVMF鈥檚 director of entrepreneurship and small business. 鈥淲e are so grateful to again be able to provide this impactful and empowering programming, especially at a time when so many women entrepreneurs in our military-connected community need it.鈥�

V-WISE Phoenix was an opportunity to share data-informed and timely perspectives as businesses are navigating new challenges and new opportunities. Topics included pivoting, business law, human resources, work-life balance, marketing and social media strategies, government contracting, access to capital, and more. Participants also had opportunities to take professional headshots and access information from local and national business resource partners.

To date, V-WISE has more than 3,000 graduates.

The program is free of charge to veterans, military spouses and partners thanks to underwriting support from sponsors JPMorgan Chase, U.S. Small Business Administration, USAA, Wounded Warrior Project and Daughters of the American Revolution.

To date, V-WISE has more than 3,000 graduates. Sixty-five percent of V-WISE graduates have started or grown their own businesses, and 93% of those businesses are still in operation today. V-WISE graduates report an annual average revenue totaling $78 million.

The .

Quinn King 鈥�20 and Alec Gillinder 鈥�20, alumni of the School of Design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and co-founders of MedUX. The team won the 2019 campus qualifier competition and the $10,000 second place award in the ACC finals. (Photo taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic)

黑料不打烊 student startup teams can submit of a venture idea to participate in the 黑料不打烊 campus qualifier, which will be held in Bird Library on Feb. 11 from 2 to 5 p.m. Up to 10 teams will be selected to participate in the campus qualifier. The winner will receive a cash prize and move on to participate in the PBS-televised event in Florida in April. Campus qualifier finalists will also be invited to apply for LaunchPad Innovation Fund grants available through a gift to SU Libraries.

Past 黑料不打烊 contestants who participated in the final five live PBS-broadcast included: Kate Beckman 鈥�17 G鈥�18 (Newhouse School) founder of FreshU; Kayla Simon 鈥�19 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Elizabeth Tarangelo 鈥�19 (College of Engineering and Computer Science), co-founders of In-Spire; Alec Gillinder 鈥�20 (College of Visual and Performing Arts’ School of Design) and Quinn King 鈥�20 (VPA School of Design), co-founders of MedUX; and Russell Fearon 鈥�20 G鈥�21 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Ricardo Sanchez 鈥�21 (VPA School of Design), co-founders of SugEx.

The Blackstone LaunchPad and Techstars at 黑料不打烊 Libraries is the University鈥檚 innovation hub, connecting the entire campus resource-rich ecosystem with a global network that provides support for aspiring entrepreneurs, inventors and creators. The program serves faculty, staff, students and alumni across disciplines who are interested in innovation, invention, entrepreneurship, venture creation, careers, entrepreneurial skills, diversity, equity, inclusion and taking ideas from concept to commercialization. The program supports a key pillar of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Academic Strategic Plan to create an innovation ecosystem across the institution that prepares participants to be trailblazers in an entrepreneurial world.

Anthony Cosby

Anthony Cosby often starts his days at 4:30 a.m. with a three-mile walk鈥攏ot to beat the San Antonio heat or enjoy the quiet pre-dawn hour, but because it鈥檚 the only time left in his day to squeeze in fitness.

As an entrepreneur, dad to an aspiring tennis star and full-time employee of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at 黑料不打烊, Cosby鈥檚 days manage to be filled to the brim with hustle and bustle鈥攚hich is exactly how he likes it.

From his home office in Texas, Cosby is currently director for employer outreach and co-director of the , one of the eleven national training programs conducted by IVMF. He works with employers across the country to help them secure military talent, including veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses, and partners with public, private and nonprofit organizations to help veterans and their families access a variety of services that can help them achieve their goals.

Motivated to Give Back and Serve Others

After retiring from a 21-year career in the U.S. Navy in 2012, Cosby struggled with his transition back to civilian life. This experience inspired him toward a career path helping other veterans and military-connected folks transition smoothly and seamlessly into the workforce post-service.

鈥淚 was in talent acquisition toward the end of my military career, so I wanted to see if I could transfer those skills to the private sector,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 got my career coaching certification and landed a job at the University of Texas (UT) at San Antonio as an alumni career coach and from there it was game on 鈥� I was able to assist folks and that鈥檚 when I saw my true calling to help people.鈥�

Cosby worked for UT San Antonio and then Webster University, but he鈥檇 seen a 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� interview in 2012 that had planted a seed in his mind. The segment featured IVMF Founder and Executive Director J. Michael Haynie speaking about the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans, which not only put 黑料不打烊 on his radar, but also sparked Cosby鈥檚 interest in becoming an entrepreneur.

Four years later, in 2016, he would join the IVMF team as the program manager for (O2O) at Joint Base San Antonio. O2O helps prepare service member and military spouses with industry-recognized certifications and skills training across high-demand sectors and occupations, like cybersecurity, project management and human resources.

鈥淲e started out with 32 people participating and now, fast-forward five years, and we鈥檝e been able to help over 50,000 folks and change so many lives,鈥� Cosby says.

Anthony and his family demonstrate their Orange spirit. Pictured left to right: Nina Pruneda-Cosby, Maria Mae Pruneda-Cosby, Anthony Cosby

As co-director of AmericaServes, which works to coordinate support for military families in communities all over the U.S., Cosby shared an anecdote about an elderly couple鈥攁 retired veteran and his wife鈥攊n their 70s in San Antonio. The couple was skeptical of organizations that claimed to help vets because they had been told 鈥渘o鈥� one too many times. Once they got on the phone with an AmericaServes intake specialist, they were asked a question they weren鈥檛 used to hearing: 鈥淗ow can we help you?鈥�

鈥淔rom this one access point, we were able to help them secure a free medical bed for the husband, who had had an amputation,鈥� Cosby says. 鈥淭hen we found out the wife was taking her husband to dialysis in a heavy, cumbersome wheelchair, so we were able to work with our local connections to get them a lighter wheelchair that was more easily accessible. We helped secure rides to and from dialysis so his wife no longer had to wait in the car for hours at a time. We even found out they were close to losing the home they rented because the building had been sold, and were able to help them secure six months of free rent in an apartment building that they loved.鈥�

For Cosby, being able to help people in such profound and impactful ways on behalf of 黑料不打烊 keeps his early mornings and long days in perspective.

A Burgeoning Entrepreneur

With that 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� segment still in his mind, Cosby jumped at the opportunity to attend IVMF鈥檚 Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) in 2019 at Texas A&M University. The program ignited his career as an entrepreneur and in 2021, after eight months of ideation, he launched , a brand of athletic/performance-based socks.

Importantly, Cosby says, STZY is not only a sock brand but a Certified Pending B-Corporation grounded in the mission of positively impacting the lives of student-athletes in need all over the world to keep them pushing toward their goals and aspirations, within and outside of the athletic realm.

鈥淧eople are drawn to the socks because we鈥檝e worked hard to make them the most comfortable sock known to man, but I think people are also drawn to the intentionality and the themes of empowerment that are present in our brand and our marketing,鈥� he says.

Anthony and Maria show some STZY pride.

STZY is growing rapidly鈥攖he socks sold out within 40 days of the brand鈥檚 initial launch and have attracted attention from the likes of NFL and WNBA players interested in collaborating with the brand.

The company is preparing to launch their 鈥淰2鈥� socks this month with a women鈥檚 line, and Cosby hopes it won鈥檛 be long before you see STZY socks at national retailers like Target, Foot Locker or Dick鈥檚 Sporting Goods.

The skills he learned during EBV have been instrumental to his success.

鈥淭he program taught me that I had to get laser-focused and to learn and understand the art of pivoting,鈥� he says. 鈥�2020 and 2021 have been no joke in terms of getting a business off the ground, but my ability to focus and adapt has served me well.鈥�

One of STZY鈥檚 early adopters and student-athlete ambassadors is Cosby鈥檚 9-year-old daughter, Maria, who first picked up a tennis racket at age 3 and has since trained to become an elite tennis player. This summer, she played with 14- to 18-year-olds and her goal is to play in the U.S. Open by age 16.

Cosby says the spare time he finds between his work at IVMF and building and growing STZY is usually spent on the court, picking up balls while his daughter practices. He feels blessed to be able to spend time watching her talent unfold鈥攁nd as a business owner, draws inspiration from her dedication to her craft.

鈥淥ne thing I鈥檝e learned from watching my daughter is鈥攕he can see her whole future, but she also knows that nothing good happens overnight,鈥� Cosby says. 鈥淕reat things take time to evolve. Even though I want STZY to shoot to the moon, I know that it鈥檚 going to take a bit of time. But I truly believe that if you put the work in and you鈥檙e a good person, big things are going to happen.鈥�

By that philosophy, you can count on STZY going into the stratosphere鈥攁nd Maria landing her spot in the U.S. Open.

The Digital Library Program at 黑料不打烊 Libraries, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and the School of Information Studies (iSchool) are proud to launch the (COERL), a digital repository of IVMF research publications on entrepreneurship and selected external content.

COERL is the first live site of what will eventually be a digital resource library for all IVMF research publications, collections and resources. Future iterations will include resources for veteran employment, higher education and community engagement, among other areas of interest. As a major component of the Digital Library Program, the digital stewardship of these IVMF collections involves applying metadata for user access, tracking the use and access of IVMF materials that are entered in SURFACE, and updating collections per request of the content managers at the IVMF.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been so rewarding to be part of this cross-campus team,鈥� says Grace 鈥淕igi鈥� Swinnerton, the recently appointed visiting librarian for the Digital Library Program and IVMF. 鈥淧articipating in the creation, organization and maintenance of such a project has given the back-end team unique insight into how we can best serve our veteran community with accessible and meaningful information on the front end.鈥�

鈥淭he Digital Library Program and iSchool have both been amazing partners through this whole process from discovery through the build and now into sustainment of COERL,鈥� says Bonnie Chapman Beers, director of quality and innovation at the IVMF. 鈥淭he collaboration has allowed us to create a portal to make information more accessible to our many stakeholders, veterans and their families. We are excited to continue this work together.鈥�

A $5 million grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration will allow the Institute for Veterans and Military Families to support veteran and military spouse businesses with entrepreneurship training, small business technical assistance, loan preparation, capital readiness, corporate and federal contracting, and networking. (Photo taken prior to current COVID Level masking requirements.)

The Community Navigator Pilot Program, an initiative of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, is designed to deploy trusted community partners within underserved communities across the U.S. to coordinate the economic recovery efforts of specific communities, including women, veterans and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.

The Community Navigator Pilot Program takes a 鈥渉ub and spoke鈥� approach, featuring a lead 鈥渉ub鈥� at the center of a network of 鈥渟poke鈥� organizations that deploy trusted community advocates to support small businesses hit hard by the pandemic. Of the eight Community Navigator hubs funded, IVMF is the only hub responsible for coordinating community-based, economic recovery for veteran-owned small businesses. The other Tier 1 awardees include the National Urban League, U.S. Black Chambers Economic Development Corporation, Oweesta Corporation, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation, International Rescue Committee and Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

The $5 million grant over a two-year period will allow the IVMF to support veteran and military spouse businesses with entrepreneurship training, small business technical assistance, loan preparation, capital readiness, corporate and federal contracting, and networking.

鈥淲e are honored to continue our long-standing partnership with the SBA through this new program. This is truly exciting for IVMF, our partners and the thousands of veterans and military families we serve every year,鈥� says J. Michael Haynie, Ph.D., vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, and IVMF鈥檚 founder and executive director. 鈥淭his grant recognizes the IVMF鈥檚 experience and success in veteran entrepreneurship training programs, and our national impact. Over the last decade we have developed a vast network of partners dedicated to meeting the unique needs of veterans and military-connected families both on our campus and across the country.鈥� Haynie noted IVMF entrepreneurship programs, such as Boots to Business (B2B), Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) and the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV), among others, have impacted more than 75,000 participants and that in the last 10 years the institute has impacted over 160,000 in total.

During the pandemic, the IVMF also launched two new virtual entrepreneurship programs, EBV Spark and R.I.S.E. (Resilience, Innovate, Sustain, Evaluate), to help veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs adapt their businesses to the current operating environment.

In applying for the grant, the IVMF noted strong partnerships with businesses that can help veterans achieve success. In addition, the IVMF will be coordinating the work with key partners, including Texas A&M, Florida State University, St. Joseph鈥檚 University, Dog Tag Bakery and StreetShares, as well as others. Whether through direct technical support, training or networking, the entrepreneurs assisted by IVMF programs have demonstrated resilience and success; 92% are still operating their business today.

At a press conference today, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced that the Institute for Veterans and Military Families has been named as one of only eight Tier 1 grantees, selected as part of the Biden-Harris administration鈥檚 $100 million Community Navigator Pilot Program.

Haynie says highlights how veterans face an array of barriers in attempting to launch businesses, including a fragmented ecosystem, capital readiness, difficulty navigating resources, certification process hurdles and lack of assistance from medical and disability service providers. He believes the new pilot program offers a unique solution that provides a navigation and support mechanism to strengthen the ecosystem, nurture entrepreneurial aspirations and sustain growth and success.

鈥淭he goal is for military-connected clients to receive efficient, timely and comprehensive access to the services and resources they need, where they are and when they need them in their entrepreneurial journey,鈥� says Haynie.

About 黑料不打烊

黑料不打烊 is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we鈥檙e a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what鈥檚 possible.

Dean David Seaman hands a prize check to Selim Dangoor, founder of MUNCH Jerky, at 鈥機use Tank 2021.

黑料不打烊 Libraries鈥� Blackstone LaunchPad (LaunchPad) hosted its annual on Friday, Oct. 8, at Bird Library. Twenty-four student teams from various schools and colleges across campus competed in a 鈥淪hark Tank鈥�-style business pitch in front of a panel of judges consisting of 黑料不打烊 parents and successful entrepreneurs. Families were invited to attend this event as part of Family Weekend to experience the entrepreneurial spirit of University innovators. This year鈥檚 winning teams were:

• First place winner, $15,000: Ambassadoor Technologies, led by Bruno Gonzalez Hauger G鈥�22 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management). The company connects small brick-and-mortar businesses to nano-influencers, enabling anyone on Instagram with engagement to be a paid influencer, while automating the influencer search, compensation and management processes.
• Second place winner, $10,000: Munch Jerky, led by Selim Dangoor 鈥�23 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management). The company provides a gluten-free, artisanal flank steak jerky using all-natural ingredients.
• Third place winners, each receiving $2,500: BusPoint, led by Justin Gluska 鈥�23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Sice-Me, led by Alexander Peter Rolinski 鈥�24 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management). BusPoint is a web-based application allowing students to monitor where their designated school bus is at all times, provide parents with real-time monitoring and alerts, and provide teachers and administrators with real-time data. Sice-Me is a mobile application that creates insular marketplaces for college and high school students, enabling users to create an account with their student email address in order to buy or sell products to students at their school.
• Wild card winners, each receiving $1,250: Holy Egg! Shakshuka Truck, led by Natasha Brao 鈥�22 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and Shop All Yours, led by Julia Gomez 鈥�25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management).

Seaman announces the 鈥機use Tank prize winners, including wild card winner Julia Gomez, founder of Shop All Yours.

鈥淎fter more than a year of virtual competitions, the energy and creativity that the student teams brought to 鈥機use Tank this year was so welcome,鈥� says David Seaman, dean of 黑料不打烊 Libraries and University librarian. 鈥淧arents and guests were equally excited to witness firsthand the creativity, business acumen and professionalism of the student teams. We started the day with $22,500 for the judges to award as they saw fit, raised from generous SU Libraries supporters; however, the judges were so impressed with our student entrepreneurs that they added an additional $10,000 to the prize money during their deliberations! We are so grateful for their investment in our students.鈥�

Other venture teams, led by idea champions, who presented during the competition included:

• Sweatration, led by Paul Franco 鈥�22 (College of Arts and Sciences), Zach Stahl 鈥�23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Anthony Mazzacane 鈥�24 (College of Engineering and Computer Science and College of Arts and Sciences)
• Fundwurx, led by Ben Ford 鈥�23 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Phantom Tea, led by Christine Wu 鈥�22 (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Fitted, led by Damaris Koi Munyua G鈥�22 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• LunaX, led by Diego Luna 鈥�22 (College of Arts and Sciences)
• SENSE-A, led by Gabriela Angel G鈥�22 (College of Engineering and Computer Science), Simran Lakhani 鈥�22 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Hong Yan Chen 鈥�22 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• YOKA, led by Isabella Perkins 鈥�25 (College of Engineering and Computer Science), Daren Wang 鈥�23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and Matthew Swanson 鈥�22 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Out2Win Sports, led by Jack Adler 鈥�23 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management) and Sam Holland 鈥�23 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Patchwork, led by Jackson Ensley 鈥�22 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management) and Paul Hultgren, LaunchPad Innovator in Residence
• Civilian Medical Response, led by Jared Anderson 鈥�23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Glisten, led by Justin Monaco G鈥�22 (College of Arts and Sciences), Bianca Andrada 鈥�22 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Anh Dao 鈥�23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
• Wo-manly, led by Kelly Davis 鈥�23 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Candid, led by Mia Hinz 鈥�23 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Urban Coders, led by Mohammed Ali 鈥�22 (School of Information Studies)
• TEAGO, led by Noah Mechnig-Giordano G鈥�22 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
• Athletify, led by Season Chowdhury 鈥�23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Raul Chakraborty 鈥�23 (School of Information Studies)
• Lateral Assist, led by Xinyao Zhao 鈥�22 (College of Engineering and Computer Science), Andrea Merloiu 鈥�22 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Cheyenne Kersavage 鈥�21 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)

This year鈥檚 judges included the following 黑料不打烊 parents and alumni:

• David Martirano
• Jeffrey Gates
• Burt Podbere
• Kristina Campos
• Andrew Neuberger
• Douglas Canfield
• Corey Lieblein 鈥�93
• Andrew Schwartz
• Carter Holland
• Marlowe Sidney Bamberger
• Linda Schwartz
• Jim Armstrong
• Matt Shumer
• Steve Shumer
• Phil McKnight
• Patrick Prioletti 鈥�21听

About the Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars at 黑料不打烊 Libraries:

The Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars at 黑料不打烊 Libraries is the University鈥檚 innovation hub, connecting the entire campus resource-rich ecosystem with a global network that provides support for aspiring entrepreneurs, inventors, and creators. The program serves faculty, staff, students, and alumni across disciplines who are interested in innovation, invention, entrepreneurship, venture creation, careers, entrepreneurial skills, diversity, equity, inclusion, and taking ideas from concept to commercialization. The program supports a key pillar of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Academic Strategic Plan to create an innovation ecosystem across the institution that prepares participants to be trailblazers in an entrepreneurial world.v

Selim Dangoor ’23 and Sandhya Iyer ’20

黑料不打烊 student startups , founder of MUNCH Jerky, and , CEO of Geek Girl Careers, have been selected for the summer 2021 cohort of the Blackstone LaunchPad Fellowship. Both are active members of the LaunchPad at 黑料不打烊 Libraries. The Blackstone Charitable Foundation and partners will support 55 student entrepreneurs from across the global network with $250,000 in grant funding and eight weeks of entrepreneurial resources, mentoring and support through the summer program.

Participating student founders will receive a $5,000 grant to support their time working on advancing their entrepreneurial ventures, as well as other resources and support, including weekly workshops, community-building activities, and mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and executives in the LaunchPad network. The program also includes intensive LaunchPad campus director coaching sessions. Students will also have the opportunity to join the LaunchPad-supported Startup Grind Student Program and participate in the Techstars Empower Collective.

“We’re excited to welcome another cohort of bright entrepreneurs to the LaunchPad Fellowship,” says Blackstone Charitable Foundation Executive Director Amy Stursberg. “In spite of the many challenges of the past year, this diverse set of students has taken impressive strides toward bringing their ideas to life. We look forward to supporting their innovation and drive this summer, and can’t wait to see the companies and careers they develop in the future.”

Dangoor, studying public relations in the Newhouse School and finance in the Whitman School, became fascinated with the creation of flavorful jerky during the pandemic. He used his passion for food entrepreneurship to create artisanal beef jerky with high quality cuts of tender flank steak. This past academic year he worked with the LaunchPad, competed in business plan competitions, winning the Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award from judges who loved his energy and passion. He also made important business connections and learned USDA and Department of Health regulations, connected with commercial kitchens and built a network of entrepreneurial agri-business producers as advisors. He incubated in the LaunchPad to bring his love of premium, high-protein artisanal jerky to life as a commercial venture, and to build a roadmap to launch into the marketplace and scale. He is also the recipient of a recent Innovation Fund Award from the LaunchPad.

Sandhya Iyer, a graduate of the Newhouse School in public relations and the Whitman School in marketing, hopes to empower young women to find a career they love in a tech field. As CEO of , she is helping young women find careers in tech that align with their passions and personalities. Geek Girl Careers is committed to increasing representation in tech by broadening the pathways in tech fields. Women make up nearly half the American workforce but hold only 26% of computing-related jobs. The problem starts as early as middle school, but only becomes more apparent in high school and is especially apparent in college鈥攊n 2020, women made up only 18% of undergraduate students who earned a degree in computer science. Geek Girl Careers helps young women discover careers in tech that align with their existing passions and skills and connects them with other Geek Girls and mentors. Iyer speaks at 黑料不打烊 LaunchPad events and mentors other campus female tech founders.

The LaunchPad Fellowship program originally began in response to intern, job and entrepreneurial opportunities lost by college students at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and has now grown into a signature program of the Blackstone LaunchPad network. The Fellowship helps students learn by doing, growing and strengthening entrepreneurial skills like leadership, problem-solving and communication as they complete customer discovery interviews, launch initial marketing and sales efforts, add talent to their teams, and seek additional funding and support.

The program is funded by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation and coordinated through the Blackstone LaunchPad network and Future Founders.

Bruno Andres Gonzalez Hauger ’21, founder of Ambassadoor Technologies, (left) and Alexander Peter Rolinksi 鈥�24, founder of Sice-Me.

Two 黑料不打烊 student teams received first and second place in the 12th annual New York Business Plan Competition hosted by the Upstate Capital Association of New York on May 7.

Ambassadoor Technologies placed first in the Software and Services category and Sice-Me placed second in the Consumer and Business Products category. Each team received cash prizes and ongoing mentorship to advance their student-led ventures. Overall, this year鈥檚 state competition involved 55 colleges and universities, 269 startup teams and 607 students competing.

, founded by Bruno Andres Gonzalez Hauger 鈥�21 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), connects small businesses to nano-influencers on Instagram through innovative iOS mobile applications. The company created a business app and an influencer app to streamline the entire influencing process on both ends of a deal.

founded by Alexander Peter Rolinksi 鈥�24 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), is a mobile application available for download that creates insular marketplaces for college and high school campuses and their students.

鈥淲e are proud of the innovation and effort of all our LaunchPad student teams, particularly in an unusual and challenging year,鈥� says David Seaman, dean of 黑料不打烊 Libraries and University librarian. 鈥淥ur two winning startups demonstrated professionalism and an entrepreneurial spirit, utilizing technology and platforms, to provide a solution that has the potential to impact college students and businesses across campuses everywhere.鈥�

Intelligence++ team Attainable Accessibility team members Shravani Jadhav, a graduate student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and InclusiveU student Robert Howes at the LaunchPad at SU Libraries

The elective, open to both undergraduate and graduate students from any school or college at 黑料不打烊 including students with intellectual disability from InclusiveU, emphasized interdisciplinary and collaborative innovation. The program and competition prize money were funded through a generous donation from Gianfranco Zaccai 鈥�70 H鈥�09 and the (Intelligence++^TM).听 The Foundation seeks to develop, stimulate, and leverage technological, educational, and organizational innovation to enable and empower individuals with intellectual disability, their families, and their communities to improve quality of life, enhance independence and productivity, lower cost, and benefit society.

Ten interdisciplinary teams of students from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Whitman School of Management, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, Newhouse School of Public Communications, the School of Information Studies and the School of Education were selected to present their proposals for products, services or technologies. InclusiveU students provided important input on design, accessibility and user feedback. The teams were:

• Attainable Accessibility, consisting of members Shravani Jadhav, Assul Larancuent, Elizabeth Fatade, and Robert Howes, making accessibility more attainable for power chair users with innovative technology. 鈥淎ccessibility should promote equity. We believe every person should be able to be in control of their own mobility. Having this control promotes confidence and independence鈥ttainable Accessibility will bring inclusivity by giving those who aren鈥檛 mobile independence through smart technology that utilizes voice control.鈥�
• CENTRE, consisting of members Noah Hollander and Natalie Liu, designed a device that uses sensors to assist students with disabilities by limiting the effects of distractions and helping to regain focus and concentration. 鈥淐ENTRE provides a wearable device鈥� [that] tracks eye movements through EEG and a Bluetooth enabled app that connects to phones and smart watches to monitor, record, and help resolve distraction with a goal of improving overall lifestyle and wellbeing.鈥�
• Drum Flower, consisting of members James Ruhlman and Noah Johnson, is an interactive sculpture for public spaces that serves as a place for congregation and community bonding. The installation is designed specifically so people with disabilities can also access and engage the community. “The project addresses the marginalization of people with disabilities, specifically with inclusion and connection to their community. Our project’s purpose is to give people a means of communicating and interacting nonverbally with others in a public space.鈥�
• Fundwurx (Bronze prize winner), consisting of member Ben Ford, is multi-service platform that works to accelerate impact driven projects and better connect them with donors, while also providing additional resources and tools. 鈥淔undwurx focuses directly on these core values, using technological tools to create personalized philanthropy at scale.鈥�
• HG Sensory (Silver prize winner), consisting of members Sam Hollander, Grace McDonald, Hannah Woodruff, Kaitlyn Brach, Morgan McMinn and Hannah Frankel, is the world’s first sensory deprivation cocoon, enabling an easier dining experience for individuals with sensory disabilities. 鈥淭ogether, we have the power to enhance the dining experience for thousands of people across the world living with sensory disabilities.鈥�
• inclusiv, consisting of members Emiri Vitoontien, Keyshawn Wims and Gokul Beeda, is an Inclusive learning management system that increases the scope of learning for students with disabilities. 鈥淭here are seven million students with disabilities in the American education system, and most of them are deprived of a seamless learning experience due to outdated learning management systems. We are building an accessible platform from the ground up with tools and features like electronic braille, voice assistance, and content assistance.鈥�
• MeetCute (Gold prize winner), consisting of members Madison Worden and Natalie Liu, is a dating and friendship app built with principles of universal design accessible to everyone. 鈥淢eetCute is a safe and inclusive app for everyone looking to meet compatible people for companionship and dating鈥� compatible with the most common accessibility features such as voice-over, text to speech, and changing color contrast. MeetCute will change dating in an image-obsessed culture and provide genuine people a way to meet in a safe digital environment.鈥�
• SmartSupport, consisting of members Patrick McGrath and Cynthia Garcia, is an interface that allows people with disabilities to stay connected with their support network. 鈥淭his app is targeted towards students or individuals who are living away from home and their support network for the first time.鈥�
• UrMentor, consisting of members Ricardo Sanchez, Ramya Swaminathan and Maya Gupta, is a mentorship program for InclusiveU students. 鈥淭he program would partner InclusiveU students with high schoolers from the local area, as well as provide means of communication, goal-oriented activities, and workshops. The goal of the program is to help foster community, to motivate, and to create positive impact on youth with disabilities.鈥�
• Wo-Manly, consisting of members Kelly Davis and Patrick Prioletti, is an on-line platform for women who are both neurotypical and neurodivergent, to build their own spaces and share their strengths in nontraditional spaces. 鈥淲o-manly is an online platform for women to be empowered, empower others and make lifelong friendships… Women can interact each other in a multitude of ways: text conversations, video and voice chats, coworking and hangout spaces, private messaging and in-person meet ups. They can explore communities and start their own, to make life long, supportive friendships.鈥�

鈥淎ll submissions were winners in the eyes of the jury, and I congratulate each and every team member and their advisors,鈥� said Gianfranco Zaccai. “The Intelligence ++ competition will grow year after year by inspiring diverse sensibilities and talents across the university and positioning 黑料不打烊 as a leader in fostering human centered entrepreneurial innovation to augment the capabilities and aspirations of neurodiverse people, their families, and society.”