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Kelsey Davis ’19 G’20 selected for Google for Startups Black Founders Fund

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Kelsey Davis with Dean of the Libraries David Seaman in the LaunchPad on the day that Google announced her selection for its Black Founders Fund. She was in Syracuse from Los Angeles, where CLLCTVE is now based, for ’20 graduation ceremonies. She also spent time on campus visiting Newhouse, Whitman and the LaunchPad and speaking with student founders and creatives.

Congratulations to Newhouse ’19, Whitman G ’20, Blackstone LaunchPad and Techstars alum Kelsey Davis on being among a select group of 50 Black startup founders building great companies as part of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund. The program provides non-dilutive cash awards to Black led startups that have participated in Google programs or have been nominated. Founders selected for the fund receive up to $100,000 in capital along with Google Cloud credits, Google.org Ads grants, and hands-on support to help their startup grow.  

Learn more about the program here.

Davis started CLLCTVE with a Syracuse University student team as an undergraduate, winning numerous competitions and seed funding for her idea. She quickly expanded it to a national multi-campus portfolio platform and network that connects GenZ creators.  Davis, who was recently named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, leads CLLCTVE with her co-founder, Syracuse University alum Brendan O’Keeffe.  She has employed numerous Syracuse University students as interns and early employees.

The team recently graduated from the Techstars LA accelerator, which it joined after incubating at the LaunchPad at Syracuse University.  Davis is a virtual Entrepreneur in Residence for the LaunchPad at SU Libraries and continues to mentor Syracuse University startups. She continues to do work with the City of Syracuse focused on youth leadership and talent development.

Read more about CLLCTVE’s participation in the Google for Startup Black Founders Fund on its website here: https://www.cllctve.com/post/cllctve-selected-for-google-for-startups-black-founders-fund

Team Sweatration is tackling the dangers of dehydration for athletes and fitness enthusiasts

Student team practicing in the LaunchPad
Zach Stahl ’23, Anthony Mazzacane ’24 and Paul Franco ’22 practicing their pitch in the LaunchPad during Invent@SU

During last summer’s Invent@SU program, the Sweatration team identified a problem: “80% of NCAA athletes had suffered from dehydration.”  Paul Franco ‘22, Zach Stahl ‘23, and Anthony Mazzacane ‘24 put their heads together to come up with a solution. The trio invented a wearable hydration status monitor that can be worn on your wrist, head, or wherever else you sweat, and can notify you when you are becoming dehydrated. 

The team comes from different academic backgrounds. Paul is a Physics major in Arts and Sciences; Zach is an Aerospace Engineering major and Computer Science minor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science; and Anthony is a Computer Science and Mathematics dual major in the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Engineering and Computer Science. 

Franco recalls the start of the summer Invent@SU accelerator program as going by quickly and being a whirlwind of ideation. The first two days were hectic as students had to come up with their concept to work on prototyping over the next six weeks.

The team initially considered how to tackle heat stroke using just a wearable device on the skin. However, as they researched the science of body heat and dehydration, they realized that tracking internal body temperature wasn’t accurate with a wearable device on the skin.  Undaunted, the team did not give up.  It took a step back and pivoted – the hallmark of smart innovators. 


By narrowing their research and drilling deeper, they realized that dehydration is a symptom of heat stroke and Mazzacane soon found a study which revealed that sodium ion spikes translate to higher levels of dehydration. That finding was the light at the end of the tunnel which they pursued with vigor.  If they could invent a way to monitor that spike in sodium ion conductivity, then they knew they were on the right path. 

The trio worked with determination and resilience throughout the six-week program. In the program’s fifth week, they competed in a trial presentation run with the opportunity to win a cash prize.  The team placed lower than they had hoped, and Stahl said that they felt “a fire was lit under them” to persevere.

The next day, they went right to work and finalized their initial prototype. Prior to the final demonstration, the three students proved that this device could accurately track when an athlete reached levels of dehydration. They continued to research.  The listened to feedback by guest evaluators.  They worked with peer mentors and staff of the LaunchPad to refine their thought process and focus.  They continued to work off hard data to support their findings.

They kept learning and iterating.  They welcomed coaching and subject matter expertise.  They did user discovery and testing.  They fabricated a working prototype that Zach used to test their theories based on solid research.  It worked.

Sweatration proceeded to walk away with Invent@SU’s top prize.

While reflecting upon their experience, Franco noted that entrepreneurship is “the best way to reward yourself for having a great idea” and valued the lessons he learned “by seeing it through.” Additionally, entrepreneurship “gives you the opportunity to be your own boss and have a lot of control over your career and the projects you undertake.”

Mazzacane added that compared to working for someone else, entrepreneurship means that “you have to figure out your own direction, which is more work, but you have greater freedom of choice.”

This week, they will be competing again for top prizes in ‘Cuse Tank, sponsored by the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University.  This fall they’ve continued to work on their idea with the LaunchPad staff and its network subject matter experts, alumni and peer mentors, along with the assistance of the LaunchPad’s talented student team.  They are working on their IP roadmap and exploring the FDA landscape with the help of the College of Law’s Innovation Law Center.  Their goal is creating a more sophisticated working prototype to get to full proof of concept, work with a professional design firm to finalize the hardware, create a functioning iOS app with an experienced UX team, and finalize their patent.

Franco, Stahl, and Mazzacane highly recommends the Invent@SU program and firmly believe that more students should apply for it. Stahl notes that it provides a huge advantage for any engineer with entrepreneurial ambitions by forcing them to step outside of their comfort zone. Public speaking might not always be at the forefront of a STEM education and the opportunity to pitch in front of seasoned industry veterans—such as Bill Allyn, retired CEO of Welch Allyn (now Hillrom / Baxter) —is an incredible opportunity to refine one’s communication skills. 

After achieving tech execution during Invent@SU, Sweatration now has a working prototype. They will continue focusing on product refinements in order to bring it to market. Additionally, they will participate in business pitch competitions this year working with the LaunchPad, refine their business model, expand the team, and eventually beta test the device with athletes as the last testing stage prior to a commercial launch. They are currently looking for help with industrial design, graphic design, general business, and intellectual property.

If you’re interested in joining their team, reach out to them through the LaunchPad:  LaunchPad@syr.edu or come see them October 8 at ‘Cuse Tank in Bird Library.

Story by LaunchPad Global Fellow Selim Dangoor ’23; photo by LaunchPad staff

Sydney Grosso ’23 on new beginnings

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In the ever-changing environment that makes up Syracuse University, an active junior has great ambitions to get involved. Sydney Grosso ‘23, a double major in Public Health in Falk College and Policy Studies in Maxwell, is determined to use her degree to build a foundation for a meaningful career as a trailblazer.

Sydney, from the Syracuse area, decided to attend SU because of her interest in a biomedical degree. However, she soon discovered her passion for public health and policy studies. Creating new policies that will benefit the public for the greater good was her new commitment. Helping others gives her purpose to what she does, “I am building my skills and knowledge now so that one day I can give back to those who gave to me and many more,” Sydney stated.

Throughout Sydney’s three years at Syracuse, she has used her leadership skills and creative ideas to support residence halls through Resident Hall Association (RHA). She continued building on those skills by becoming an RA in Marion hall and involving herself to become more immersed in the Syracuse community.

She has also given back countless hours to local community members by volunteering to write to the elderly during the heart of the pandemic and tutoring kids in need.

Sydney is actively applying her studies by working with the NYS Grange, a non-profit organization, to relocate their meeting facilities and creating districts within the state to assist with current changes in the organization. She can showcase her leadership and communication skills by using pre-existing surveys and information to ameliorate discomfort in members as well as minimize the decrease in membership. While learning new business strategies and using creativity, Sydney has begun applying these new skills to work towards her upcoming business idea.

As a result of her new idea, she sparked interest in surrounding herself with people who are reliable, intelligent, and more than willing to assist with her aspirations. Sydney said, “Once you become a part of LaunchPad, you become more inspired every day to be the best version of yourself and exceed more than what you ever thought you could accomplish.”

Sydney is currently working with the LaunchPad’s writing team to meet new individuals and display their stories and the value they contribute to the LaunchPad team.  She is also a Zaccai Foundation working with the Intelligence ++ program, an inclusive entrepreneurship program that is a partnership between the LaunchPad and SU Libraries, InclusiveU and VPA’s School of Design.

At the LaunchPad, she aspires to advance her concept for a sustainable product. Furthermore, she aims to continue building connections with previous, current, and upcoming LaunchPad members to hopefully establish business and personal relationships.

“If there is one thing I could change, it would be joining LaunchPad freshman year, so I could have developed more confidence in myself while being surrounded by like-minded people.” Sydney knew she had aspirations outside receiving good grades, she just didn’t know that with the right code, she could unlock more of herself and her ideas.

As Sydney continues her RA role, she has a desire to inspire people to propel out of their comfort zone and to create new ideas. Sydney is continually working towards regaining her social skills with her residents similar to pre-covid times. As many others would agree, “The social strain Covid-19 left on the community has made it difficult to retreat to what it used to look like,” Sydney said.

She is continuously looking for ways to reconnect with her residents, so she can motivate them to reach their full potential.

One struggle Sydney faces is balancing work life and creating time for herself to take a break. “Working thirty-two hours a week, taking eighteen credits, and being involved in extracurricular activities makes it hard to find time for myself,”she said. Learning how to balance all her activities has been one of her greatest challenges thus far.

Making time and prioritizing herself has been a work in progress. But with her new understanding, she has implemented community events to help other students learn how to multitask and create time for themselves.

Sydney is eager to learn more about LaunchPad and establish new relationships within its network. With her drive for success, commitment to helping those who surround her, dedication to seeing others succeed, and contributing to the process, Sydney will find more than just co-workers, she will find a home in LaunchPad.

Story by Blackstone Global Fellow Sydney Grosso ‘23

Orange Tank applications due October 22

Calling Whitman students to jump into Orange Tank. Applications are due October 22 for this fall’s annual Orange Tank business pitch competition.  The competition is open only to student and alumni teams with a Whitman founder or co-founder. Learn more here and apply.

Teams will vie for $42,000 in cash prizes. A grand prize of $25,000 will be awarded to the competition’s top finisher. Monetary awards will be given to the ventures finishing in first, second and third place in both the student and alumni category.

The application deadline for all teams (both student and alumni based) will be Oct. 22, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. No exceptions. Please submit your executive summary to: jtorrens@syr.edu

Finalists will be notified by October 26, 2021.

The final live event will be November 4 at Whitman, with the three teams in each division delivering an extended elevator pitch to finals judges with extended Q&A earlier in the day.  Alumni can be virtual and student presentations will be live. Winners will be announced at a reception and networking event at Whitman that evening.

Apply for over $250,000 in cash and prizes

Are you a student entrepreneur with big dreams? They can become a reality with the 2022 Baylor New Venture Competition. Applications are now open through November 1 for the the 11th annual Baylor New Venture Competition, a business plan competition where students will gain valuable feedback, useful tools, and seed capital for their ventures.

The business plan and elevator pitch competition showcases collegiate student created, managed and led ventures from across the globe. The competition provides participants with personal and professional development through:
industry-specific mentorship towards sustainable business plans; exclusive access to accomplished experts and fellow innovators; and a chance to compete for over $250,000 in cash prizes and vital resources.

The competition is open to all not-for-profit accredited university students and recent alumni. There is no limit to the number of teams from a single university that may apply. Teams must be comprised of a group and not just a single individual founder.

For further information on team eligibility, visit the 2022 Official Guidebook for details.

Questions? Feel free to contact event organizers via email at newventurecomp@baylor.edu.
 

LaunchPad’s Nick Barba ’20 named to program manager at Future Founders

The Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University is thrilled to join Future Founders in announcing that Nick Barba ’20, will join the Chicago-based national organization as Program Manager, Startup.  Reporting to the Senior Director of Startups and working in close partnership with the President & CEO of Future Founders, he will be responsible for supporting Future Founders Fellowship and alumni programming for diverse 18 to 30-year-old founders from across the country. A 2020 graduate of Syracuse University Whitman School of Management, Nick was previously the university’s program manager for its Blackstone LaunchPad, an initiative run by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation that makes entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial skills accessible for all college students to help them build thriving companies and careers.

Linda Dickerson Hartsock, Executive Director of the Blackstone LaunchPad Program at Syracuse University, said, “I have had the pleasure of working closely with Nick for more than three years, both as an adjunct faculty member in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and through the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University, where he also served with distinction as a Blackstone LaunchPad Global Fellow. In short, Nick is one of the most outstanding students I have ever met in my more than 30-year career as a faculty member and university administrator. The impact he has had here is profound.”

In making the announcement, Future Founders added that it “is excited to welcome such a talented and promising young individual to join our staff of entrepreneurs as we work to build the nation’s largest inclusive community of intentional young founders.”

The LaunchPad network partners with Future Founders, a national nonprofit organization immersing young founders in experiences that inspire and empower them on their entrepreneurial journey. The organization’s multiple accelerator programs are offered free of charge, and focus on pairing a strong peer community of like-minded founders with intensive coaching from seasoned entrepreneurs. Future Founders is a non profit organization that helps 18 to 30-year-old entrepreneurs create and scale ventures across all industries. The organization’s multiple accelerator programs are offered free of charge, and focus on pairing a strong peer community of like-minded founders with intensive coaching from seasoned entrepreneurs. Over the last four years alone, Future Founders has helped hundreds of companies collectively generate over $33 million in revenue, raise $36 million in capital, and create 543 jobs.

To learn more about Future Founders visit: https://www.futurefounders.com/

Check this roundup of events to help grow your ideas this fall

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Campus, community, regional and statewide events this fall will offer innovators the opportunity to network, learn and discover resources and tools to help move ideas from concept to commercialization.  Here’s a complete roundup of the best:

Ask the Innovator October 14

The Innovation Law Center at the Syracuse University College of Law welcomes FDA consultant Gary Brennan to its “Ask the Innovator” session on Thursday, October 14 at noon.  Brennan is an FDA medical device regulatory expert. He has worked in the Medical Device Quality and Regulatory Affairs field for over fifteen years managing many aspects of FDA regulatory compliance from product development to product lifecycle management. He will talk about commonly asked questions encountered by early-stage medical device companies. To learn more, read here.

Off to a fast start this fall

We’re excited that 285 new members have joined the LaunchPad this month, bringing us to a total of 5,135 program participants since we opened in Bird Library.  New members include graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, staff and recent alumni who are working on ideas related to venture development.  This surge tells us that innovation is alive and well on the Syracuse campus.  Many people used the pandemic as an opportunity to develop ideas and returned to campus ready to work on them.  We’re excited to connect our new members to an expanded team of student peer mentors.  Request a mentor here or network on our LaunchPad Slack Channel.  It’s a discussion forum to pose questions, tell us about your ideas, or get help solving a problem. 

Want to join our growing community and meet some of the smartest and most interesting people on campus? Join here.

Daren Wang ’23 is making people’s lives easier with Yoka

Daren Wang ’23, along with his teammates Matt and Isabella, was part of the Invent@SU program this summer as Team Yoka.  Wang brought his skills as an Industrial and Interaction Design student at the School of Design, at the College of Visual and Performing Arts, working with Matt, a Mechanical Engineering student at the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Isabella, a Chemical Engineer student at The Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, to design a yoke to make people’s lives easier.

Wang redesigned a traditional yoke into one that would hang around one’s shoulder and hug the body. People can hang their heavy bags of groceries or hiking necessities on the yoke to make carrying items easier. One of Wang’s priorities was to design the yoke to make it look curvy, sleek and incredibly useful.

The idea for the yoke came about during the ideation phase of the competition. Wang approached that phase of the competition by asking himself what he could do to help solve people’s everyday inconveniences.

The problem that Wang faced in designing his innovation was the variation of human anatomy. People’s body types differ and everyone has varied shoulder widths. A one-size-fits-all product was not going to work.

The team’s final product was a yoke with adjustable aluminum tubing. Comfort was a problem and how well the product fits on the body. Wang and his team fit the yoke according to the customer’s measurements. People are already testing and enjoying the prototype.

The majority of the users who participated in user testing for the product obviously preferred the Yoka compared to the heavy lifting they had to do normally.

Wang loves working with his team. He finds it interesting to collaborate with people with skills different from his own and see how they think, as well as contribute his skill sets in the team.

Next, Team Yoka is exploring a patent roadmap.

Wang is now a part of the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University Libraries, located in the Bird Library. After meeting the LaunchPad executive director at Invent@SU event, Wang joined the LaunchPad to further develop the idea.

Although Wang is from Fremont, California, he has taken a liking to the east coast. Wang has never been to the east coast before Syracuse University and wanted to venture out of the west coast.

With an interest in art and mechanical engineering, Wang has taken some classes during high school for automotive design, which introduced him into industrial design. The satisfaction of ideating on one idea and developing it into a physical product was what reeled Wang in. He also enjoys working in teams and hearing everyone’s ideas. As a designer, Wang is interested to work for companies that has good intentions with their products.

“I want to work for a place that aids to society in some way”.

When Wang isn’t working on his ideas, he is involved in quite a few organizations. IDSA is an industrial design organization that Wang is a part of. It’s usually a place where he likes to catchup with his classmates.

Wang is also a part of FYP, (first year players), where he builds set designs for musicals that the organization puts out. FYP is an organization that is comprised of students outside of theatre who are still interested in the theaters. Wang is also a part of Alpha Rho Chi, a professional fraternity of architectural and allied designs.

Outside of school, Wang is very interested in bicycles. He has built about four bikes over the years for himself.

“There’s something about bikes that I love. I would like to build my own bike instead of riding niche bike.”            

Being a creative both in and out of his academic and work life, Wang will definitely be doing more innovative things in the future.

Story by LaunchPad Global Fellow Natalie Lui ‘22; photo supplied