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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

Andrew Kim ’24 on the power of marketing

In an unassuming hallway of a simple, neutral-toned Syracuse dorm, a RA encourages students to dream big. Andrew Kim ‘24, studying marketing and finance in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, and one of this year’s new Launchstar, is committed to helping others develop professionally and personally.

Kim, originally from the Los Angeles area, came to Syracuse with a desire to create in the realm of business. For him, creating is the expansion beyond the status quo.  It’s the act of thinking outside the box.  “I want to be the person who creates a trend, not who partakes in it,” Kim said.  It’s the reason he’s studying marketing to developing his thinking in innovative, creative ways to advertise a product so consumers want it. 

During his time at Syracuse, Kim directed his creative marketing skills towards helping businesses flourish and individuals grow. In his freshman year he joined the student organization Enactus, which leads a variety of business-driven projects, all designed to create social impact and give back to the community, from veterans seeking to build a career to women making jewelry in Guatemala.

Kim, who now sits on the executive board of Enactus in the communications team, used his creative marketing skills to showcase the impact of the organization, advertise their products, and celebrate the hardworking individuals dedicated to creating change.  The marketing strategies Kim learned and implemented through his work with Enactus sparked an interest towards marketing that can be used to help starting and growing businesses thrive.

The idea that a startup with savvy strategic marketing and a correctly identified consumer space can rapidly turn into a successful business is exactly the philosophy Kim is implementing in his new role at the Blackstone LaunchPad as a Launchstar specializing in marketing and product development. 

“The power of marketing allows one person to share their passion and allows consumers to realize it could be their passion as well,” said Kim.

At the LaunchPad, he hopes to work with entrepreneurs and startups to turn their product into the one that consumers realize they can’t live without. He also hopes to assist business in clearly defining their purpose and identity, which he believes is at the heart of marketing. 

“What do you want to be known as? And who do you want to support? Marketing can get really messy,” spoke Kim on the importance of clearly branding yourself when attempting to gain more customers. 

With the correct marketing, Kim is working to create identity and consumer need for businesses in the LaunchPad community.

Kim’s desire to help others grow and flourish doesn’t lie merely within his marketing skills. Currently, Kim is a Resident Assistant in the Whitman Leadership Scholar Learning Community, where he mentors Whitman freshman towards professional excellence and personal confidence. A simple chat with Kim will quickly reveal how much he cares about the students on his floor.

For him it’s also a delicate balance between encouraging growth and creating safety for those in what is often an uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing freshman year.  “Mental health is such a big thing, and I have to take care of these students and don’t want to worry them about professional development,” said Kim about his wish to both motivate and uplift. 

Kim finds this balance through the constant grounding and kind presence he offers to his students combined with professional and team-bonding events for students to explore their career possibilities and grow their professional skills.

The LaunchPad couldn’t be happier to welcome Kim as one of the newest additions to their team. With his commitment to intentionally connecting to those around him, dedication for helping those around him develop professionally and personally, and expertise in guiding businesses to growth with strategic marketing, Kim’s presence fuels a warm, uplifting, and supportive LaunchPad community.

Story by Blackstone Global Fellow Claire Howard ’23; photo supplied

Meet the 2021-2022 LaunchPad student team

group of students in front of the LaunchPad in Bird Library
Some of this year’s new LaunchPad student team gather in front of the LaunchPad. This year’s team is bigger than ever, thanks to generous support by donors to SU Libraries. They are subject matter experts, mentors and outreach and engagement specialists.

Welcome to an exciting year of innovation brought to you by a dynamic new Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University team.  Thanks to generous donor gifts to SU Libraries, this year’s student team has been expanded to 28 paid roles as mentors, subject matter experts, outreach and engagement specialists, and ambassadors for diversity and inclusion.  Meet the new 2021 – 2022 student team here.

This year’s team includes Global Fellows, Blackstone LaunchPad Community Managers, Rubin Family Innovation Mentors, Launchstars, Todd B. Rubin Diversity and Inclusion Scholars, a Hunter Brooks Watson Scholar, a Hult Prize Campus Ambassador, an Innovator in Residence, and Zaccai Foundation Fellows.

LaunchPad Global Fellows are subject matter experts in various disciplines such as engineering, software and data management, industrial and interaction design and product development, graphic design, web design, UX-UI, all forms of digital media and content development, as well as marketing, sales and finance. 

2021 – 2022 LaunchPad Global Fellows include:

  • Alesandra (Sasha) Temerte ’23, Maxwell, economics and Arts and Sciences, writing and rhetoric
  • Jack Lyons ’22, Whitman, marketing management and Newhouse, advertising
  • Matt Keenan ’22, Whitman, marketing management
  • Claire Howard ’23, Maxwell, economics and international relations
  • Selim Dangoor ’23, Engineering and Computer Science, computer science

Blackstone LaunchPad Community Managers work on outreach and engagement through new technology platform initiatives coming soon, such as Startup Tree. 

2021 – 2022 Blackstone LaunchPad Community Managers include:

  • Kelly Davis ’21; Whitman; entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises and Newhouse; television, radio and film
  • Claire Howard ’23, Maxwell, economics and international relations
  • Justin Gluska ’23, Engineering and Computer Science, computer science
  • Michael Young ’22, Whitman double major in finance and real estate

Rubin Family Innovation Mentors serve as peer advisors to a portfolio of student startups, coaching them on strategy and venture development.  They are funded through a generous gift from the Rubin Family Foundation.

2021 – 2022 Rubin Family Innovation Mentors include:

  • Bruno Gonzalez Hauger G ’22, Whitman, entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises, and ’21, Whitman entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises and Newhouse, advertising
  • Kelly Davis ‘21; Whitman; entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises and Newhouse; television, radio and film
  • Ben Ford ’23, Whitman, marketing management and iSchool, data analytics
  • Jackson Ensley ‘22, Whitman, marketing management
  • James LePage ’22, Whitman, real estate and entrepreneurship

Launchstars are multi-talented subject matter experts who will provide “Startup Studio” assistance to student ventures and also help with mentoring

2021 – 2022 Launchstars include:

  • Brandon Henry ’24, Maxwell, economics
  • Diego Luna ’22, Arts and Sciences, biotechnology
  • Fardin Nasir ’23, Whitman, marketing management
  • Andrew Kim, ’24, Whitman, marketing management and finance
  • Alexandra Santangelo, ’23, VPA, industrial and interaction design
  • Josh Alter, ’22, Whitman, finance

Todd B. Rubin Diversity and Inclusion Scholars, also funded through a generous gift from Todd B. Rubin ’04, Architecture, work to broaden diversity and inclusion outreach and programming, expand participation in entrepreneurship by underrepresented groups and support the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

2021 – 2022 Todd R. Rubin Innovation and Diversity Scholars include:

  • Ze Zing ’22, Whitman, finance and business analytics
  • Natalie Lui ’22, Visual and Performing Arts, fashion design and history

Hunter Brooks Watson Scholars are supported through a generous gift from the Hunter Watson Memorial Fund.  It is Inspired by Syracuse University’s Remembrance Scholar program, and was established as a way to honor the life and entrepreneurial spirit of Hunter Brooks Watson, a Syracuse University student who passed away after injuries suffered in a tragic 2016 distracted driving car accident. The Syracuse University Hunter Brooks Watson Scholar peer mentors students and builds the pipeline of innovative students who exemplify the “spirit of entrepreneurship.”

The 2021 – 2022 Hunter Brooks Watson Scholar is:

  • John Ramza ’23, Whitman, business analytics

The Syracuse University Hult Prize Campus Ambassador helps organize the campus Hult Prize competition at Syracuse University.  It is part of a global competition that is often referred to as the “Nobel Prize” of student impact entrepreneurship.

The 2020 – 2021 Syracuse University Hult Prize Campus Ambassador is:

  • Claire Howard ’23, Maxwell, economics and international relations

Innovator in Residence is a talented visiting entrepreneur who is incubating in the LaunchPad while providing technical assistance and mentoring to LaunchPad student ventures.

The 2021 – 2022 Innovator in Residence is:

  • Paul Hultgren, serial entrepreneur co-founder and lead software developer of Popcycle, ModoSuite and Patchwork

Zaccai Foundation Fellows are interdisciplinary subject matter experts and peer mentors supporting the Intelligence ++ inclusive design and entrepreneurship program in partnership with InclusiveU and the VPA School of Design

2021 – 2022 Zaccai Foundation Fellows include:

  • Season Chowdhury ’23, Engineering and Computer Science, computer science
  • Sydney Grosso ’23, Falk, public health and Maxwell, policy studies
  • Carlos Magdaleno ’23, Newhouse, advertising
  • Samba Soumare ’24, Maxwell, international relations
  • Songyn Shi, G’22, architecture

Together, the LaunchPad team provides multi-disciplinary skill sets and expansive services to help all members of the Syracuse University community explore innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, and build professional and personal skill sets to succeed.

“The Libraries is grateful to Todd for his continued support for Syracuse University’s innovation hub and encouraging diversity and inclusion,” said David Seaman, Dean of Syracuse University Libraries and University Librarian.  “The LaunchPad is an incubation environment for students from 116 countries around the world to grow and flourish. It provides experiential opportunities for innovative students to interact with a variety of people from different backgrounds, with different interests, from all the academic disciplines across campus. This type of learning significantly compliments what they learn in a classroom, helping them understand how to become thoughtful and engaged citizens and change-makers.”

Story by Sasha Temerte ’23; photo by LaunchPad staff

See you on Slack!

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The LaunchPad is expanding on Slack! Join the LaunchPad Slack Channel as a discussion forum and way to engage with peer mentors.  Pose questions, tell us about your ideas, start a conversation, find team members, or get help solving a problem.  We’ll be monitoring the #general and #askforhelp threads so we can deliver even more LaunchPad help to our growing community.

Next Innovation Law Center LaunchPad Office Hours on October 7

people at a conference table

Need help understanding how to protect ideas or creative works? Confused about patents, trademarks and copyrights?Join us for the next Innovation Law Center Office Hours on Thursday, October 7 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at this Zoom link.

The Syracuse University Innovation Law Center + New York State Science & Technology Law Center (NYS STLC) is partnering with the LaunchPad to host office hours for innovators and inventors interested in commercializing their ideas. Hear insights from law student Al Michalenko and ask questions on anything related to the technical, legal, and business aspects involved in bringing new technologies to market.

If you can’t make it this week, other upcoming office hours this semester will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the LaunchPad on these days, hosted by these law students:

Wed. Oct 20: Cierra Thomas
Thurs. Nov 4: Jake Goldsmith
Wed. Nov 17: Jake Goldsmith

While the SU Innovation Law Center does not file for or prosecute patents, and does not provide legal advice or opinions, the LaunchPad can refer inventors and entrepreneurs to IP law firms to implement patent, trademark, copyright filings, licensing agreements and other legal work.

Ask us your questions — don’t let confusion or uncertainty about the legal aspects of startups stop you from pursuing your idea.

If you would like to schedule a particular time during office hours, e-mail LaunchPad@syr.edu

Fall opportunities for fun and learning at the LaunchPad

This fall features a series of Friday Startup Socials with amazing guest speakers in a conversational “ask me anything” format over pizza. It’s a chance to learn, mingle and meet other like-minded innovators and creatives. See the fall line up here and join us in the LaunchPad, first floor of Bird Library.

Other events include business plan competitions, open to all Syracuse University students, with the complete schedule here.

For students interested in exploring how to protect their ideas through patents, copyrights and trademarks, or general legal questions about business issues, join us with the Syracuse University Innovation Law Center this fall. The schedule is here.

This week’s Startup Social with Karina Campos takes a look at the future of human centered design and AI

Join us for this week’s for a Startup Social in the LaunchPad on Friday, October 1 at 3 p.m. with Karina Campos, Advisory Design Lead, IBM Z AI. The event, with pizza, is open to all. Come share a slice of innovation with an innovation strategist with a history of working in the design and information technology services industry who is certified in enterprise design thinking and virtual collaboration, and is now helping pioneer the future through AI.

Karina joined IBM in January 2018. She graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Industrial and Interaction Design and a minor in Psychology. Before joining IBM she was a Be Original Americas Design Fellow in New York City and was a contributing editor for Interior & Sources Magazine. She was researcher on Tailored Fit Pricing, which launched Enterprise Containers. Following that launch, Karina led the IBM Z AI design team, applying her human-centered design philosophies to understand users’ current experience with AI technology. In her new role as IBM Z Design Research Strategist, Karina will work to create a unified experience for Hardware and z/OS, including best practices and new innovative approaches, driving cross-team collaboration to maximize design research impact across the company’s entire portfolio. It’s also a great chance to learn how startup skills can shape a career as an innovator within a large corporation.

Join us for a “Pitch Perfect” workshop on October 4

Applications are closing for ‘Cuse Tank, but remain open for the upcoming Impact Prize, ACC InVenture Prize, RvD iPrize, and the Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award, as well as Whitman’s Orange Tank and the Panasci Business Plan Competition.  To help get students ready for the many opportunities ahead, starting with ‘Cuse Tank on October 8, the LaunchPad will be hosting a “Pitch Perfect” workshop on Monday, October 4 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to help students prepare.  The session, at the LaunchPad in Bird Library, which will include tips on presentation techniques, as well as info on what to include in pitch decks. 

The workshop will include:

Presentation style

  • Tips on an effective presentation, and how to create a compelling story
  • How to pitch with polish in a way that connects with the audience and judges
  • How to create effective visuals and infographics to demonstrate your points
  • Do’s and don’ts of presentations, and how to create impact

What the judges are looking for

  • Problem identification, customer discovery and validation
  • Viability and feasibility of solution
  • Market opportunity and effective identification of target customers and end-users
  • Competitive advantage and value proposition
  • Strength of the business model the product/service or technology being developed, solid assumptions and realistic projections of cost and revenue drivers
  • Expertise of the team, and a network of supporting advisors who bring expertise
  • Passion, drive and team commitment
  • Clear, convincing and engaging pitch

Components of the pitch

  • Problem and its significance (tell a story and create a context)
  • Solution and what makes it unique
  • Problem/solution validation
  • Size of the market opportunity and customer/end-user you are targeting
  • Competitive landscape and where you fit
  • Marketing and sales channels to reach your market
  • Your plan:  product roadmap and business development roadmap
  • Financial projections over three years (expenses and revenues), and a breakeven analysis
  • Your funding strategy, and projected sources and uses of funds
  • Your team, and expertise it has to tackle this problem and bring this solution to market
  • Your wrap and how to hit it out the park.  Make the ask and give the judges a reason to invest in your idea and your team

The LaunchPad team will be working to help prepare students for the competitions, and a series of practice pitch sessions will be held before each competition.

To learn more about the competitions, get details on the schedule, or schedule coaching sessions with LaunchPad Rubin Family Innovation Mentors, email launchpad@syr.edu.