Shawn Gaetano ’21 (iSchool) and Sam Hollander ’22 (Whitman and Newhouse) took home some top honors for their ventures at the U.S.-Western NY regionals of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA).  The competition, held January 22, 2021 in Buffalo, featured student entrepreneurs who actively run a business while pursuing an undergraduate degree and generating revenue or investments.  Gaetano and Hollander won cash awards and earned second and third place in the competition .  Both are Syracuse LaunchPad startups who are launching their ventures with the support of the university innovation ecosystem.

Gaetano, who graduated early in December, shared his story as founder of Solace Vision, a software platform that builds tailored virtual reality environments.  As a student, he was director of NEXIS, a student run research organization based on emerging technologies.  Solace Vision originated in NEXIS working with researchers and faculty there, and he then participated in the LaunchPad’s SummerStart Accelerator where he continued his commercialization trajectory.  He participated and won prizes in several fall 2020 campus competitions.  As an undergraduate he was also a technology services support specialist from the Whitman School of Management. After graduation he will be joining Eaton while also pursuing his work building Solace Vision.

Hollander is a serial entrepreneur who shared his journey as a founding team member of several ventures going back to his childhood.  His path led him to create FSCL, a pioneering alternative finance vehicle that is a simple, affordable and flexible solution to finance higher education.  He is planning to graduate in December 2021 with a dual major in finance and advertising with an emphasis in financial and investor communications.  Hollander has been involved in entrepreneurship since he first set foot on the Syracuse University campus and is currently an Orange Ambassador and Rubin Family Innovation Mentor at the LaunchPad where he has also been a Global Fellow and part of the organizing team for Syracuse University’s Startup Weekend with Techstars.  He recently completed a Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars Fellowship.  As a Syracuse student he competed in and won numerous campus competitions.  Before coming to Syracuse, he founded SPH Media while still in high school.

Taking first place was Lorena James, a Chinese studies senior at Davidson College in North Carolina who will soon be entering Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University in Beijing as a graduate Schwarzman Scholar. She won for her venture Curly, which curates zero waste hair care products for the African diaspora in Asia. 

EO GSEA is considered the premier global competition for student entrepreneurs who actively run a business.  With more than 1,700 competitors from over 30 countries, EO GSEA is an exclusive opportunity for student entrepreneurs to make connections, find resources and grow their businesses.  It is supported by The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), a global business network of more than 12,000 leading entrepreneurs in 160 global chapters.

Founded in 1987 by a group of young entrepreneurs, EO enables business owners to learn from each other, leading to greater business success. EO offers resources in the form of global events, leadership-development programs, peer-to-peer learning, an online entrepreneur forum, executive education opportunities and connections to experts.

Game on!  The 2021 ACC InVenture Prize Syracuse University campus edition is this Friday, January 29 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Watch the “Battle of the Brains” as the best Orange innovators go head to head competing for a grant prize sponsored by M&T Bank and a spot at the ACC Conference finals. Here is where you can tune in to watch and cheer on your favorites.  Judging the teams will be a slate of six amazing experts who will bring their “Shark Tank” skills to the job. 

Schedule:

2:00 p.m. — Welcome by David Seaman, Dean of Libraries and University Librarian followed by greetings and brief remarks by former Syracuse University ACC InVenture Prize winners Kate Beckman (2017 winner) and Kayla Simon (2018 winner)

Pitches:

2:15 p.m. in alphabetical order

• Ambassadoor Technologies, Bruno Gonzalez Hauger
• Cirus, Alexander Don
• doNATION, Ben Ford
• FSCL, Sam Hollander
• Keep Coffee Casual, Murray Lebovitz
• Signal, Kyra Thomas
• Spread, Cullen Kavanaugh
• Sugex, Russell Fearon

4:30 p.m. – Grand prize announcement by Allen Naples, Regional President at M&T Bank

The judges bring a range of skills from industrial design to mechanical engineering, digital media and marketing, finance, investment, and diversity and inclusion. They include:

• Kate Beckman ’17 G ’18, Senior Content Manager at Ripple Match and former freelance writer at Cosmopolitan, Founder of FreshU, Speaker for Advertising Week and 2017 ACC InVenture Prize winner
• Rob Englert, founder and principal designer of ram industrial design, a consultancy specializing in consumer products, user interactions and experiences for a portfolio of global brand clients, and also co-founder of (sphere) optics company
• Joanne Lenweaver, founder and co-farmer of Clean Slate Farm, president and creative director at Lenweaver Advertising + Design, and former long-time director of the WISE Women’s Business Center
• Kayla Simon ’19, Integration Engineer at Relative Space and former Propulsion Test Engineer at Virgin Orbit, co-founder of In-Spire, former LaunchPad Global Fellow and LaunchPad Watson Scholar and 2018 ACC InVenture Prize winner
• Marcus Webb ’19 and G ‘22, Economic Inclusion Fellow at Center State CEO
• Ryan York, President of York Wealth Management, former CEO of Pinnacle Investments LLC and a Syracuse University alumnus

“The Elite Eight” Syracuse University teams will be battling it out “Shark Tank” style in the campus edition of the ACC InVenture Prize on January 29, 2021 hosted by the Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars at SU Libraries.  The competition is open to student startups at the 15 colleges and universities that are part of the ACC Academic Consortium.  The Syracuse University campus winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize generously sponsored by M&T Bank and move on to the conference-wide virtual finals hosted by North Carolina State University and televised by PBS.

Competing in the campus qualifier will be teams led by:

• Alexander Don ’22, Whitman — Cirus is a social media platform for people who prefer their voices to be valued rather than visual appearances. The problem Cirus is solving is that the social media apps available on the market promote too many issues concerning self-image. 
• Ben Ford ’23, Whitman — DoNATION is an impact investment platform that offers an automated system that easily and effectively matches people launching a variety of projects with donors who share a similar interest.
• Bruno Gonzalez Hauger ’21, Whitman — Ambassadoor Technologies has three main goals: 1.) to connect small brick-and-mortar businesses to nano-influencers 2.) to enable anyone on Instagram with engagement to be a paid influencer and 3.) to automate the influencer search, compensation, and management processes.
• Cullen Kavanaugh, 22, Whitman – Spread is a mobile application that provides a platform for custom wagers on events between friends.
• Kyra Thomas ’21, Engineering and Computer Science — Signal is a company that focuses on creating technology solutions that solve issues related to accessibility and inclusion.
• Murray Lebovitz ’23, Whitman — Keep Coffee Casual is creating access to the future of coffee. Building modern coffee culture through sustainability, inclusion, and creativity.
• Russell Fearon ’20 G’21, Engineering and Computer Science — Sugex is discovering and creating solutions that meet unmet social determinants of health for diabetes.  The Sugex Watch invention will control blood sugars and eventually help prevent diabetes in a glucose monitoring system for all Type 1, Type 2, and pre-diabetics.
• Sam Hollander ‘22, Whitman and Newhouse – FSCL is pioneering the use of alternative finance vehicles to build a more simple, affordable and flexible solution to finance higher education.

The ACC InVenture Prize Competition is the nations’ largest undergraduate student innovation competition.  For the very first time since its inception in 2016, the ACC InVenture Prize is going virtual for 2021 and North Carolina State University will once again serve as the host university for the competition. The ACC finals were cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

In addition to Syracuse University, the 15 participating ACC Conference colleges are: Boston College, Clemson University, Duke University, Florida State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Carolina State, University of Notre Dame, University of Louisville, University of Miami, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, University of Pittsburgh, University of Virginia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University and Wake Forest University.

Stay tuned as the campus winners are announced and watch the 2021 ACC InVenture Prize Competition PBS broadcast on April 21, 2021 to experience the virtual competition and find out which team will bring home the grand prize.

Starting with this issue we’re introducing a new weekly section featuring first person perspectives by Syracuse student innovators. Insights is a fresh addition to our e-newsletter lineup of programs, events, funding opportunities and student startup spotlights. Written by our student LaunchPad team, the series will take you inside the startup world with tips, tools and insights gained along the journey from idea to launch. We hope you enjoy it and if you have insights you’d like to share, reach out to us at LaunchPad@syr.edu

Do you have questions about intellectual property protection, sorting out regulatory compliance, or how to obtain market research? The Syracuse University Innovation Law Center team of experts will host monthly Zoom sessions to discuss these and other issues relating to successful technology commercialization. “Ask the Expert” sessions will be held on the third Thursday of each month. Submit your questions in advance for an anonymous response, or just log on to hear the discussion and ask directly.  The team will address issues that come with crossing the chasm from scientific research to technology commercialization.  Get the schedule and register here.

These zoom sessions are available via a grant from NYS ESD NYSTAR to anyone with questions regarding intellectual property, marketing, or regulatory concerns. 

Submit questions in advance to: csignor@syr.edu.

To gain access to links and past recordings, visit here.

Syracuse University’s Office of Research recently announced the request for proposals for the 2021 Collaboration for Unprecedented Success and Excellence (CUSE) Grant Program. Information sessions are being held over the next month to answer questions about the program and application process. Office hours will be available for one-on-one consultation with the CUSE Grants program manager.  The proposal deadline is March 1, 2021.  Read on for eligibility, key dates and more information about the program here.

CUSE Grant Program key dates:

CUSE Grant Application General Information Session –Jan. 20, 10-11:30 a.m.

CUSE Grant Application Humanities-focused Information Session –Jan. 29, 10-11:30 a.m.

CUSE Grant Application Arts-focused Information Session –Feb. 5, 10-11:30 a.m.

CUSE Grant Office Hours — Feb. 10, 17 and 24, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by appointment

Proposal Deadline: March 1 at 5 p.m.

In addition, the Office of Research is sponsoring many other spring information sessions and workshops which may require registration or appointments.  These programs are targeted for faculty and graduate students. Below is a brief summary of dates and topics for these events. For complete details on the programs, times and how to reserve a spot, check the Office of Research calendar here.

January 27, 2021 – 11 a.m. — Office of Research Awareness: Introduction to the Office of Technology Transfer and the SU Ownership and Management of Intellectual Property Policy. Presenters will provide an overview of the types of intellectual property protection available for technologies, including software, such as patents and copyrights, and more.

January 29, 2021 – 10 a.m. — CUSE Grant Application Humanities Information Session. Syracuse University’s Office of Research has announced the request for proposals for the 2021 Collaboration for Unprecedented Success and Excellence (CUSE) Grant Program.

February 3, 2021 – 10 a.m. — Office of Research Awareness: Introduction to the Office of Research Integrity and Protections. Presenters will provide an overview of the various functions of the Office of Research Integrity and Protections including Human Research Protections, Animal Research, Financial Conflicts and more.

February 5, 2021 – 10 a.m. — CUSE Grant Application Arts Information Session. Syracuse University’s Office of Research has announced the request for proposals for the 2021 Collaboration for Unprecedented Success and Excellence (CUSE) Grant Program.

February 10, 2021 – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — CUSE Grant Office Hours. CUSE Office Hours are available to discuss general or specific application questions for the 2021 CUSE Grant Program.  By appointment.

February 17, 2021 – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — CUSE Grant Office Hours. CUSE Office Hours are available to discuss general or specific application questions for the 2021 CUSE Grant Program.  By appointment.

February 19, 2021 — noon — Publishing Your Humanities Book: Know Your Audience, Reach Your Readers. The Syracuse University Humanities Center, Office of Research, and College of Arts and Sciences are pleased to host two editors from Stanford University Press offering insightful information about publishing.

February 24, 2021 – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — CUSE Grant Office Hours. CUSE Grant Office Hours are available to discuss general or specific application questions for the 2021 CUSE Grant Program.  By appointment.

March 3, 2021 – 10 a.m. — Office of Research Awareness: Using Experts@Syracuse to Manage Researcher Profiles. Experts@Syracuse is designed to create, manage, and make public Syracuse University researcher profiles, enabling research networking and expertise discovery, all while reducing administrative burden.

March 11, 2021 – 8:30 a.m. — Write Winning Grant Proposals: National Science Foundation (NSF) Focus. Syracuse University’s Office of Research is pleased to sponsor Write Winning Grant Proposals: National Science Foundation (NSF) Focus.

March 12, 2021 – 8:30 a.m. — Write Winning Grant Proposals: National Science Foundation (NSF) Focus. Syracuse University’s Office of Research is pleased to sponsor Write Winning Grant Proposals: National Science Foundation (NSF) Focus.

March 17, 2021 – 10 a.m. — Office of Research Awareness: NSF CAREER Awardee Panel Discussion. Join the Office of Research for a panel discussion with NSF CAREER Awardees.

March 19, 2021 – 10 a.m. — NEH Regional Grant-Writing Workshop. In this virtual workshop, program officers from the NEH Division of Education will provide an overview of NEH grant opportunities, a review of sample applications to discuss application-writing…

March 24, 2021 – 10 a.m. — Office of Research Awareness: Building an Evaluation Plan for Projects and Proposals. his workshop will provide strategies and models for designing effective program and proposal evaluation plans.

April 14, 2021 – 10 a.m. — Office of Research Awareness: Developing a targeted funding search with PIVOT. Presenters will provide an overview of the Pivot database to search for research funding opportunities available to Syracuse University researchers.

April 28, 2021 – 10 a.m. — Office of Research Awareness: Building Strong Proposal Budgets. Join the Office of Research for a presentation and panel discussion about proposal budgets.

May 5, 2021 – 10 a.m. — Office of Research Awareness: Managing Your Sponsored Funding. Join the Office of Research and Office of Sponsored Accounting for a presentation on managing your sponsored funding.

Two Syracuse University Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars ventures collaborated recently on a brand challenge, offering a chance to CLLCTVE college creators to work with fast growing food delivery company Good Uncle as it scales into new markets.  Based in Los Angeles, CLLCTVE has an in-network database of creators from 97 universities and a waitlist of 2,000+ students from around the country. A CLLCTVE beta class tested the platform with Good Uncle to discover its brand pain points, goals for future promotional campaigns and what kind of user-generated content could drive value for the brand. CLLCTVE is continuing to work with Good Uncle this spring, and is also offering similar challenges this spring matching brands hoping to connect with GenZ audiences. Interested in being part of an upcoming brand challenge? Learn more here.

Read the full story by Kaila Mathis and see some of the best submissions here on Medium.

Background on the challenge:

Good Uncle came to CLLCTVE looking to utilize our in-platform creators to capture content reflective of Good Uncle’s value for college students. At the time, we had a fall beta class of 25 students hand-picked from our waitlist testing our platform.

CLLCTVE worked with Good Uncle to craft a brand challenge prompting fall beta class creators to produce a piece of content for social media that captured the key essence of the brand: easy in-app delivery, low costs, and diverse food options. The goal was to utilize Good Uncle’s target market members to get students excited about downloading and ordering from the company.

Creators were given one week to complete content within their medium of choice. Videos were limited to 60 seconds or less to make them applicable to all social platforms, and graphic design and photography were asked to consist of five or less images.  Submissions were packaged into a deliverables site for Good Uncle to easily view and access the content.  The site was included a feedback form and Good Uncle rated their experience with CLLCTVE a 9/10 and responded that they were happy with the content created, specifically pieces that involved graphic design.

“As we scale into more campuses, it’s good to see how students, who have little to no context for who we are, would explain Good Uncle through whichever medium they are operating in,” said Karli Buckley, Good Uncle Brand Manager. “If I’m able to effectively communicate WHO we are and what we’re looking for, I feel confident that anyone can do it, regardless of geography.”

Read the Medium story by Kaila Mathis for CLLCTVE and see who won and what their creative content looked like.

About CLLCTVE and Good Uncle:

CLLCTVE is the rising professional network for Gen Z, operating as the premier talent marketplace for brands to source young creators for paid work. Through the platform, creators can build a digital portfolio, secure exclusive job opportunities, and participate in brand content challenges, all while building within a community of creators from around the country. Brands can source user-generated content at scale through content challenges, data sourcing and exclusive access to creators from around the country.

Good Uncle brings easily accessible, delicious, chef-created meals to college, healthcare & corporate locations. It operates as a food truck that prepares meals on its way to customers and delivers it without a fee. With a key focus on delivering to college campuses, Good Uncle taps into the Gen Z audience with easy in-app delivery, low costs, and diverse food options (including barbecue, Mexican, American, Italian, and of course, pints of Ben and Jerry’s and cookie dough). For students on the go looking to satisfy their cravings without leaving campus, Good Uncle is the perfect choice.

If you want to promote your entrepreneurial success, use our badge system to celebrate milestones as your venture gains traction.  From creating your first executive summary and pitch deck, to building a team, being part of a pitch competition, launching your brand through social media and your very own website, closing a first sale, incorporating, and more, the badge system helps tell your story. Now it’s even easier to earn your digital badges through a new system on our LaunchPad Discord platform. 

Check out the Badge Book here.  Badges come straight from the LaunchPad’s roadmap, as well as suggestions from members and mentors.  Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars project management consultant Nick Barba created the system to instill some competitive spirit, as well as help startups celebrate each step they take.

He believes that entrepreneurs do not typically get the kudos they deserve when they reach milestones.  “Every step closer you take to being ready for your first investment, is a step to celebrate,” says Barba.  “We want to share your experiences, and every small step along the way, as you move from concept to commercialization.  The system also very publicly helps students see where they can find help from peers who have already achieved goals.  It also helps fosters collaborative community building.” 

Earn your digital badges.  Which entrepreneur or team will earn the most badges by the end of the academic year?  Stay tuned …

Dr. John Torrens, ‘G93, Professor of Entrepreneurial Practice and deputy chair of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises at Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management has just published, “Lightning in a Bottle: How Entrepreneurs Can Harness Their ADHD to Win,” now available on Amazon. 

Among the topics Torrens explores in the book are how to use ADHD “superpowers” such as laser focus, sensation seeking and quick thinking as advantages, while better managing ADHD challenges such as distractibility and impulsive decision-making.  Torrens helps teams understand how to more effectively work with an ADHD boss, while helping those with ADHD understand how to work more effectively in teams, finish projects more efficiently, and reach their full potential with greater productivity and life-work balance. 

Buy the book here on Amazon and read more about how Dr. Torrens came to write it in this article in Whitman Voices.

The book has already risen to #1 in new releases in the Learning Disabilities category with five-star reader ratings.  Scott Gucciardi wrote in a review, “Based not on theory but on real life experiences, this book is compelling, insightful, and personal. It includes valuable advice and actionable suggestions to harness the ADHD traits that will be helpful in driving greater success in entrepreneurial ventures.”

“Lightning in a Bottle captures the essence of the entrepreneurial journey for those with ADHD,” says Matt Shumer, founder and CEO of Otherside AI, a LaunchPad venture.  “As a leading expert on the subject, Torrens’ teachings have empowered me to harness my ADHD, changing it from a distraction into an entrepreneurial superpower. If you have ever felt like you can’t concentrate, or are easily distracted, John will help you leverage the power of your ADHD to build a world-class company.”

“I felt seen, heard, and encouraged on every page,” added Kelsey Davis ’19 G ’20, founder and CEO of CLLCTVE, another LaunchPad venture. “This book empowers entrepreneurs with the tools to turn their ADHD into a superpower, providing a mindful path forward to lead any tribe. Whether you personally have ADHD or conduct business with someone who does, this is the book for you.”

Dr. Torrens, who is also the LaunchPad Faculty Entrepreneur in Residence, is a healthcare and education entrepreneur with 25 years leading high growth companies.  He has extensive experience in developing high-performing teams, raising capital, and both buy/sell side M&A.  He is currently acting COO of Saluber MD, a global telemedicine company in which he is also an investor.  Previously, Dr. Torrens joined the management team of Vertical Companies, a vertically integrated cannabis company, for a year in order to take on special projects.

His research interests include the link between ADHD and Entrepreneurship, and he is a frequent guest speaker and executive education instructor in the areas of entrepreneurship, strategy, and corporate innovation. 

His TEDx speech “ADHD as an Entrepreneur’s Superpower” which explores recent research and his own personal experiences has been viewed more than 100,000 times. 

He is quoted frequently in print media, has written several articles, and has delivered multiple presentations on the business of healthcare.  He holds a Ph.D. in healthcare administration.