Looking for something mind-blowing this Global Entrepreneurship Week?  Take part in the Global Bioeconomy Summit #GBS2020 with interactive workshops with dynamic speakers from all over the world on a diverse range of topics around innovation and a sustainable bioeconomy.  You’ll learn about global bioeconomy development and the bioeconomy’s role in addressing global crises, discovering bioinnovations, markets and consumer approaches. Typically more than 100 high-level speakers contribute to the Global Bioeconomy Summit each year, including entrepreneurs, educators and ministers from Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, South and North America, as well as international policy experts from organizations such as the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission, as well as high-level representatives from science, industry and NGOs.  It is on-line and free this year, with events all week, November 16 to 20.  Learn more and register here.

In celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the Syracuse LaunchPad & Techstars is applying to The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) to become a Startup Huddle community, joining other communities from around the world.  GEN communities host monthly Huddles to support local entrepreneurs as they develop solutions to important challenges.  The model relies on crowdsourcing good ideas and feedback from other entrepreneurs and mentors.  Each Huddle will feature one or two early-stage startup founders giving a six-minute presentation of their ventures to a diverse audience of peer innovators, mentors, advisers and angels. Each presentation is followed by a 20-minute question and answer session.  As opposed to a traditional “pitch” environment, Huddles are not competitive, but instead focus on positive feedback and group ideation to encourage a community of innovators.  The LaunchPad is planning to host Huddles virtually, starting over winter break and through the spring semester, to encourage participation by a global network of mentors.  There are currently more than 50 GEN Startup Huddle communities around the world.

Learn more here: https://www.genglobal.org/gew/activities/startup-huddle

At the LaunchPad, we’re proud of our community of innovators and learners from 118 different countries. During Global Entrepreneurship week, we want to celebrate the diversity and richness of heritage that creates a more well-rounded community, but we also want to highlight the remarkable opportunities to learn and grow by becoming a global student. While not all encompassing, these are some SU resources that can help create communities for students from all over the world to connect and cultivate cultural understanding and appreciation.

The Center for International Services

The Center for International Services seeks to make Syracuse a home for international students and create a shared global community between domestic and international communities. It provides essential services to international students for practical living such as help for applying for a visa, how to apply for employment in the US, how to get US health insurance, and paying taxes. Beyond that, the Center provides valuable community groups to build a more connected Syracuse culture.

Mix it Up

Every Friday evening, a mixture of domestic and international students gather to share a cultural meal and exchange dialogue about pressing social issues. Mix-it-Up is an initiative to build understanding and bridge the gap between international and domestic students.

English Conversation Groups

Looking to increase your foreign language or English language skills? Conversation Groups partner you with a fluent speaker in your target language to foster increased language skills and greater cultural awareness.

The English Language Institute

ELI helps students from around the work achieve English language proficiency to help achieve success in education, work and life. Instructors are cultural and linguistic experts who can help in many areas ranging from housing to connections on immigration issues, enhancing academic success and finding campus and community resources.

Phi Beta Delta

An honorary society recognizing intercultural competence and international education, membership in Phi Beta Delta is built upon students who study abroad and are engaged in international research.

Study Abroad

The best way to learn is by doing, and the best way to gain cultural competence is to step outside of your comfort zone to live in a different country. Syracuse University has some of the most excellent study abroad programs of an American University- from our five campuses in cities around the world to our World Partner Programs which allow students to study in almost any region of their choice, to the exchange programs which enable direct enrollment at another university. While study abroad may not be a current option for most in a pandemic world, take the time to dream about the future and what wonderful places you might end up.

Multicultural Organizations

If college is notorious for having every club you can think of, Syracuse University’s wide array of multicultural student organizations is no exception. From multicultural Greek Life organizations to student unions celebrating ethnic and cultural identity to publications championing global perspectives; Syracuse has everything you need to open your mind and learn as much as possible about the fascinatingly diverse world we live in.

The Shaw Center

Global community isn’t just built between students, but it can also be found in the increasingly global city of Syracuse. Syracuse accepts some of the most refugees of any city in the United States, and the city has burst with diversity of culture and background. Students can help foster growth and prosperity in the refugee community through volunteer programs that the Shaw Center offers, such as its partnership with the Northside Learning Center, where students can help tutor refugee students and teach refugees English.

Quick links to some of SU’s many global resources:

• http://international.syr.edu/
• https://www.syracuse.edu/admissions/undergraduate/international/
• https://www.syracuse.edu/academics/study-abroad/
• https://www.syracuse.edu/academics/study-abroad/world-partner/
• https://suabroad.syr.edu/who-are-you/incoming-exchange-students/exchange-schools
• https://eli.syr.edu/
• http://multicultural.syr.edu/student-organization/

Building a community takes work and investment of empathy, but it is the responsibility of every single one of us. During our Global Entrepreneurship Week, we encourage members of the Syracuse community to pour themselves into cultivating a global community through the wonderful resources offered by the university.

Story by LaunchPad Global Fellow Claire Howard ’23

Syracuse University students are invited to participate in The Fulbright Canada Post-COVID Challenge to help shape a collective future beyond the pandemic.  The initiative is seeking bold ideas particularly related to public health and wellbeing, digital transformation, social cohesion and economic recovery.  Individual students or teams from across the U.S. or Canada, particularly from underrepresented groups, can apply. Each successful applicant or team will be assigned a Challenge Fellow, and teams could potentially also have competitive access to small grants to could help support the development of their idea. The top team will receive a $25,000 prize.  Second and third place winning teams will each receive a $10,000 prize.

The deadline to apply has been extended to January 30, 2021.

More information is here: fulbright.ca/postcovidchallenge or email questions to :  postcovidchallenge@fulbright.ca

The Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars global network is now accepting applications from Syracuse University LaunchPad members to be considered for this premiere annual pitch competition, where student startups from across the LaunchPad network get to pitch for a chance at over $50,000 in non-dilutive grant funding. Past winners include Syracuse University’s very own Josh Aviv from SparkCharge, who graduated from the LaunchPad, went through Techstars and other accelerators, and recently secured $1 million on Shark Tank.

The competition will be held virtually alongside Startup Grind’s Global Conference. Up to 30 semifinalists will compete in the weeks leading up to the event for a chance at securing one of the 5 slots to pitch live in front of industry-leading judges and a global virtual audience. The winner will be announced on the Startup Grind mainstage.

$55,000 will be awarded in prizes:

• First Place: $25,000
• 2nd Place: $15,000
• 3rd Place: $10,000
• People’s Choice: $5,000

Here’s the thing:  We have to nominate you.  Only three nominations will be accepted from the Syracuse University LaunchPad, so if you want to be considered, you need to be an active member of our LaunchPad. You cannot apply outside of going through your campus program. We can nominate current students (either graduate or undergraduate), or recent graduates (2020 or 2019).  The nominee must be a founder or co-founder and can only be nominated by the campus director of the LaunchPad.  This will be competitive so reach out to us now if you want to be considered as one of the three teams we select to nominate.

Here is how we will be scoring who we nominate: 

• Investability
• Business model viability
• Innovation
• Market size
• Traction
• Team / Founder
• Pitch quality
• Participation in Syracuse LaunchPad programming

To apply, e-mail us your one-page executive summary with a note that you would like to be considered.  Send the applications to LaunchPad@syr.edu

We will be submitting our three nominations by January 5, 2021.  The Startup Grind and LaunchPad global network team will review all applications between January 15-22, 2021 and select first round competitors who will be assigned coaches and mentors.  Finalists will be selected February 12 and will pitch virtually at Startup Grind from February 22 to 25, 2021.  Startup Grind final competition judges include David Cohen, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Techstars.

Startup Grind is the world’s largest community of startups, founders, innovators, and creators. It brings like-minded yet diverse individuals together to connect, learn, teach, help, build, and belong. Startup Grind does this daily through events, flagship conferences, startup program, partnerships, and online media + content – collectively reaching over 3.5 million individuals worldwide.  The Startup Grind Global Conference will be virtual in 2021, featuring 4 days, 7 key themes, over 100 workshops, roundtables, keynotes, and fireside chats focused on helping startups and innovative teams learn, grow, and scale in today’s evolving tech ecosystem.

It takes a global village.  Did you know that Syracuse University LaunchPad members come from 118 countries?  We are very proud of our global reach.  It celebrates the cultural diversity of our creative community and it also means that we are training innovators  who are bringing entrepreneurial skills and mindsets back to communities around the world.  Working in the LaunchPad means that you are innovating with teams built with the brightest minds from every corner of the globe.   Entrepreneurship doesn’t know political or geographic boundaries.  It exists everywhere, and when people come together to work on solving problems, putting aside differences and finding common ground, amazing things can happen.  That kind of comraderies accelerates success. We celebrate the innovative spirit of our students from 118 countries who are working together in the LaunchPad each week … not just Global Entrepreneurship Week. Being a cultural crossroads is part of who we are and what makes us a such an exciting place to bring ideas to life.

Check our map of members here. Don’t see you country? Become a member and let’s add to this list.

The LaunchPad prepares participants to be trailblazers and innovators in an entrepreneurial world. It enhances the student experience and builds skills in these Syracuse University shared *core competencies:

Civic and Global Responsibility

Knowledge, exploration, and analysis of the complexity surrounding interdependent local, national, and global affairs. Engagement in responsible, collaborative, and inclusive civic and cross-cultural learning, with an emphasis on public, global, and historical issues.

Ethics, Integrity, and Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Reflection on the dynamic relationships among power, inequality, identities, and social structures. Thoughtful engagement with one’s values, intersectional identities, experiences, and diverse perspectives and people. Application of ethical and inclusive decision-making in the context of personal, academic, professional, and collaborative pursuits.

Critical and Creative Thinking

Exploration and synthesis of ideas, artifacts, issues, and events to inform and evaluate arguments, develop new insights, and produce creative work. Reflection on, and application of divergent modes of inquiry, analysis, and innovation to research, knowledge, and artistic creation.

Scientific Inquiry and Research Skills

Application of scientific inquiry and problem solving in various contexts. Analysis of theories, replication of procedures, and rethinking existing frameworks. Supporting arguments through research, data, and quantitative and qualitative evidence that can generate new knowledge.

Communication Skills

Effective individual, interpersonal, and collaborative presentation and development of ideas through oral, written, and other forms of expression to inform, persuade, or inspire.

Information Literacy and Technological Agility

Identification, collection, evaluation, and responsible use of information. Effective, ethical, and critical application of various technologies and media in academic, creative, personal, and professional endeavors.

*Core competencies approved by the Syracuse University Senate, December 2018

This year’s $15,000 Impact Prize Competition featured 28 student teams pitching ideas with the potential to change the world.  The virtual competition sponsored by the Syracuse Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars. Teams were selected from applicants across campus to pitch products, services or technologies that are innovative and sustainable solutions to societal problems.  This year’s competition also featured teams from a new inclusive entrepreneurship program, jointly offered by VPA, InclusiveU and the LaunchPad, featuring innovations to support persons with intellectual disabilities.  The Impact Prize Competition opens Syracuse University’s annual Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Winners included:

• $7,000, Justin Diaz, EcoBamboo Living, ’23 College of Engineering and Computer Science
• $3,000, Sam Hollander, FSCL, ’22 Whitman School of Management and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• $3,000, Dana Immerso, ’20 and G ’21 You’re Not Alone, Arts and Sciences
• $1,000, Jackson Ensley, Popcycle, ’22 Whitman School of Management
• $500, Ben Ford, DoNation, ’23 Whitman School of Management

Winners of the Intelligence ++ Inclusive Entrepreneurship Room:

• $500, Justin Diaz, Adaptive Xbox Controller, ’23 College of Engineering and Computer Science
• $500, James Ruhlman, Inclusive Interactive Installation, ’22 College of Visual and Performing Arts

The teams that presented their ideas in the competition included:

• Ben Ford, DoNation
• Charis Asante-Agye, Yum Yum
• Claire Chevalier, Cuapa Monde Conservation
• Dana Immerso, You’re Not Alone
• Hanna Seraji, Multi Hue Magazine
• Jack Adler, Three Dollar Challenge
• Jackson Ensley, Popcycle
• Justin Diaz, EcoBamboo Living
• Lauren Levin, vintageU
• Mario Garcia, Pairinc
• Mashundra Maclin, Juggernaut
• Murray Lebovitz, Keep Coffee Casual
• Patrick Prioletti, Your Perfect Dose
• Raul Hernandez Guardans, Sonder Films
• Russell Fearon, SugEx
• Ryan Ondocin, Satellite
• Sam Hollander, FSCL
• Sardorek Askarov, Aphinity
• Season Chowdhury, Field
• Shawn Gaetano, Solace Vision

The inclusive entrepreneurship teams included:

• Gokul Rishwanth Beeda, Inclusive and accessible education platform
• Hannah Woodruff, Inclusive dining
• James Richard Ruhlman, Inclusive interactive installation
• Justin Diaz, Adaptive Xbox controller
• Madison Reece Worden, Accessible dating app
• Noah Hollander, Environmental Stimulus Reduction
• Ricardo Sanchez, InclusiveU mentorship program

Judges for the Impact Prize were alumni who have either launched ventures or are in innovation careers, and who have come through the LaunchPad program.  They included:

• Amanda Chou, Kaiser Permanente
• Audrey Miller, Watson Institute
• Dylan Gans, Good Uncle
• Jack McCarthy, Prosek Partners
• Jake deHahn, Breinify and Accessible Masks.org
• Josh Jackson, Promptous
• Kate Beckman, Ripple Match
• Kennedy Patlan, Ashoka
• Phil McKnight, Promptous
• Quinton Fletchall, Conifer Research
• Ryan Williams, Good Life Foundation

Two special judges also joined the event: 

• Megan McCann, Principal & CAO, Portfolio Operations at The Blackstone Group
• Jill Rothstein, award-winning accessibility, inclusion and innovation advocate and chief librarian, Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library at The New York Public Library

LaunchPad students and alumni who assisted in producing the event included showrunners:

• Claire Howard, LaunchPad Global Fellow
• Emma Rothman, LaunchPad Rubin Family Innovation Mentor, Orange Ambassador and Hunter Brooks Watson Scholar
• Kelly Davis, LaunchPad Global Fellow
• Krishna Pamidi, LaunchPad Orange Ambassador
• Nick Barba ‘20, LaunchPad project management consultant
• Peter Hartsock ‘19, 410 Pictures
• Quinn King ‘20, MedUX

This year’s competition included a $10,000 Dr. Gay Culverhouse Impact Award prize package through a gift from SU Libraries Advisory Board Member Carl Armani and his wife Marcy, made in honor of Dr. Gay Culverhouse.  Marcy Armani gave a very touching memorial reflection on Gay Culverhouse at the opening of the program.  Dr. Culverhouse and Marcy Armani were friends for more than 30 years, volunteering together, and focusing on philanthropy and social causes.  Dr. Culverhouse was a pioneer in education, sports and medicine, serving as president of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and an advocate for players with brain disorders, an issue she raised to the national level.  She was also an educator with a focus on intellectual disabilities research, an entrepreneur and former president of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. She passed away on July 1, 2020. 

The competition also included a $5,000 prize package through a gift from Dr. Gisela M. von Dran, director emerita of the iSchool’s MSLIS program, and who has a special interest in social entrepreneurship.  She is a retired member of the faculty at both the iSchool and the Whitman School of Management, and is the wife of Raymond von Dran, dean of the iSchool from 1995 until his death in 2007.  She was instrumental in establishing the Raymond F. von Dran Fund at the iSchool.

Syracuse University’s Inclusive Entrepreneurship program is supported through a generous gift from Gianfranco Zaccai through his Intelligence ++ Foundation.

The CNY Biotech Accelerator’s Concept to Commercialization virtual series continues through November and December.  This excellent educational resource program for innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs was established through the CNY Biotech Accelerator, NextCorps (formerly High Tech Rochester) and the Science+Technology Law Center at Syracuse University, and is supported by innovation ecosystem partners including the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University.  The series provides information and build networks for innovative and technology-driven product and service development and commercialization, particularly in the sectors of biotech and medtech. Workshops are virtual. Thanks to a grant from Empire State Development, registration to attend is waived for university faculty and students.  Register here.

Dates and time for the series:

• November 18, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST, Good Clinical Practice Regulations and Clinical Trials
• December 2, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST, Startup Resources: Business & Financial Culture
• December 9, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST, Export Information for Small Businesses
• December 16, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST, Issues to Consider Before Fundraising: Financial Housekeeping for Startups
• December 21, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST, Venture Capital & Corporate Venturing – Finding the Right Fit & Mix

OthersideAI today announced seed funding of $2.6 million led by Madrona Venture Group and joined by Active Capital, Hustle Fund, Chapter One, and top angel investors in AI and SaaS.  Otherside AI is led by Syracuse University students Matt Shumer and Miles Feldstein and alumnus Jason Kuperberg who met at the Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars at Syracuse University where they created the venture.

OthersideAI brings productivity magic to the email inbox, turning simple summaries into beautifully written emails in seconds. The platform enables users to save significant time managing their email correspondence. Since announcing the then-project in a tweet mid-summer, the waitlist to onboard with OthersideAI has grown by thousands and has garnered accolades from AI experts around the world.

The team developed OthersideAI as part of the LaunchPad’s 2020 SummerStart Accelerator program.  Shumer, Feldstein and Kuperberg have been active members of the LaunchPad program for several years.  Shumer was a participant in the LaunchPad Lift program, and Shumer and Feldstein were part of a top team in the recent national Techstars Startup Weekend USA Remote competition.  The three co-founders have been participants in numerous campus and national competitions including ‘Cuse Tank, Impact Prize, ACC InVenture Prize, iPrize, Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship competition, Orange Tank and the Hult Prize.  Shumer and Kuperberg were both LaunchPad Global Fellows, and all three Otherside AI co-founders mentor current LaunchPad teams.  Shumer was a Rubin Family Innovation Mentor last year at the LaunchPad.  They remain actively engaged in the program.  “This wouldn’t have been possible without the Blackstone & Techstars LaunchPad network and Syracuse University’s LaunchPad,” said Shumer, who is CEO of the company.

OthersideAI is one of the first commercial products built entirely on GPT-3, the incredibly powerful, general-purpose AI model from OpenAI which delivers natural-language results for virtually any task.

“Email is a crucial application for getting business done, communicating with friends and family, and where we, admittedly, spend many hours a day. However, unlike other applications, email hasn’t evolved in decades. OthersideAI changes that dynamic by helping users compose thoughtful emails with just a couple of bullet points – and in their own personal style,” said Shumer.  “The response we have had from our early users – and from those who have seen the demo – has been overwhelming and we are looking forward to rolling out OthersideAI more broadly in the coming months.”

Currently available as a Chrome Extension, OthersideAI will use the funding to grow the development team, add support for new email clients, and expand the current feature set to include personal style and tone settings. Join the waitlist here.

OthersideAI was one of the first companies to be granted access to the OpenAI API to help test and refine the technology and has been working closely with OpenAI to build to the safety standards of both entities.

“We strongly believe that AI and Natural Language Processing technologies such as GPT-3 will transform many aspects of our lives – from work to our health to leisure. Since our first investment in commercially viable AI technology more than seven years ago, we have looked to back innovative founders like Matt, Miles and Jason, who are building solutions and products that will have significant impact. We are so excited to work with this team as they bring their first product to market,” said Matt McIlwain, managing director, Madrona Venture Group.

About OthersideAI

OthersideAI is transforming the way we communicate, starting with email. Leveraging the latest in AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology, OthersideAI takes in a simple summary of what you want to say, and generates a perfect email in your personal style. It’s email magic. OthersideAI.com

About Madrona Venture Group

Madrona (www.madrona.com) has been investing in early-stage technology companies since 1995. The firm invests predominantly in seed and Series A rounds across the information technology spectrum, and in 2018 raised a fund to expand initial investments into acceleration stage companies. Madrona manages approximately $1.8 billion and was an early investor in companies such as Amazon, Smartsheet, Rover, and Redfin.

Read the original news release from Madrona here on Business Wire:

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201112005064/en/OthersideAI-Announces-Funding-of-2.6-Million-to-Bring-Magic-to-Your-Inbox

• Read a background story on Otherside AI:  https://launchpad.syr.edu/matt-shumer-miles-feldstein-and-jason-kuperberg-create-viral-success-with-launch-of-othersideai/
• Read more about Matt Shumer:  https://launchpad.syr.edu/matt-shumer-otherside-ai/
• Read more about Miles Feldstein:  https://launchpad.syr.edu/miles-feldstein-otherside-ai/
• Read more about Jason Kuperberg:   https://launchpad.syr.edu/jason-kuperberg-otherside-ai/

Please join us for a dynamic Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars speaker series focusing on social impact.  The next event, on November 12 from 11 a.m. to noon focuses on Social Impact Leadership.  Students will hear from founders and executive leaders with experience in multiple types of social impact venture. From strategic decision-making to executive transitions, they’ll share their journeys of starting, running, and growing social impact startups. Panelists include: Jonny Imerman, Co-Founder, Cloztalk & Imerman Angels; Heejae Lim, Founder and CEO, TalkingPoints; and Danny Rojas, Executive Director, All Star Code.  Register here.

The series, open to all LaunchPad students, is being offered as part of the Fall 2020 LaunchPad Fellowship program. It will address unique elements required for achieving success with social impact student startups, including leadership, scalability, funding and for- and non-profit business models. Over the course of four Thursdays in November and December 2020, the LaunchPad & Techstars network will bring together an exceptional roster of speakers to connect with students who are interested in entrepreneurship, preparing for 21st-century innovation careers, and motivated by positive social impact.