Josh Aviv ’15 G’17 launched SparkCharge right here in Syracuse University’s LaunchPad. He’s still part of the LaunchPad, growing SparkCharge as a member of the Founder’s Circle, our LaunchPad Entrepreneur in Residence, and a coach and mentor for a whole new school of young LaunchPad sharks. Join the LaunchPad community Friday night, October 16 for a Syracuse LaunchPad & Techstars Shark Tank Watch Party to cheer him on as he makes the biggest pitch of his life on the Season 12 premiere of ABC’s Shark Tank. Join the Zoom party at 8 p.m. (Eastern Time). The community watch event is hosted by LaunchPad Rubin Family Innovation Mentor Sam Hollander ’22, founder of FSCL. Quick link: http://bit.ly/josh-sharktank

How will he do? Will he best the sharks? Will they draw blood? Who wins the Shark match? Tune in and find out!

Friday, October 16 is Shark Day at Syracuse. The annual ‘Cuse Tank competition features 20 teams pitching to successful entrepreneur judges as a warm up for the season premiere of Shark Tank. “Sweet Sixteen” semi-finalists and four “Wild Card” teams will compete in the Syracuse style “Shark Tank” competition over Zoom on Friday afternoon, October 16. The event is sponsored by the Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars at Syracuse University Libraries.  Judges will award $10,000 in prize funding through a gift to SU Libraries from Todd Dagres, co-founder and General Partner of Spark Capital. It is also a kick-off event for Family Weekend at SU.

A distinguished panel of judges who are members of the “LaunchPad family” will narrow down the “Sweet Sixteen” field to the “Final Four” who will pitch for the prize package.  A celebrity judge for the “Final Four” round will be Josh Aviv ’15 G’17 who is appearing that same evening at 8 p.m. on the season premiere of ABC’s Shark Tank.  Aviv will be pitching SparkCharge that night to Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner and a celebrity guest entrepreneur. Aviv developed and launched SparkCharge as a Syracuse student working closely with the LaunchPad.  He built his first prototype at the SU MakerSpace in Kimmel Hall and set up his first engineering lab at the Syracuse Center for Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems. He is the first Syracuse student to accelerate from the LaunchPad to Techstars to the stage of Shark Tank.

“I’m excited to bring it back to where it all started for SparkCharge,” said Josh Aviv. “I want to inspire a new crop of student startups to aim for the stars.  Pitching on the stage of Shark Tank was my goal, from my very first competition in the LaunchPad.  So, stay true to your dreams.”  Aviv continues to work closely with the Syracuse LaunchPad. He is also now a LaunchPad Entrepreneur in Residence, mentoring young Syracuse University startups as he scales SparkCharge from his corporate headquarters in Boston and manufacturing facility in Buffalo.

Other judges include key members of the LaunchPad innovation ecosystem: AJ Damiano ’18, co-founder and CEO of PowerSpike; Mike Gursha ’10, chairman and CEO of Rookie Road and LaunchPad Entrepreneur in Residence; Corey Lieblein ’93, Founder/CEO of CP8 Capital and LaunchPad Entrepreneur in Residence; Kathi Durdon, executive director of the CNY Biotech Accelerator at Upstate Medical University; Amy Fazackerley, founder and CEO of Lay-n-Go: Victoria Lawson ’20, founder and CEO of Weird &  Woke Design; James Bason, president and CEO of TruFund Financial Services; Mike Smith ’12 G’13, founder of Scrappy Capital and consultant at Venture Fuel; Alec Gillinder ’20 and Quinn King ’20, co-founders of MedUX.

“Sweet Sixteen” “Cuse Tank contestants come from across campus and are working on diverse ideas. The schedule and teams are:

Hammerhead Shark Room
Time	Presenter	Team
2:15	Henry Touma	ROA
2:25	Season Chowdhury	Field
2:35	Xuhong Fang	Thinc-Hub
2:45	Bruno Gonzalez Hauger	Ambassadoor Technologies

Great Reef Shark Room
Time	Presenter	Team
2:15	Shawn Gaetano	Solace Vision
2:25	Claire Chevalier	Cuapa Monde Conservation
2:35	Calvin Atieku	GeckStrips
2:45	Patrick Prioletti	Your Perfect Dose

Tiger Shark Room
Time	Presenter	Team
2:15	Ryan Ondocin	Satellite
2:25	Justin Diaz	EcoBamboo Living
2:35	Selim Dangoor	MUNCH Beef Jerky
2:45	Jackson Ensley	Popcycle

Sharp Tooth Shark Room
Time	Presenter	Team
2:15	Sam Hollander	FSCL
2:25	Sardorbek Askarov	Aphinity
2:35	Raul Hernandez Guardans	Sonder Films
2:45	Nicolas Misita	ShaMoon

In addition to the Sweet Sixteen, there is a Wild Card room of teams who are competing for a $500 prize. These teams are just starting their entrepreneurial journey at the Blackstone LaunchPad and Techstars at Syracuse University

Wild Card Room
Time	Presenter	Team
2:15	Samuel Margol	PutMeOn
2:25	Mengxuan Tang	Speed 55
2:35	Ben Ford	Jersey Boys Apparel
2:45	Murray Lebovitz	Keep Coffee Casual

Interested in watching the Zoom event?  E-mail LaunchPad@syr.edu

The Syracuse University Martin J. Whitman School of Management is pleased to host the following virtual events as part of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises Week, October 19 through October 23.  Registration is required. Full details are provided below. October 19, EEE Week Kick-Off Speaker:  Todd Harrison ’91, Chief Investment Officer, CB1 Capital Management, LLC., will kick off Whitman’s virtual Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises Week on Monday, October 19, from 5-6 p.m. EDT with a discussion on his career path from finance to Emmy Award-winning media to cannabis investing.  Register Now October 20, Major Tracts Alumni Entrepreneurs Panel: Please join Whitman alumni entrepreneurs on Tuesday, October 20, 6-7 p.m. EDT for a panel discussion on career opportunities within the four tracts of Whitman’s Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises major: Social Entrepreneurship, New Venture, Family Business and Corporate Entrepreneurship. Jessica Santana, CEO of America On Tech; Scott Friedberg, CEO of Guilded Social; Jonathan Holtz, Chairman of Winholt Equipment Group; and Jeff Lipkin, CFO of Harry’s, will share their insights and experiences. Register Now October 21, Entrepreneurship in Time of Crisis: Scholars from Whitman’s Institute for an Entrepreneurial Society (IES) will participate in a faculty forum on Wednesday, October 21, at 1 p.m. EDT to discuss the impact of crises on entrepreneurship. Maria Minniti, IES Director and Bantle Chair in Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, will be joined by Professors Roger Koppl and David Lucas and Postdoctoral Fellow Zach Rodriguez to discuss the economic outlook for entrepreneurial businesses during the pandemic, the specific challenges and opportunities faced by entrepreneurs, and the value of flexible and adaptive small business policies. They will also explore the invaluable impact that social entrepreneurs make on the wellbeing of society in the time of need. Register Now October 22, Orange Tank Business Pitch Competition: Whitman’s sixth annual alumni and student business pitch competition is set for Thursday, October 22, at 6 p.m. EDT.  You canbe a part of the viewing audience for this year’s virtual competition during which Whitman alumni and student entrepreneurs will vie for $40,000 in cash prizes. Thanks to the generosity of Whitman Advisory Council member and lifetime SU Trustee John Couri ’63 (A&S), the competition’s top finisher will win a $25,000 grand prize. The ventures who place first, second and third in both the student and alumni categories will also be awarded cash prizes.  Register Now. Following registration for each event, you will receive a confirmation email with detailed information to join the event. Should you have questions, please contact Liz Holloway, Alumni Engagement Coordinator, at emhollow@syr.edu.

LaunchPad alumni Nikita Chatterjee ’20 and Brianna Howard ’20 and G’21, co-founders of PANNI, and Daniel McMurray ’19 G’20, founder of CommunitYouth, were chosen from more than 125 student venture applicants to the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Techstars and Future Founders for a fall fellowship program to help a new wave of social impact entrepreneurs. 

The 40 founders selected for the prestigious program are tackling social issues in the areas of healthcare, mental health, sustainability, education, employment, and more. They represent a wide array of higher education institutions, including Syracuse University, Cornell University, Trinity College Dublin, New York University, and University of California and University of Texas system schools.

Today’s college students are more engaged in social issues than any generation before them.  Their passion for social issues is spilling over into their professional and career choices – including entrepreneurship. More and more, burgeoning student entrepreneurs are demonstrating that they care about having a social impact.

According to a report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, an estimated one-third of all startups around the world are aimed at social good. And that’s especially true for younger generations of entrepreneurs. The report found that among entrepreneurs aged 18 to 34, there are more social entrepreneurs than commercial entrepreneurs. Confirming this trend, the 2020 Student Entrepreneurship Outlook survey, conducted by Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars, found that nearly two-thirds of respondents were motivated by their impact on societal change and creative problem-solving.

In response to this, the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Techstars and Future Founders created this fall fellowship program with a focus on impact entrepreneurship.

Selected startups include a subscription box for parents and teachers with resources addressing social justice topics, an app for teachers in developing countries that allow them to share videos on effective teaching practices without the internet, and a mental health service that offers a comprehensive, accessible platform to non-English speaking communities. Additionally, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact small businesses around the United States, one of the selected startups is working to connect small businesses that have been hurt commercially by the pandemic with volunteer university students and graduates with applicable skills.

PAANI is the winner of many Syracuse campus startup competitions.  Co-founded by Chatterjee and Howard, it is a clean water filtration system that utilizes the cultural behaviors of women in places like the slums of India.  The advanced multi-layer PANNI water filtration system is built into a sari cloth, a traditional garment worn by women throughout India. The fellowship will help with further prototyping, testing and development.

CommunitYouth is a youth participation organization founded by McMurray to work in partnership with municipalities, politicians, educations and civic organizations to give youth a voice in civic affair, to engage them in issues affecting their interests, and to foster citizenship and participation.

Both ventures began as student ventures in the Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars at Syracuse University.

During the eight-week virtual program, student fellows will take part in coaching sessions with LaunchPad Campus Directors and receive mentoring from Blackstone Campus Ambassadors and Techstars Entrepreneurs and Advisors during a LaunchPad ‘Mentor Week.’ They’ll learn about leadership and team management; press, media, and digital marketing; and financing, fundraising, and budgeting.

Each fellow will also receive $5,000 in non-dilutive grant funding to support their time working on advancing their startup companies.

The LaunchPad Powered by Techstars initiative helps students succeed in entrepreneurship and in their careers.

To learn more about the fall cohort, check out the Fall 2020 LaunchPad Fellowship: Social Impact – Student Venture Lookbook.

#LaunchPadFellowship and @BXLaunchPad, @techstars and @FutureFounders on Twitter and LinkedIn.  #Blackstone LaunchPad

Every workday begins with a morning ritual. Some might include a cup or two of coffee, some may begin with a written to-do list for navigating the day ahead, but all include a familiar element: the scores of emails flooding your inbox demanding your attention.

Just 20 years ago, the average user sent an email once every few weeks and most likely received a thrill from clicking send. Today, the average professional spends 28% of their workday reading, answering, and sending emails. That is a staggering 2.6 hours out of every single workday. 

Matt Shumer ‘22 and Miles Feldstein ‘23, two Syracuse University students, and Jason Kuperberg ‘18, a recent Syracuse graduate, spent the summer sitting in front of their computers meticulously typing emails. In the virtual world of a global pandemic, the majority of professional communication has shifted to constant clicks of reply and send. Shumer, who at the time was developing a company focused on virtual reality in the healthcare space, grew increasingly frustrated by the time and energy taken up by this mundane task. 

Searching for increased efficiency, Shumer began prototyping a software that would write emails for a user. After creating a simple first version, he heard about Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), an artificial intelligence that uses deep language learning to write text so human-like it is difficult to tell that it was written by a machine. He cold-emailed the CTO of OpenAI, the company that created GPT-3, and received access. With Feldstein’s help, he built an app that generates emails in a user’s individual voice, and incorporated a company to commercialize the software, OthersideAI, in early July.  They worked on it over the summer through the Syracuse University LaunchPad’s SummerStart Accelerator program.

The team then decided to post a demo on Twitter. It was simple and straightforward: a user types a series of key words such as ‘thanks’ and ‘let me know,’ and hits a ‘generate’ button. A carefully worded email immediately springs up, immaculate in its professionality. What would have taken an individual many minutes to think, construct, and type is generated in seconds.

That simple demo received over a million views. OthersideAI gained thousands of subscribers, was featured in The New York Times, and now has an ever-growing waitlist of thousands. 

“It took off like wildfire,” Shumer recalled of that night in July. 

The wildfire that is OthersideAI has only continued to grow and is on the path to fundamentally transforming communication on a global scale. The three teammates: Shumer, Feldstein, and Kuperberg, have poured their energy into further development and have created a model enabling users to spend less time on monotonous tasks like email and scheduling, leaving them more time to focus on the things that truly matter. 

“We’re democratizing communication.” Shumer spoke of the groundbreaking vision of OthersideAI to generate full-length emails in a user’s unique style and transform the future of communication.

How does this happen? How do two college students and one recent graduate design technologically brilliant software using the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, go viral, and now own a company that has already received several key investments? 

The OthersideAI team believes the ability to correctly identify and respond to the current problems of the world is the key to successfully creating a company. The idea for OthersideAI first sprung on Shumer when he was working on his company Visos, a virtual reality headset for medical use, and wanted a way to quickly write cold emails to potential customers. He realized that in a COVID-19 world, where PPE took precedence, few people were investing in new medical technologies, while everybody was emailing. The creation of OthersideAI was a pivot to accurately address current problems people face and then creating a user-focused solution. 

“User centricity is at the center of every single thing we do,” said Kuperberg. “We don’t just have users. Each individual is welcomed into our community, and we want them to be involved in every step of the process.” 

Another core aspect of their extraordinary success is the tight-knit and dynamic team they’ve created. Each of the three co-founders plays a specific role in the company, harnessing the strengths of their unique skill sets. Shumer, with his years of entrepreneurial experience starting and successfully growing several companies, focuses on gaining connections with investors and designing and implementing successful business and technology strategies. Kuperberg, passionate about the social impact of innovation, focuses on communicating with users to ensure the product meets their needs in the best possible way.  Feldstein, forever a critical thinker and innovator, leads their product design and development. The strength of their collaboration is apparent in everything they do, from their meticulously designed products to the way they pitch their team and vision.

“Build a team first and then a company,” said Feldstein on the key to becoming a successful entrepreneur. The success of OthersideAI is built upon the collaborative nature, drive, and shared passion between the three co-founders.

The incredible success and growth of OthersideAI is a story of three tenacious entrepreneurs who persisted, overcoming obstacles on the journey toward designing effective solutions to common global problems. All three have started companies before OthersideAI and, while they have not experienced this level of user interest and committed investment, their past experiences have allowed them to rise to the occasion.

Their story is not one of unattainable marvel, but one of the power in adjusting your ideas to focus on societal needs, investing in close relationships with driven teammates, and creating impact through continuous iteration.

Story by LaunchPad Global Fellow Claire Howard ‘23

Our collaborators at CenterState CEO and Generation Next have created a new six-week virtual program for young professionals. The series, “Eyes on the Future: Skills to Help Further Your Career,” runs October 22 to December 3, 2020.

Learn more and register here.

Attendees will gain strategies and knowledge to further their careers,  whether they have been employed with the same company for a number of years, are looking to make a change or just interested in a fresh perspective on their role in their company or the business community as a whole.

During the series, leaders from different business sectors will share their experiences, successes, failures and lessons they’ve learned – and how they’ve used these experiences to grow themselves and their companies. Participants will collaborate with peers, work together on small group projects, and learn how to position themselves for greater success in their professional career.

EARLY REGISTRATION RATE! $49 includes all six sessions. Register by 10/15!

Cost for all 6 sessions: $99 per member; $129 per non-member; $49 per student.

Attendees are encouraged to participate in all six sessions to maximize the experience.

Series Schedule

9 am to 10:30 am

The Power of Stories & Building Your Brand (October 22, 2020)

Stories have the ability to paint compelling pictures, build trust, and empower people to take action or change behaviors. Hear a panel of experts as they share how to leverage the power of stories to let your voice be heard, and how your social media brand can impact your professional career whether it is getting or maintaining a position.

Panelists include:  Andy Orr, Partner & Designer, Lab Creative; Nikita Jankowski, Director of Marketing, Destiny USA; Amy Bleier Long, Magazine Editor, at Central New York Magazine

Dealing with Challenging Workplace Situations (October 29, 2020)

Learn strategies from industry leading guest speakers on how to handle difficult conversations with your manager and direct reports, and how to set yourself up for success.

Panelists include:  Vanessa Campbell, Employee Relations Officer, Onondaga County; James Branche, Human Resource Manager, United Radio, and Rob Didio, SpinCar.

Lending your Expertise on Nonprofit Boards (November 5, 2020)

It’s not all about resume building. Engaging in nonprofit board service is an invaluable opportunity to have community impact and gain leadership skills. During a time when many nonprofit organizations are looking to the community for fresh energy and diverse leadership support, young professionals have the advantage to lend their expertise, time, and resources. This session will share ways you can crush the millennial stereotype and prove to be an effective and supportive leader that all nonprofit boards wish they had!

Panelists include:  

Gus Hernandez, Chief Operating Officer, The Hayner Hoyt Corporation, and President, Salvation Army Syracuse Young Leaders Advisory Council; Sheena Solomon, Executive Director, Gifford Foundation and  Pam Brunet, Executive Director, Leadership Greater Syracuse.

Three C’s of Mentorship – Consultant, Counselor and Cheerleader (November 12, 2020)

How do mentors bring their business experience to their mentee? Learn how you can benefit from connecting with a mentor that can provide guidance, support, encouragement and sage wisdom. Finding mentors always needs to be an area of development and growth, both personal and professionally.

Panelists includes: Melanie Littlejohn, Vice President, National Grid;  Lindsey Zajac, Ahern, Murphy & Associates and Laiza Semidey, Syracuse Surge Workforce Manager, CenterState CEO.

Making Moves (November 19, 2020)

Don’t just do a job. Do something you love. Make the risky move even if people tell you that you’re going to fail. Your business career is not linear. You will one day have to make a pivot. You will indeed make mistakes. Learn from them and fail forward. Every mistake you make is your roadmap to glory and success in the future.

Panelists include:  Brenna Bastian, Director of Talent Acquisition, Terakeet and CJ Butler, Marketing Communications Specialist, Salt City Market.

Defining Personal Leadership (December 3, 2020)

What makes a good leader? Learn the five levels of leadership, understand how to develop a strategic framework for your leadership, and set your professional development path to become a stronger employee, a better leader, and a better person.

Presenter:  Gwen Webber-McLeod, President/CEO, Gwen, Inc. 

Syracuse LaunchPad alumni Kelsey Davis ’19 G ’20, Founder and CEO, and Brendan O’Keeffe ’20, Chief Operating Officer, will take the stage as CLLCTVE pitches at Techstars Demo Day in Los Angeles.  Join the live event October 8, 11am PT / 2 pm ET featuring special guests including LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, and hear from the Techstars LA accelerator cohort. RSVP here

Davis launched CLLCTVE as a student at Syracuse University, incubating at the Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars at SU Libraries while she completed her undergraduate degree in the Newhouse School of Public Communications and her master’s degree in entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises at the Whitman School of Management.  O’Keeffe joined the team as an undergraduate in the School of Information Studies (iSchool). 

While incubating at the LaunchPad, Davis also mentored other student startups as a LaunchPad Rubin Family Innovation Mentor.  Davis and O’Keeffe participated in the Blackstone LaunchPad and Techstars Propel program, where Davis won $10,000 in a global network competition. Davis was selected to participate in the spring 2020 cohort of LaunchPad Lift. The program took ten college student business ventures from the United States and Ireland to the next level by providing a $10,000 grant, dedicated mentoring, peer networking and critical education on advanced startup topics like fundraising, growing sales, hiring executives and formalizing their supply chain.  In addition, the CLLCTVE team won numerous Syracuse University campus competitions as students, securing seed funding to grow their idea. 

CLLCVTE was accepted into the highly competitive Techstars Los Angeles Accelerator program this summer. The student startup is now scaling its digital platform connecting college creatives with brands targeting Gen-Z.  The team moved to LA this summer, while still maintaining a strong relationship with the Syracuse community.

Ten ventures were selected for the Techstars LA 2020 program which kicked off in mid-July.  “While we received hundreds of applications from across the world and chose these companies while socially distanced, we have stuck with our commitment to invest in and support the best companies in the greater LA region,” said Anna Barber, managing director of Techstars Los Angeles Accelerator. Nine of the 10 companies in this year’s program are headquartered in Los Angeles, with the final company, CLLCTVE, joining us from New York.”

“We chose teams that have grit, curiosity, a learning mindset and a deep commitment to positive impact by way of a bold vision. The enduring motif of Techstars LA is that personal growth drives company growth — and all of this year’s founders have shown the willingness to rise to the occasion that 2020 has presented by embracing growth and change.” 

“The Techstars LA 2020 selected class also represents our ongoing commitment to investing in diverse teams, with nine of the companies including women, Black or Latinx founders, six in the CEO seat,” noted Barber.  “This year, we have seven mixed gender founding teams, which is pretty unusual, and we are looking forward to seeing how this affects the class dynamic. Research shows that mixed gender teams perform better overall when compared to all-male teams specifically.”

CLLCTVE will be pitching on Demo Day with the Techstars LA Class of 2020:

• Ayana Therapy, which provides online therapy for minorities with an emphasis on intersectionality.
• CLLCTVE, a platform connecting college creatives with brands targeting Gen-Z consumers.
• JoyHub, an enterprise software platform that integrates multifamily operator systems into a single, centralized data platform.
• Lactation Lab, which provides breast milk analysis and personalized recommendations for mothers to optimize their child’s health and nutrition.
• Pod People, a full-service podcast production and staffing agency with a network of over 700 audio professionals across the globe.
• Preveta, which is transforming cancer care by arming clinicians with data and insights to improve outcomes and blazing a trail for providers to deliver value-based care.
• Shop Latinx, the leading fashion and beauty lifestyle brand with products designed by and for the Latinx community.
• Sike Insights, which powers remote teams to work better together, with its first product, Kona, an AI-powered Slackbot that helps communicate.
• StatsHelix, a B2B gametech company focused on esports and streaming.
• Thrive Education, which provides remote tele-assessments for learning differences (LDs) such as dyslexia, ADHD, and autism.

Upon acceptance to a Techstars accelerator, ventures receive $20,000 which is commonly used as a stipend to support living expenses during the 90-day accelerator program, and in return receives a small equity of the company. In addition, all accepted companies are offered a $100,000 convertible note. Historically, on average, Techstars companies go on to raise more than $2M of outside capital after the program.

“Techstars LA is at the center of one of the most exciting, diverse and thriving tech ecosystems in the country. Strengthened by a large and growing alumni network here in Los Angeles, the LA program focuses on investing in southern California startups across all sectors. We are interested in founders who are committed to growing themselves as they grow their companies, and innovations that make the world better.”

Applications have closed for ‘Cuse Tank and Whitman’s Orange Tank, but remain open for the Impact Prize and Hult Prize.  To help get students ready for the many fall opportunities ahead, starting with ‘Cuse Tank, the LaunchPad is hosting a “Pitch Perfect” workshop as part of our Tooklit series on Thursday, October 8 at 3 p.m. on the LaunchPad’s Discord platform. It will also be offered live in the LaunchPad during that time.

The virtual session will offer tips on presentation techniques, as well as how to structure a competitive pitch deck.  It will be conducted by Linda Hartsock, executive director of the LaunchPad with Nick Barba, the LaunchPad’s independent project consultant who recently won the grand prize in the Panasci business plan competition. 

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.  How to make the ask and convince the judges to invest in your idea and your team

Discord is a new platform for campus entrepreneurs to communicate over voice, video, and text. It’s Slack meets Zoom with a pinch of Reddit, all in one place, curated on LaunchPad Discord.  Start by joining the LaunchPad here and then hop on LaunchPad Discord here.

Join us for Startup Weekend sponsored by Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars with the LaunchPads at Syracuse University, University at Buffalo, and Cornell University.  The high-energy virtual event October 23 – 25 is for students who want to have fun working on ideas with like-minded student innovators. Participation is limited to 25 per school and we still have space for Syracuse students to be part of it.  More info about the weekend is here and you can easily sign up here.

“Last fall we ran an incredible sold-out Startup Weekend at Syracuse University,” said Syracuse LaunchPad executive director Linda Dickerson Hartsock. “This year we are expanding it as a virtual event working with our Techstars friends and our colleagues from the Cornell and University at Buffalo LaunchPads.  “The weekend is designed to be very interactive and engaging, and help students meet each other, launch ideas, and forge friendships. We also hope that some great new venture ideas come out of the weekend.”

Over the course of the weekend, participants come up with ideas, forge teams, learn customer discover, and lean startup methodology to create solutions they pitch to expert judges on Sunday afternoon. 

LaunchPad Startup Weekends are 54-hour events designed to provide an introductory entrepreneurship educational experience to students.

Designed for students early in their journey with no prior training or existing venture, great startup ideas can come from anyone, anywhere, and diverse teams perform better. LaunchPad Startup Weekends challenge students to think creatively, communicate effectively, and work in a team, all with the end goal of solving a self-identified problem.  Beginning with team brainstorming around problems and solutions, continuing to work on business plan development, and basic prototyping, LaunchPad Startup Weekends culminate in Sunday pitch presentations.

Participants create working startups during the event and have the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals outside of their daily networks. All teams hear talks by industry leaders and receive valuable feedback from local entrepreneurs. The weekend is centered around action, innovation, and education – and fun!

It’s not too late to sign up on the Eventbrite page here.

This year, you could have the opportunity to travel across the world, present your ideas to the United Nations and win $1 million to fund your impact venture.  Applications opened on October 1 for the Syracuse University campus Hult Prize, a global social entrepreneurship competition through the Hult Foundation with the United Nations. The LaunchPad coordinates the campus competition which is the qualifier for the global competition. Applications for the Syracuse event are now open through November 22.  Apply here and load your application materials here. Past LaunchPad Syracuse teams have gone on to global regionals in Boston, Toronto and San Francisco.

What is the Hult Prize?

The Hult Prize is an international business competition focused on sustainable solutions to pressing global problems. Each year, the Hult Prize Foundation chooses a social problem for competitors to focus on- past competitions have included the refugee crisis, environment and sustainability, and accessible transportation. The challenge this year? Food for Good.

In the fall, thousands of colleges across the world hold on-campus competitions where students create businesses to tackle the Hult Challenge in some way. Winners go on to regional competitions across the world, and winnners of the regional competition get to participate in a global accelerater in London for a week and have the opportunity to present in front of the United Nations and win $1 million in funding towards their company/

What’s the challenge this year?

Food for Good, this year’s challenge, focuses on business that tackle a global food-related problem. This could be anything from the global food supply chain, ethical farming practices, exploitation of agricultural workers, access to nutritious food – it’s up to you! Your only job is to make sure your business solves a problem on a global level and can scale up to ten million people.

When is the competition?

Syracuse’s campus competition is being held on December 4, in an online format. Our judges are experienced food entrepreneurs, innovative business professionals, and so much more. The regional competitions will be happening in the spring semester, yet to be announced at a later date.  Learn more about our competition and sign up here.

Why should I compete in the Hult Prize?

You have talent and power. You have unique vision and potential to change the world. By signing up for the Hult Prize- you’re not only doing so much for yourself and your career growth through the business connections you’ll make, the professional skills you’ll develop, and the enriching entrepreneurial network you’ll grow ‑ you’re helping contribute to a better world where your ideas genuinely have the power to make a positive difference.

How do I sign up?

Sign up for the Hult Prize here and load your application materials here before they close on November 22! Once you’re signed up, we can match you with mentors who can assist you in perfecting your business model and presenting a surefire pitch.  If you have any questions, email LaunchPad Global Fellow Claire Howard who is the Syracuse University Hult Prize campus ambassador:  clhoward@syr.edu.

The LaunchPad looks forward to supporting you and guiding you every step of the way to the Hult Prize as you convey your ideas into an impact venture that can help build a better world.

Story by LaunchPad Global Fellow Claire Howard ‘23