Looking for a mentor match for your good idea?  Now you can easily request a mentor through this simple form or on our new “request a mentor” page on the LaunchPad website. We have grown our professional mentor network through alumni volunteers and added five talented peer Rubin Family Innovation Mentors this academic year, making it easier than ever to connect. A simple few questions will start the mentor matching process in our new LaunchPad Discord platform. The LaunchPad team of Nick Barba ’20, Patrick Prioletti G’21 and Emma Rothman ’21, created platform for campus entrepreneurs to communicate over voice, video, and text, connect with peer mentors, get advice, or just hang out with fellow like-minded innovators using Discord.  If you are not already a LaunchPad member, join here and then hop on LaunchPad Discord here.  You’ll immediately be greeted by a Rubin Family Innovation Mentor who will guide you through the next steps.

For those not familiar with Discord, it is a freeware instant messaging, VoIP application and digital software platform that features integrated text, image, video and audio communication that a chat channel that can run on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and in web browsers.  More than 250 million people are currently on the platform.  Originally launched in 2011 for the gaming community, it has now become a community-based platform serving education, businesses and other sectors as “Your place to talk.”

New to Discord?  Watch a simple on-boarding video that explains the LaunchPad’s Discord platfrom, created by Rubin Family Innovation Mentor Patrick Prioletti here.

Rubin Family Innovation Mentors serve as peer advisors to a portfolio of student startups, coaching them on strategy and venture development.  2020 – 2021 Rubin Family Innovation Mentors include:

• Emma Rothman ’21, Falk College, food studies
• Patrick Prioletti G’21 iSchool, graduate program, applied data sciencce
• Sam Hollander ’22, Whitman, finance and Newhouse, advertising dual major
• James LePage ’23 Whitman, real estate
• Bruno Luiz G ’22, iSchool, graduate program, applied data science

Rubin Family Innovation Mentors are supported through a gift from The Rubin Family Foundation, facilitated through Todd B. Rubin. This is the second year that The Rubin Family Foundation has supported the peer mentor program through the LaunchPad. Last year’s Rubin Family Innovation Mentors mentored more than 50 student teams, organized and ran Startup Weekend and Mentor Madness, prepared teams for campus, state and national competitions, and helped teams with research and discovery, team building, goal setting and achieving milestones. Along the way, Rubin Family Innovation Mentors also continued to build their own ventures, win national awards, and raise investments to take their own ideas from concept to commercialization. They helped select the 2020 – 2021 Rubin Family Innovation Mentors.

Joining them as mentors will be alumni volunteers, including members of The Founder’s Circle – students who came through the LaunchPad program and are now leading their own ventures. The Founders Circle is a group of active, dedicated LaunchPad alumni who significantly contributed to the development of the program. They are a diverse group of entrepreneurs and professionals who are trailblazers, role models, and mentors for current student entrepreneurs.  They exemplify Syracuse University’s spirit of entrepreneurship and are now “paying it forward” as alumni mentors.  Syracuse alumni can become a mentor here.

The Blackstone Launchpad and Techstars at Syracuse University and youngStartup Venturs invite you to Venture Summit Virtual Connect 3.0. A marketing collaboration includes a discount for Syracuse University LaunchPad members who can register early to save 20% off Early Bird Rates.

Venture Summit Virtual Connect 3, Where Innovation Meets Capital, will be held on-line November 17 through 19, 2020.  The event will feature opportunities to meet, interact and network virtually with more than 1,300 VCs, Corporate VCs, angel investors, industry execs and founders of venture backed, emerging and early stage companies.  It is designed for startups seeking capital and investors seeking new deals.

In addition to providing access to leading investors, the conference will feature more than 100 pre-screened venture backed, emerging and early stage companies seeking capital, and hardcore networking.  A call for top innovators is open.  A select group of innovators from the Technology, Life Sciences/Healthcare, CleanTech and Fintech sectors will be chosen to present their breakthrough investment opportunities. For more information or to be considered for one of the slots click here.  If you are a seed stage company seeking angel funding of less than $1M (and have raised less than $300,000) click here to apply for the Seed stage track.

To register for the event click here https://bit.ly/34LdUPo and use promo code “BLTSVIP”

The LaunchPad is pleased to announce that Dr. John Torrens will be joining us as our inauguralFaculty Entrepreneur in Residence this fall.  His EIR services are through a partnership between the LaunchPad and the Syracuse University Whitman School of Management’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises.  He will be available Mondays and Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. via Zoom to work with students on busines model strategy and financial forecasting, including crafting income and cash flow statements, understanding costs of goods or services and cost of sales, margins and break-even analyses that required for investors and funders.  He can also help provide strategic insight into structuring for investment including understanding valuation, building a cap table, and thinking strategically about financing and equity infusion.  Appointments can be scheduled at this link:  https://calendly.com/jtorrens/30min

Dr. Torrens is a healthcare and education entrepreneur with 25 years leading high growth companies with 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.  Dr. Torrens has a Ph.D. in healthcare administration and did his dissertation on reimbursement and utilization of telehealth services.  His last company, Liberty Post, was a 2018 and 2019 Inc. 5000 honoree. 

Dr. Torrens also holds a faculty position in the Syracuse University Whitman School of Management’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises as an award winning Professor of Entrepreneurial Practice.  His research interests include Founder/CEO Exits and the link between ADHD and Entrepreneurship. 

He is a frequent guest speaker and executive education instructor in the areas of entrepreneurship, strategy, and corporate innovation and is a TEDx speaker.  Dr. Torrens is quoted frequently in print media, has written several articles, and has delivered multiple presentations on the business of healthcare.  He is an active member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and served in multiple volunteer leadership positions including a term on the International Board of Directors (2013-2015).

The Syracuse LaunchPad and Dr. Torrens have been frequent collaborators, and he annually teaches a course, EEE400/600:  LaunchPad, traditionally hosted in the LaunchPad at Bird Library

Experts in product development, marketing and sales, new venture development and structuring for financing and investment will be joining the LaunchPad this fall as our Alumni Entrepreneurs in Residence team.   They are:

Steven VonDeak is a 2008 graduate of the Syracuse University College of Law. He is co-founder and chief of staff at Density, a high-tech company that uses powerful sensors, combined with state-of-the-art depth data, computer vision and deep learning to measure space density in real time. Founded in 2014 in The Tech Garden, Density now has offices in San Francisco, New York City, and Syracuse, employing more than 50 people. The venture has closed on more than $90 million in external funding. VonDeak became an entrepreneur in the Tech Garden shortly after graduating from SU Law School.  Along with partners, he created App Fury, which launched early iOS apps that were noticed by Apple.  He then joined forces with another team to create Rounded, a digital product team that went on to create Density. VonDeak will be holding virtual office hours to mentor students on product development and business model creation. He is also available by e-mail and phone consultation.

Michael Gursha is a 2010 graduate with a dual degree from both the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.  He is chairman and CEO of Rookie Road, Inc., a one of a kind digital destination that provides the rules, lingo, and gameplay for a variety of sports in an easy to understand way. He became CEO in 2016 after serving as a special advisor to the founder. Before Joining Rookie Road, Inc., he was inaugural entrepreneur-in-residence at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University where he also co-taught a course called New Ventures in Media.  Prior to Newhouse, he was the vice president of strategic initiatives at Curemark, LLC, a New York-based biotechnology company focused on the treatment of neurological disorders. Earlier in his career, his interest in technology led him to Google, where, at age 18, he spent two summers working in the new business development group at the Mountain View, California headquarters. During his time there, he assisted the team responsible for improving the Google Search Index and supported the director of business development on early-stage partnerships for Google Health. He serves on the board of directors for America On Tech a non-profit focused on technology education. Gursha is a member of the advisory board for Oregon Public Broadcasting, the primary television and radio public broadcasting network for the state of Oregon and southern Washington. In addition, he serves on the board of directors for PowerSpike, a private venture backed company started by Syracuse University alumni when they were students.  Gursha is an active advisor to early stage technology / media companies and has been actively engaged in the Syracuse University student startup scene as a mentor and also as a judge for numerous business plan competitions.  He is available by appointment for virtual coaching and mentoring.

Josh Aviv is a 2015 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in economics and 2017 graduate with a master’s degree in information management and data science.  He is founder and CEO of SparkCharge, a venture he founded as a student working with the LaunchPad. A certified data scientist, he is a dynamic figure in the cleantech community.  SparkCharge is revolutionizing the electric vehicle industry with its portable, ultrafast EV charging units that have been featured in major technology and clean energy publications.  As a student, he won top honors in campus, statewide and national business competitions and then captured the top $1 million prize at 43North, as well as the California Climate Cup, Startup Fest’s global pitch competition, and Plug and Play’s clean energy innovation award. He has been featured at the Consumer Electronics Show and TechCrunch most recently named Spark Charge as a top tech disruptor. A graduate of the Techstars accelerator program in Boston, he has held residencies at Greentown Labs in Somerville, Massachusetts, the world’s largest clean-tech incubator, and the Plug and Play Tech Center in the Silicon Valley. SparkCharge recently closed on several million dollars in seed funding and is now based in the Boston area with a manufacturing operation in Buffalo, NY.  He is available by appointment for virtual coaching and mentoring.

Corey Lieblein is a 1993 graduate of the Syracuse University School of Human Development (now Falk College). He is founder and CEO of CP8 Capital, a dynamic, extreme value-add private equity firm that focuses on acquiring and growing early-stage consumer products companies. Through its vast resources, CP8 helps its portfolio companies scale rapidly. He founded Innovative Technology/Victrola in 2004 and served as CEO for 16 years, overseeing Victrola’s growth from concept to the worldwide market leader in record players and nostalgic electronics. During that time, Corey built Innovative Technology/Victrola into a nationally recognized brand whose products have found their way into tens of millions of homes throughout North America. His mission is to help founders of early stage consumer products companies realize their personal and financial dreams by scaling sales and profits exponentially. He has a deep passion for entrepreneurship, product development and sales and loves working with early-stage entrepreneurs to help them scale from obscurity to national recognition. He will be available for virtual mentoring and coaching for high-value fast-growth ventures and will also participate in-person sessions and workshops when visiting campus.

To schedule appointments, please e-mail the LaunchPad, LaunchPad@syr.edu

Join us for Fireside Chats this fall hosted by the LaunchPad.  Each guest is a dynamic innovator with a powerful message, unique perspective and insight into the minds of great entrepreneurs.  Fireside Chats will be 3 p.m. on Fridays and are open to the community.  Dates this fall are:  September 4, 11, 18, 25, October 2, 9, 23, 30, and November 6, 20.  We invite you to join us over a cup of tea for up-close and personal chats in partnership with The Republic of Tea, a generous supporter of the LaunchPad at Syracuse University.  Attend any chat in the series:  http://bit.ly/launchpad-fall-fireside-chat.

Our first guest, Friday, September 4 at 3 p.m. brings a particularly unique perspective to the topic of leadership.  Stan Linhorst retired from Syracuse.com/The Post-Standard in September 2017, but continues to write the weekly column Conversations on Leadership (http://bit.ly/LeadershipStan).  

The series, which has run for six consecutive years, is widely followed.  Through interviews that cut to the heart of personal qualities and professional skill sets that build, motivate and engage great teams, Linhorst explores perspectives on positive leadership.  From infusing drive and passion, to building connections, creating a culture of transparency and trust, and operating with humility and creativity – what are the lessons learned from interviews with hundreds of leaders who have built great organizations and changed lives?  Linhorst has an inside view derived from conversations with his subjects that are remarkably intimate, touching on topics such as leading yourself, other individuals, groups, and communities.  Our Fireside chat with him will tease out the leadership lessons learned worth sharing.

Linhorst is also an innovator and thought leader.  He came to Syracuse from the San Diego Union-Tribune in 1984. He became Senior Managing Editor of The Post-Standard in 1999. Linhorst previously was the newspaper’s Director of New Media, launched Syracuse.com in 1994, and is gratified to see how his startup succeeded.

He was president of the New York State Associated Press Association and the Syracuse Press Club. He is an emeritus member on the Board of Advisors of the Syracuse University School of Information Studies and is a member of Thursday Morning Roundtable. He has sat on the boards of the New York State Society of Newspaper Editors and the Interactive Newspaper Network. He participated in a variety of community groups and was especially active as a volunteer and supporter of his children’s church, school and community activities.

Linhorst is a 1975 journalism graduate of the University of Nebraska. He grew up on a farm in Nebraska, where the daily newspaper was a daily inspiration. He and his wife, Sue, have two adult children.

He is the proud parent of Molly Katherine Carroll Linhorst, SU’s student graduation speaker in the Dome in May 2014. 

Recent profiles by Stan Linhorst about Syracuse University LaunchPad student startups and alumni, and about Syracuse University faculty and staff engaged in the campus innovation ecosystem:

• AJ Damiano:  https://www.syracuse.com/news/2020/08/aj-damiano-on-leadership-care-more-about-other-peoples-careers-to-find-your-own-success.html
• Caleb Obiagwu:  https://www.syracuse.com/news/2020/08/caleb-obiagwu-on-leadership-for-entrepreneurs-share-your-ideas-to-make-them-better.html
• Kelsey Davis:  https://www.syracuse.com/news/2020/06/kelsey-davis-of-cllctve-on-leadership-control-ego-talk-less-listen-more.html
• Josh Aviv:  https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/11/josh-aviv-on-leadership-a-good-leader-makes-people-better.html
• Indaria Jones:  https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/09/indaria-jones-on-leadership-be-authentic-be-open-minded-help-others-to-succeed.html
• Mike Gursha: https://www.syracuse.com/news/2020/03/michael-gursha-on-leadership-listen-keep-an-open-mind-give-feedback-to-your-team.html
• Erin Miller:  https://www.syracuse.com/news/2016/05/erin_miller_leadership.html
• John Torrens:  https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/11/john-torrens-on-leadership-put-your-ego-aside-ask-questions-and-listen.html
• Andrew Farah: https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/07/andrew-farah-on-leadership-hire-based-on-values-that-will-add-to-your-teams-culture.html
• Jeff Rubin:  https://www.syracuse.com/news/2018/11/jeff_rubin_leadership.html
• Jack Rudnick:  https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/12/jack-rudnick-on-leadership-show-compassion-build-trust-ask-questions-to-accelerate-innovation.html
• Linda Dickerson Hartsock: https://www.syracuse.com/news/2017/02/linda_dickerson_hartsock_leadership.html

To read more stories in the series: http://bit.ly/LeadershipStan then click on the link, bookmark it, then check each week for a new Conversation on Leadership

For more information about Fireside Chats, reach out to:  mailto:LaunchPad@syr.edu and follow up on social media @LaunchPadSYR

Syracuse University student startup FSCL, founded by Sam Hollander ’22, a Whitman and Newhouse dual major, was accepted by The Tech Garden in downtown Syracuse as a new member. Sam is an active member of the LaunchPad where he will be a 2020 – 2021  Rubin Family Innovation Mentor working with other student ventures while building his only company.  Sam founded FSCL as a sophomore to solve a problem that he encountered personally, and realized is a looming financial challenge — financing a higher education.  In response to student debt that has now climbed to more than $1.76 trillion nationally, FSCL is building a simple, affordable, and flexible alternative finance solution, using the power of Income Share Agreements (ISA’s).  Sam’s goal is to become the first company in the country to issue ISA’s at scale to address the student debt crisis.

Sam was mentored this past year by Steve VonDeak, a LaunchPad alumni Entrepreneur in Residence, who is one of the co-founders of Density, an anchor tenant at The Tech Garden.  Steve and a number of Syracuse team members launched startups in The Tech Garden as students and recent alumni, and Density scaled to become a business with a footprint in Syracuse, New York City and San Francisco.  Density recently closed on a $51 million Series C round of funding, bringing the total raised to about $90 million since the company planted its first seeds at The Tech Garden. 

As a new Tech Garden member, Sam will now also have access to business resources, free events, mentors and funding opportunities.  Promptous, another Syracuse University student startup, recently received an equity investment through a fund managed by The Tech Garden.

Sam and FSCL will be a virtual tenants at The Tech Garden’s downtown incubator while he continues classes at Syracuse and works out of the Syracuse LaunchPad.  He joins three other new Tech Garden members:  Tonquin, the “Uber” for auto-parts, which recently moved into a 500 sq. ft. space at The Tech Garden;  RF Interconnect, a web-based platform to help engineers in the B2B electronics industry create, select, buy, and protect radio frequency connector technologies from one location; and Salt City Woods, Mill & Kiln, LLC, which offers a variety of products and services from locally sourced kiln dried slabs and dimensional wood.

The Tech Garden is Central New York’s premier tech incubator, supporting over 100 startups in various stages of their entrepreneurial journey, from ideation to expansion.  It is part of the innovation and entrepreneurship portfolio of CenterState CEO, a private, not-for-profit organization that serves 12 counties of Central New York as an economic development strategist and business leadership organization.

Before joining Syracuse University, the LaunchPad’s executive director Linda Dickerson Hartsock was VP of Innovation and Technology for CenterState CEO and served concurrently as executive director of The Tech Garden and founding director of its Clean Tech Center, a NYSERDA-funded initiative also operated out of The Tech Garden.  The LaunchPad and The Tech Garden have forged a strong working partnership to encourage businesses that start on campus to connect with the community, and leverage resources.  The relationship with The Tech Garden expands access to mentors and subject matter experts, professional service providers, beta customers, supply chain partners, pre-seed capital and other specialized expertise to scale potential high-growth companies.

To learn more about becoming a member at The Tech Garden, click here.

The Syracuse Blackstone LaunchPad and Techstars has a strong partnership with the CNY Biotech Accelerator (CNYBAC) which is part of SUNY Upstate Medical University.  Syracuse University startups have greatly benefitted from its excellent programming.  This fall the CNYBAC is hosting a Concept to Commercialization Virtual Series starting September 9 and continuing through December. Sessions include discussions of regulatory, commercialization and ecosystem resources helpful for biotech-related product development and launch to market. We highly recommend it for faculty, staff, student and alumni ventures who are working on innovations in bio, life and health sciences, as well as other sectors such as medical devices and medical technologies. Innovations can be products, services or technologies, and there has never been a greater demand than now for commercializing great research and ideas coming out of universities.

See all CNYBAC events with complete descriptions of each here.  Register for any/all sessions of the Concept to Commercialization Virtual Series here.

All sessions are at 2:00 – 3:00 unless otherwise noted:

Date	Presentation Title	Presenter(s)
Sept 9	Commercialization Pathway*	Molly Zimmerman
Sept 16	IP Valuation and Triage for Early Stage Ventures	John Brenner
Sept 23	Connecting with Customers	David Eilers and Arber Ruci
Sept 30	FDA Regulations*	Gary Brennan
Oct 5	IndieBio NY	Stephen Chambers, Sam Lee and Julie Wolf
Oct 14	Design Controls, Verification & Validation*	Sarah Burlingame
Oct 20	NYS Manufacturing Extension Partnership	Jim D’Agostino, Steve Melito
Oct 27	The Tech Garden and the Hotspot Program	Jeannine Rogers, Kara Jones
Nov 4	Quality Systems*	Dave Johnson
Nov 11	How to Sell Your Product: Channel, Sales Strategy, Selling Methods	Courtney Chiavara Perrone and Jamie Wood
Nov 18	Good Clinical Practice Regulations and Clinical Trials*	Kathi Durdon
Dec 2	Startup Resources: Business & Financial Culture	Kurt D’Angelo and Sean Richardson
Dec 9 (12-1)	Export Information for Small Businesses	Steven King

*These sessions are eligible for Certificate of Attendance towards SOCRA and other professional recertification education credit

Sponsorship support for the program is through: CenterState CEO; Innovation Law Center, College of Law, Syracuse University; MedTech; TDO; The Research Foundation for SUNY; SUNY Upstate

It is a terrible thing to feel alone in this world. The moment where you discover that somebody out there in the world has felt the same as you do or has experienced what you have gone through is a moment of lightness where a burden of strangeness and loneliness is lifted.

Artistic mediums like literature carry power in their ability to resonate with, influence people, and lift sensations of isolation through shared feelings. They tell stories of pains and triumphs that you may resoundingly identify with or that may open your eyes to the perspective of others. Unfortunately, in today’s society, the stories told are often only representative of majority identities and do not include the deeply needed stories of BIPOC, queer, and other marginalized individuals,

Gabbi Holliman-Lopez, a junior studying communication and rhetorical studies and Hanna Seraji, working towards her master’s degree in library science, are both avid readers and know well that stories inspire personal and social change.  They saw, though, that the stories often told were not of those from a different background or marginalized identity- that these crucial voices were missing and people from these identities did not see a reflection of themselves in art.

In response they created Tableau Media, a publication dedicated amplifying voices of BIPOC, queer, and marginalized identities. Tableau, aptly named ‘a space for colorful analysis’, is overflowing with thoughtful writings on mental health or cultural discovery to recommendations for readings and music to inspire social change; all carefully crafted to support diverse voices.

Seraji and Holliman-Lopez have known each other for years. Both growing up in Syracuse, they attended the same schools K-12 and their shared friendship and experiences as minorities in the Syracuse community drove them to start Tableau.

“In going to a predominantly white institution there was a sense of missing that representation.  It was wild how little there was of it. Today there’s still more children’s books about inanimate objects than there are about people of color,” Holliman-Lopez recalled. Even much of the representation that currently exists of different cultures and ethnicities is often highly problematic and depicts harmful stereotypes. Tableau seeks to change that by publishing writings authored by those of differing identities and creating a welcoming space where individuals can share the reality of their experiences.

They launched Tableau Media this past summer through the LaunchPad SummerStart Accelerator. Through a fast-paced summer packed with entrepreneurial growth and creation, Seraji and Holliman-Lopez devoted themselves to creating this eye-opening publication as a venture they are passionate about. They were part of a global Innovation Showcase at the end of the accelerator and earned extremely high marks from the prestigious panel of alumni judges who were incredibly impressed with what they had accomplished.  They plan to publish a print magazine this fall and currently have a team of content creators overflowing with inspiring pieces. Their passion for writing and their championship for often-ignored communities shows in their cultivation of thought-provoking and compassionate writings.

The creation of Tableau Media stemmed from Seraji and Holliman-Lopez’s own experience of the life-altering power of reading. Literature by people of color, or literature that championed social activism filled them with passion for the world around them and impacted their everyday choices. Stories force you to put yourself in the shoes of others, which is why it’s so important to hear the voices of those who have faced discrimination and suffering and tell stories that inspire inward and outward change.

“Something as powerful as writing and channeling that energy of consciousness to have people resonate with that is really important, “said Seraji.

Not only is it crucial to include diverse voices so that people can grow in their beliefs, but it’s crucial for individuals to be seen and heard. Seeing yourself reflected in the spaces around you relieves and empowers. It relieves you from the conviction of being strange and apart. It empowers you to embrace your identity and create your life with courage, knowing that others have gone before you. Tableau Media, by amplifying BIPOC and queer voices, creates much needed belonging for individuals often alienated and compels others to empathize with different experiences and feelings.

“Storytelling is an exercise in empathy,” said Holliman-Lopez. “It’s how we understand the world so it’s crucial to see yourself in the media that’s created and see that you are worthwhile and important.”

Both are officially becoming team members of the LaunchPad this academic year while continuing to work on Tableau Media. Seraji will be a Global Fellow, crafting stories about entrepreneurs and creatives from diverse communities who are part of the Syracuse University innovation scene, and Holliman-Lopez will be an inaugural Todd B. Rubin Diversity and Inclusion Scholar, working on programs, events and initiatives that promote diversity, inclusion and social justice.  Holliman-Lopez’s role is funded through a generous gift from Todd B. Rubin ’04 (School of Architecture) who is Minister of Evolution and President of the Republic of Tea. Rubin has been an important mentor to entrepreneurial Syracuse University students engaged in the LaunchPad.

We are excited to welcome them as new founders and as new LaunchPad team members, and very excited to see Tableau Media grow.

Follow them on:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tableaumedia/

Instagram: @tableau.media

Twitter: @TableauM

Story by Claire Howard ’23, LaunchPad Global Fellow, photo provided

We are pleased to promote seven Fellowship opportunities with our good friends at Chloe Capital, a movement-driven venture capital firm that invests in women-led companies. In partnership with universities, foundations, and corporate leaders the Chloe Capital team travels around the country creating opportunities for women – on both sides of the table. Chloe Capital is reaching out to Syracuse students who share a passion for diversity and inclusion to apply for seven 2020-21 Fellowship opportunities, and help shine a spotlight on not only Chloe Capital venture founders, but all who participate in our Movement to #InvestInWomen!

Being a Chloe Capital Fellow will give you access to a community of founders, investors, corporate executives and innovation leaders. Fellowships include 12 months of career and leadership coaching from the Chloe team who will also help you identify a career path, connect with industry leaders and build relationships with decision makers. The 2020-21 Fellowship will culminate with a Talent Pitch. Fellows will invite decision-makers and showcase how they’ve supported the Movement. The Talent Pitch will be part of Chloe Capital’s next #InvestInWomen program, announcing the fund’s next investment. This year alone, Chloe Capital helped invest $1.25 million in women-led innovation companies around the world. 

Here are the details:

Positions available (all flexible and remote)

• Assignment Editor
• Business Development
• Content Writer
• PR / Community Relations
• Social Media / Graphics
• UI / UX Designer
• Video Production

About you

• An entrepreneurial spirit with a curious nature
• Excellent attention to detail and organization skills
• Collaborative and open to direct and timely feedback

You will learn how to

• Build relationships
• Grow a nationally recognized brand
• Deliver on targeted key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Analyze data to drive real results

Expected outcomes for you

• Increased efficiency and proficiency as you learn tools and gain industry knowledge
• Advancement of your independent thinking and problem-solving skills
• Connections to high-growth founders, investors and innovation leaders
• Industry, business and career development coaching throughout the Fellowship

Requirements and compensation

• A 12-month commitment to the Chloe Capital Fellowship program
• A minimum of 5+ hours a week committed to Chloe assignments
• Tech-proficient and business email proficient
• Ability to work remotely with potential for occasional in-person meetings
• Reliable computer equipment with stable internet connection
• $100 monthly stipend

How to apply

Join Chloe Capital’s Movement to invest in women. Review more details on each Fellow opportunity below. If qualified, complete the Fellowship Application. Select which role you would like to be considered for on the application and include that role in your cover letter, as well as specific reasons why you are best suited for this role.

Next steps

Candidates must submit at least three references with their applications. Only one should be academic. Applicants with the appropriate background will receive Test Projects, which you will have one week to complete. Successful test projects will result in interviews. Seven lucky students will receive acceptance into Chloe Capital’s 2020-21 Fellowship. The program is tentatively scheduled to begin in mid-September.  If you have questions or comments,  reach out to info@chloecapital.com.

Roles and responsibilities of each position:

Assignment Editor

• A proven ability to empower and guide teammates
• Experience assigning and tracking the delivery of specific tasks and timelines
• Awareness of best practices in team communications and productivity
• Familiarity with tracking and assessing the completion of team assignments
• Ability to deliver on targeted key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Interest in creating and maintaining a daily Project Management System
• Passion for using leadership tactics to aid a strong company culture

Business Development

• A proven ability to provide consistent outreach (emails / calls)
• Experience creating contact lists and maintaining a CRM database
• Awareness of best practices using storytelling to sell
• Familiarity with tracking and assessing outreach efforts
• Ability to deliver on targeted key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Interest in creating and maintaining a weekly Lead Sheet
• Passion for applying lead generation tactics to drive real results

Content Writer

• A proven ability to create long-form content for web pages, blogs and press releases
• Experience using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices
• Awareness of best practices selecting “newsworthy” topics and interviewing talent
• Familiarity with tracking and assessing content performance
• Ability to deliver on targeted key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Interest in creating and maintaining a weekly Content Calendar
• Passion for using SEO best practices to dominate on Google search results

PR / Community Relations

• A proven ability to rally the masses through PR or community outreach
• Experience creating contact lists and maintaining a CRM database
• Awareness of best practices selecting “newsworthy” topics to pitch to media
• Familiarity with tracking and assessing outreach efforts
• Ability to deliver on targeted key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Interest in creating and maintaining a weekly Lead Sheet
• Passion for using give first tactics to build brand visibility alongside our sales team

Social Media / Graphics

• A proven ability to consolidate long-form content into bite-size posts
• Experience with Canva and social media for marketing
• Awareness of best practices for tagging, scheduling and growth hacking
• Familiarity with automation tools such as Hootsuite, HubSpot or other
• Ability to deliver on targeted key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Interest in creating and maintaining a daily Content Calendar
• Passion for using social media and growth hacking as a sales tool

UI / UX Designer

• A proven ability to create personal experiences that carry across an entire brand
• Experience with WordPress, Canva and Mailchimp, creating wireframe and mockups
• Awareness of best practices for “conversational marketing” like Chat, SMS and Bots
• Familiarity with automation tools like Airtable and HubSpot
• Ability to explore user performance and deliver on targeted KPIs
• Interest in researching competitors and performing customer discovery
• Passion for delivering stellar user experiences to attract, educate, close and delight

Video Production

• A proven ability to attract attention with bite-sized videos across various multimedia
• Experience creating storyboards and editing video clips with sound and effects
• Awareness of best practices for transcribing video using the latest software tools
• Familiarity with cloud-based video editing tools, such as WeVideo
• Ability to deliver on targeted key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Interest in designing and developing a video content library
• Passion for producing videos for each stage of the buyer’s journey

Interested in these opportunities?  Apply here. Questions? Send an e-mail: info@chloecapital.com.

The Blackstone LaunchPad and Techstars program at Syracuse University is pleased to welcome new LaunchPad student team members who will serve as mentors and subject matter experts, and work with the LaunchPad to expand outreach and engagement, particularly related to innovation, diversity and inclusion. The search committee for the 2020 – 2021 LaunchPad student team included our 2019 – 2020 former student team of Rubin Family Innovation Mentors and Global Fellows — Alec Gillinder ’20, Matt Shumer ’22, Nick Barba ’20, Quinn King ’20, Victoria Lawson ’20, Will DeVito ’20, David Fox ’19 and Kelsey Davis ’19 and G ’20. 

Meet the new 2020 – 2021 student team here. It includes Global Fellows, Rubin Family Innovation Mentors, Orange Ambassadors, Todd B. Rubin Diversity and Inclusion Scholars, Hunter Brooks Watson Scholars and a Syracuse University Hult Prize Campus Ambassador.

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.

2020 – 20201 Rubin Family Innovation Mentors include:

• Emma Rothman ’21, Falk College, food studies
• Patrick Prioletti G’21 iSchool, graduate program, applied data sciencce
• Sam Hollander ’22, Whitman, finance and Newhouse, advertising dual major
• James LePage ’22 Whitman, real estate
• Bruno Luiz G ’22, iSchool, graduate program, applied data science

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.

2020 – 2021 LaunchPad Global Fellows include:

• Claire Howard ’23, Maxwell, economics and international relations
• Emily Pearson ’21, VPA, environmental and interior design
• Patrick Linehan ‘21, Arts and Sciences, newspaper and on-line journalism and policy studies
• Sloane Sexton ’21, VPA, communications design
• Hanna Seraji G’22, iSchool, library and information science
• Chris Appello ’21, Newhouse, advertising

Orange Ambassadors, funded through a generous gift from Todd B. Rubin ’04 School of Architecture, Minister of Evolution and President of the Republic of Tea, compliment the skills sets of our Global Fellows, supporting outreach and engagement with entrepreneurial students across campus. 

2020 – 2021 Orange Ambassadors include:

• Sam Hollander ’22, Whitman, finance and Newhouse, advertising dual major

• Justin Diaz  ’23, College of Engineering and Computer Science, civil engineering
• Russell Fearon ’19 and ‘G22, College of Engineering and Computer Science, mechanical engineering
• Alesandra (Sasha) Temerte ’22, Arts and Sciences, economics, writing and rhetoric
• Ellen Jorgensen ‘’23, Arts and Sciences, earth sciences
• Jackson Ensley ’22, Whitman, marketing management
• Season Chowdhury ’23, College of Engineering and Computer Science, computer science
• James Rudman ’21, iSchool, information management and technology
• Krishna Pamidi ’21, Whitman, finance
• Zain Edeen Elwakil  ’21, School of Architecture

Todd B. Rubin Innovation and Diversity Scholars, also funded through a generous gift from Rubin, 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. 

2020 – 2021 Todd R. Rubin Innovation and Diversity Scholars include:

• Tyra Ambroise Jean G ’21, Maxwell, public policy
• Gabriela Holliman-Lopez ’22, VPA, communications and rhetorical studies

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 2020 – 2021 Hunter Brooks Watson Scholar is:

• Emma Rothman ’21, Falk College, food studies

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

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.”