Need some help with stress?  Like most people, are you feeling anxious just reading the news these days?  It can be overwhelming.  Where can you find some relief? Awning Mental Health, a SU Blackstone LaunchPad powered company, has built an app that designs customized stress therapy routines for its users, using a number of widely practiced non-pharmaceutical approaches.  The free app is available here to help you biometric data to administer stress relief through the form of guided meditation, breathing exercises, and music to help you calm down.

The five-star rated app is available only on the App Store and requires iOS 11.0 or later. It is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Co-founders Dylan Sen and Syracuse University alumnus Daniel Fridliand (Whitman) are also building a web platform to act as a communication tool between the app user and a mental health professional, for more accurate therapist/clientele interactions.  The team is looking to bring its technology to as many students as possible, by partnering with high schools and colleges.  Awning had a successful beta test with Syracuse’s student body, with some articles here and here and also deployed to the student body at a high school district in Bergen County, NJ.

Take control of your stress and better manage it, by trying Awning Mental Health.

LaunchPad published author Randy Ginsburg ’19 (Whitman) was featured in Forbes.com earlier this month.  He’s been gaining notice for his message that entrepreneurs are people who know how to turn adversity to advantage.  That’s a powerful message right now. Ginsburg took his experience of being knocked down by bullying in adolescence, and turned it into lessons on resilience.  His book, “Adversity to Advantage” offers some important tips for these challenging times. What are the secrets to fighting doubt and despair in times of adversity? How do you build resilience and inner strength?  What are tips for shoring up your own mental health? How do you build fortitude and self-confidence? These lessons and more are covered in his book, now available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

Here are links:

Print copy on Barnes and Noble

eBook on Amazon

Ginsburg, a graduate of the Whitman School of Management, earned a double major in Entrepreneurship and Marketing and is an alumnus of the Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars at SU Libraries. His book was written to inspire those who were bullied with wisdom and advice from a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who have overcome that negative experience and used it as a stepping stone for personal and entrepreneurial growth.

“I wrote the book out of a desire to create, but also to prove myself to all the people who mistreated me or doubted me in the past. Not only have my experiences with bullying helped me find my passion for entrepreneurship, but they also provided me with a chip on my shoulder that constantly fuels my fire to succeed,” said Ginsburg.  Although conventional wisdom says that bullying is exclusively detrimental to one’s health, studies show that 47% of victims report a positive effect on their adult lives.

The book shares stories of successful entrepreneurs’ bullying experiences, including: Tom Ford, who beat bullying to launch one of the world’s largest fashion houses and reinvent himself as an award-winning filmmaker; Elon Musk, whose familiarity with pain helped him to start PayPal, Tesla, and SpaceX; and Andrew Nikou who defeated bullies and went on to found OpenGate Capital, a multi-billion dollar global private equity firm.

Ginsburg launched his book last fall at the LaunchPad as part of an innovation event at Orange Central.

It is rare to find an entrepreneur who will take full credit for a successful venture. A start-up is a massive ship that requires many different jobs on-board. Filled by the wrong people, and the boat can sink. Filled by no one, and the boat can remain stuck at shore.

Patrick Prioletti, 24, struggled with this entrepreneurial issue. The SU grad student, was researching his idea for a venture while applying to graduate school.

His venture is called Thinc-hub, a team-building and networking platform for start-up entrepreneurs. To be clear, Thinc-hub is not a job board site.

“Thinc-hub is collaborative.” Prioletti explains, “you can discuss the idea, an industry or a market segment to find people with different skill sets you might need for your venture.”

Prioletti knew his idea had potential and would solve a major problem. When he embarked on Thinc-hub two years ago, he also knew scaling Thinc-hub was going to be a challenge.

“I went through two different iterations of websites that just didn’t have the power or the functional requirements to make this feasible,” says Prioletti.

Faced with poor programming abilities, Prioletti plowed through roaring waves to find someone who could build a better application.

“I was going through hundreds of people,” Prioletti shudders. “Funny enough, if I had this platform out there, I wouldn’t need to be here asking for help to build it.”

Finding his now-partner Sultan Mira, was becoming tiresome.

“I was looking into studying data science at RIT and at the end of every meeting with a professor I told them I was exploring an idea and I want to do this,” referencing the skills he lacked. He asked professors, “do you know where I can look for any potential co-founders?”

Directed to the computer science school at RIT, Prioletti voyaged through the Rochester halls in search of a technical first-mate to start a company with. He started reaching out to students interested in software engineering.

 “I emailed many students in the department and didn’t get any responses.” Prioletti continues, “Finally, I found Sultan’s LinkedIn and messaged him.”

After meeting over coffee, Mira agreed to climb aboard Prioletti’s vision. The almost-immediate agreeance shocked Prioletti.

“It took me a year to find him,” he laughs. “Why is it that hard? It should not be that difficult.”

Prioletti does acknowledge he was fortunate to be able to even commence a search for a business partner, however not everyone has the ability to play treasure hunt.

“A lot of people start going down that road and it takes so long and it’s too hard.” He says, “I was lucky enough that I was in-between a job and going to school, where I had a lot of time on my hands and could afford doing this.”

Prioletti made it his mission to change this overwhelming fate for most entrepreneurs.

“I can’t imagine how many ideas are just put on the shelf and left there to collect dust because people can’t find anyone who wants to work with them,” Prioletti preaches, “think about how much better human potential future could look like if we can bring people together to work on these ideas.”

It’s the golden apple idea that social networking sites like LinkedIn are not biting. Prioletti does not see Thinc-hub as trying to steal the business-networking giant’s audience.

“No one’s going to a platform like LinkedIn to start a start-up,” Prioletti explains. Instead, he notes that this is mainly a glorified rolodex for professional people you have met.

Therefore, you do not have to be a social butterfly to just to find your missing wing.

“The best way to apply good team building functionality is literally focusing on matching up complimentary skills.” Prioletti illustrates, “You’re a business person? Here’s a software developer. You’re both trying to target the same industry. We’re going to recommend this person to you.”

With a mission tied down and a small crew on deck, it was time for Prioletti to scale his service.

The site had already bridged an opportunity gap for future hopeful entrepreneurs. However, Thinc-hub needed another revenue stream that could literally, catch investors.

“We’re planning on monetizing via ads,” Prioletti says. “But another revenue stream would be from investors.”

Prioletti does not mean pitching Thinc-hub to prospective backers. Instead he means Thinc-hub will be able to connect its start-ups with investors.

For example, Prioletti says, “a start-up can have a page on Thinc-hub and an investor can watch their journey unfold in front of them as an omniscient being, but they can also pay on the platform to get analytical insights.”

While there are other sites that offer this feature, Prioletti says Thinc-hub is different.

“There’s no platform out there that has done this in a user-oriented way,” he continues. “Other sites just focus on data collection and investors.”

This is what makes Thinc-hub’s competitors, indirect competitors. For instance, Angel List is dedicated to providing a lens for potential investors to track the growth of start-ups in real time. Thinc-hub is providing that lens, but also allowing start-ups to develop by making it a social networking platform.

Prioletti chuckles, “That’s what I want, that’s a platform I want to have. I would use it all the time.”

Studying as an undergrad at Syracuse University, Prioletti frequently visited the Blackstone LaunchPad for entrepreneurial growth and counseling. Referred to as the entrepreneurship hub on campus, the LaunchPad supports hundreds of student start-ups with business, marketing and legal guidance.  He knows that Thinc-hub can expand its value.

For example, Prioletti explains if you are seeking a coding partner, “you’re going to have to walk into this space at the same time as someone else you’ve never met or never heard of with the exact skills that you need coincidentally walks in here.”

Any student can walk in the LaunchPad. Much the same, anyone can join Thinc-hub. This open platform can seem like a hive for unmotivated entrepreneurs. Prioletti does not worry about his site becoming corroded with halfhearted hustlers.

“That’s something Algorithms are going to fix,” Prioletti figures, “we’re never going to shut anyone out of the platform.”

The Thinc-hub founder calls these people, “wantrepreneurs,” which is actually a dictionary-recognized word. It refers to those who have ideas for businesses but have not gotten off the ground.

“There are some people who just try to gain social media clout and they call themselves entrepreneurs, while they just work with people on marketing,” Prioletti exposes.

Many social media influencers claim they are in a particular industry, when in reality, they are just a marketing pawn. Often times this can be deceiving for true-entrepreneurs looking for co-founders.

“It doesn’t help you to say that you’re in software development when you’re really in marketing,” Prioletti says, “no one is going to want to talk to you because they are going to realize [the truth].”

As a person without the skills to launch Thinc-hub on his own, Prioletti needed a partner. However, before his technical partner came along, he attempted to tread on his own.

“I was literally thinking about a simple blog, but you have to be able to post a page for your start-up,” Prioletti expands, “People could come to a blog to talk about ideas, but that’s all they

would do. They would leave the page after they had an idea.”

Prioletti is in it for the long haul for his users and himself. The 24-year-old entrepreneur does not want to stop at Thinc-hub.

“That’s why I’m building this platform,” Prioletti says with enthusiasm. “Literally my entire plan is to get Thinc-hub to a self-sustaining point where it is not corrupted too much by outside influence.”

In the end, Prioletti wants to eventually sell his company through a buyout. However, he wants to wait until it fully morphs into the platform he wanted to use in the first place. Prioletti says he’ll need a buyout because he does not want to be at the helm of the potential-cross continental journey Thinc-hub may embark on.

“I’m a great speed boat captain, but I don’t know how to pilot a cruise ship,” Prioletti metaphors, “I can be this fast-paced, western-style cowboy, where I’m just shooting from the hip.”

Prioletti is attracted to the exciting start-up energy that surrounds new ventures. He is even ready for a buyout keeps him from jumping ship.

“If I decide to stay with the company, I’m not going to take a leadership position,” Prioletti clarifies, “but I’ll be there as a morale boost.”

At the end of the day, Prioletti started Thinc-hub to help lone sailors, like himself, launch into the sea of entrepreneurship with an ideal first mate. He says he’ll probably head another start-up.

“People say, ‘what’s your work-life balance?’ and I don’t believe that’s a very good thing to even strive for,” Prioletti ends with an advisory. “I want to make my life’s work and be remembered for something.”

Story by Benjamin David Goldsmith ‘22, VPA – CRS

As the LaunchPad continues operations in the virtual space, we’re pleased to partner with The Republic of Tea on our new weekly series, Tea Talks. This week’s guests, Adam ’96 and Amy Fazackerley, are joining Wednesday, April 1 at 3 p.m. via Zoom for another conversation by thought leaders on topics related to innovation, entrepreneurship at leadership. The popular series kicked off last week with Todd B. Rubin, President and Minister of Evolution, The Republic of Tea. The Fazackerleys will be talking about surviving and thriving in challenging times, what small businesses can do to stay strong and stay smart, and where to find help, based on their roles on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council where they are national leaders and policy advocates for startups and small businesses. Here is the Zoom link for the virtual chat.

In 2010, Adam and his wife Amy founded Lay-n-Go. The company designs and manufactures innovative organizational solutions for life, play, and travel. They have been awarded two U.S. Utility Patents on their invention, and distribute their products to leading retail companies domestically and internationally.  The Fazackerley’s founded Lay-N-Go when Adam kept buying LEGO® sets for their three children, and Amy looked everywhere for something that made cleanup easy, contained the small pieces, could be used on the go, and was machine washable. There was no solution on the market that did all of these things, so they spent the next year designing, testing, re-engineering and producing what would become Lay-n-Go’s first product. The product line now includes: The COSMO, the ultimate cosmetic bag; The WIRED, to easily organize chargers, cords, thumb drives, etc.; The PLAY, to manage large toy collections; and The LITE, a play mat that is perfect for life on the go.

Amy Fazackerley is CEO and Co-Founder of Lay-n-Go, LLC.  Amy graduated with a B.A. in Communications from Denison University in 1993 and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University in 2000.  Amy has served as a Board of Regents member for Mercersburg Academy (’89) as well as an Advisory Council member of the Friends of the Libraries at Johns Hopkins University (’00).  Amy started her career as the Marketing Director for Digital Paper Corporation, a privately held software company.  She went on to work for Episcopal High School, as Director of Special Gifts, where she executed strategic multi-million dollar fundraising programs to build the Ainslie Arts Center and Baker Science Center. As a women-owned business, Amy has been featured on national TV shows like MSNBC’s Your Business, Fox and Friends, and Good Morning America. She is also a qualified guest host for QVC.

Adam Fazackerley ’96 (Whitman) is the COO and Co-Founder of Lay-n-Go, LLC.  Fazackerley started his career at UUNET Technologies after graduating from Syracuse University in 1996.  He went on to found concept2creations in 1999, a firm focused on designing and developing corporate brands, digital assets, and printed media. Fazackerley is a General Partner and Co-Founder at Fortify.vc, enjoys mentoring Syracuse University founders. He also plays guitar and sings in two bands, kiteboards and skis, and coaches youth lacrosse.

Amy and Adam both serve on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council.  They live in Alexandria, VA with their three sons, Andrew, Miles, and Caden. They have been ahead of the curve, working from home while building a global business and managing remote teams that include design, manufacturing and logistics.

They are also members of the SU Libraries Advisory Council. “Our connection to Syracuse University Libraries is completely driven by their current dedication to student entrepreneurs and their overall vision for the future,” said Adam. The Fazackerley’s are active LaunchPad mentors and work closely with VPA School of Design students Alec Gillinder and Quinn King to help bring MedUX, their portable IV solution, to market. They have worked with Kelsey Davis, founder of CLLCTVE, including introducing her to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where they are both on the Small Business Council. They are also currently working with Matt Shumer, founder of VISOS and winner of the recent campus ACC InVenture Prize, on strategies to sell his product into military markets.  The Fazackerley’s also employ Syracuse University students, including Blackstone Global Media Fellow Audrey Lewis as interns at Lay-n-Go, and are working with Blackstone Global Media Fellows Victoria Lawson and Will DeVito on marketing research projects.

Co-moderating the Tea Talk will be Alec Gillinder, Quinn King and Audrey Miller.

Corey Lieblein ’93, Founder/CEO of CP⁸  Capital, will headline a virtual fireside chat on April 8 at 3 p.m. as part of a new “Tea Talks” series sponsored by the Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars at Syracuse Libraries in partnership with The Republic of Tea. The Zoom link for the event is here.

A graduate of the Syracuse University School of Human Development (now Falk College), majoring in retail, Corey has spent his career as an entrepreneur in consumer products and now brings his unique skill set of sales, marketing, product development, and negotiations to
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. CP⁸  Capital as CEO. 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.  Through its vast resources, CP⁸  helps its portfolio companies scale rapidly. CP⁸  Capital’s mission is to help founders of early stage consumer products companies realize their personal and financial dreams by scaling sales and profits exponentially. Unlike the way traditional private equity operates, the firm partners directly with founders and provide vast amounts of value-added resources including over 50 of North America’s most talented salespeople, product development experts, and an international supply chain.

Corey has a deep passion for entrepreneurship, product development and sales. He loves working with early-stage entrepreneurs to help them scale from obscurity to national recognition. He will be joining the LaunchPad team as a virtual Entrepreneur in Residence, starting this spring semester. Working through the LaunchPad team, he will be available for virtual mentoring and coaching for high-value fast-growth ventures, and will also participate this fall to host several in-person sessions and workshops.

The focus of his “Tea Talk” fireside chat will be what he envisions as the coming big wave of innovation. Looking past the current COVID-19 challenge, he believes that innovators are standing at the leading edge of developing products, services and technologies that will redefine how we live, work and interact, and literally create a new future. “I am incredibly optimistic,” he says, “because I believe we are entering an unprecedented period of opportunity that is as big as the introduction of the Internet, of smart phones, and other technologies that have redefined the world. There is a massive opportunity right now to invent and re-invent, and shape the next generation of the future.” For those who are positioned for it, there will be “the opportunity of a generation” in the next ten years to launch profitable ventures at the scale of previous game-changing technologies, products and services.

“You are the generation to do this,” he wants to share with Syracuse University student entrepreneurs as part of the talk. “I am personally excited about the future as an investor, and want to share my vision with those poised to innovate. Investors are actively looking for big ideas, and they are coming out of startups and early stage companies who have a clear sense of where to find opportunity, especially in this time of crisis and challenge.”

Zoom in to the Tea Talk at: https://zoom.us/j/4547766985?pwd=Wmg1bnFJR2hlaHQ1M0hIVWZuVUFNZz09

Join us Tuesday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. for a conversation with serial entrepreneur Mark Komaenecky as part of our “ZoomPad” series, in conjunction with Whitman EEE400/600 “The LaunchPad,” taught by Linda Dickerson Hartsock, executive director of the Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars at Syracuse University.  The event is open to Syracuse University faculty, staff and student entrepreneurs.  The Zoom link for the event is here.

Mark Komanecky is an accomplished startup executive with more than 20 years of hands-on and executive leadership experience with technology startup companies. Mark currently advises, mentors, and invests in early-stage tech startups. His market experience includes Internet of Things (IoT), cannabis tech, LED  lighting, smart home, energy efficiency, and internet infrastructure.  Mark has invested in and served on the advisory boards of multiple technology startups.

He is founder of interGreatgroup, which offers advisory and consulting services for technology companies at all stages of growth.  The team is made up of accomplished entrepreneurs with h experience in marketing, product management, business development and sales, and a proven record of success with early-stage startups and established companies, leading to multiple acquisitions and outstanding returns for founders and investors. The group’s industry experience includes IoT, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), smart/connected home, and energy efficiency, though it works with tech companies across many other industries.

interGreatgroup works closely with startup CEOs at all stages of growth to help position companies for long-term success – providing overall strategy, hiring & team building, angel/seed/VC fundraising, exit strategy, leadership and personal growth.  Additionally, the teams’ experience and deep relationships can help jump start a new product line, or an entire company, by identifying and managing strategic partnerships, facilitating C-level introductions to prospective customers and partners, and planning and building successful sales channels.  It can also create high-level strategic marketing plans, help implement tactical programs including digital marketing programs and channel marketing.

Previously, Mark was a founder/executive with multiple VC and privately funded startups, including Digital Lumens (acquired by OSRAM), Eragy (acquired by Control4), simpleHome (acquired by Sounds Good), Broadband Access Systems (acquired by ADC), and TranSwitch (IPO). He also spent 10 years at AT&T Bell Labs after starting his career designing fault-tolerant flight control computers for United Technologies Corporation.

Before founding interGreatgroup, Komanecky was Vice President of Marketing & Product Management, responsible for strategic marketing and product management of Digital Lumens’ award-winning Intelligent LED Lighting Systems in the rapidly growing global intelligent LED lighting market. Komanecky joined Digital Lumens from Eragy, a provider of cloud-based mobile software platforms for energy management, where he spearheaded sales, marketing and business development efforts. During his time at Eragy, he established a worldwide dealer base and led significant business development initiatives, which ultimately resulted in the company’s acquisition.

Previously, Komanecky was President and founder of simpleHome, a custom electronic systems integration firm that provides energy management and building automation solutions to residential and commercial customers.

Prior to starting simpleHome, Komanecky held executive positions with leading telecommunications and networking infrastructure firms, including ADC Telecommunications, Broadband Access Systems, TranSwitch, and AT&T Bell Labs/Lucent Technologies.

He holds a M.S. in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University.

He divides his time between Boston and Florida, and outside of work life, enjoys competitive running, mountain biking, and high-performance driving.

We’re especially thrilled that Todd B. Rubin ’04, Minister of Evolution (President) for The Republic of Tea, will be joining in as our first guest for our new virtual series of conversations, “Tea Talks.” (Zoom link here.) The weekly series will explore topics such as leadership, innovation, creativity and navigating change with thought leaders. Rubin, a graduate of the Syracuse University School of Architecture, is dedicated to preserving a legacy that fosters The Republic of Tea’s “Sip by Sip Rather than Gulp by Gulp” lifestyle,. He strives to delight Citizens, Ministers, Embassies and Ambassadors with a focus on innovation, education and providing the finest premium teas and herbs. We can’t think of a better person to chat with about how wellness and calm, combined with creative innovation, can help you #StayStrong and #StayCentered.

Rubin joined The Republic of Tea in 2007 as the Minister of East Commerce and then transitioned to the Minister of Southeast Commerce in 2008. In 2011, he was appointed to Minister of Evolution (Vice President of Sales and Marketing) relocating to the company’s Larkspur, California office.  In that role, he successfully spearheaded new teas and new systems that led to significant growth, including: Beautifying Botanicals Teas, organic SuperAdapt Teas, organic SuperGreen Teas, HiCAF® Teas, Sonoma Teas, Biodynamic® Teas, Cuppa Cake® Teas, Downton Abbey™ Teas, organic SuperHerb® Teas, U-Matcha™ teas, The Crown® Teas and the organic Single Sips. Utilizing his degree in architecture, he oversaw the feng shui design of the company’s headquarters at The Exchange in Larkspur, California and the company’s production and shipping center in Nashville, Illinois. 

In 2016, Rubin was elected to the Specialty Food Association Board of Directors and was distinguished as one of San Francisco Business Times’ 40 Under 40. He was appointed to the Advisory Board for the Specialty Tea Institute and became a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization SF Bay Area Chapter in 2015. The year prior, Rubin was the recipient of Syracuse’s Generation Orange Award for philanthropy and was also honored as one of North Bay Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. Rubin was elected to the Board for the Ethical Tea Partnership, a nonprofit organization that convenes the tea industry, development partners, NGOs and governments to improve the lives of tea workers, farmers and the environment in which they live and work.

Todd starts his day with a cup of Lucky Irish Breakfast tea, sips Brain Boost SuperGreen tea in the afternoon and ends his evenings with Clarity and Calm herbal tea. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, traveling, photography, and reading.

Join us for the conversation here, Wednesday, March 25 at 3 p.m.

Our friends at Techstars are planning a Startup Weekend COVID-19 Remote Edition, and we’re getting your interest in this special event which will take place online over 54 hours. We have so much talent in our LaunchPad Syracuse community, and our campus Startup Weekend last fall was an incredible opportunity to meet new people and work on important ideas. There is no better time than now to put our collective brains to work on this challenge. Please register your interest, as this is critical in helping Techstars organize this special event. Register hereand also follow this initiative at https://twitter.com/SWeekendRemote