Anthony Obas has always aspired to make a difference. Growing up in Harlem, New York, he was deeply invested in his community  throughout his childhood. Involved in sports teams and other local involvements, his confidence was a by-product of solid relationships, community involvement and a supportive family. Empowered by his environment, he was admittedly, “a very confident kid.” The positivity of his environment was affirming, encouraging him to keep his ambitions and goals limitless.

Coming from a supportive environment, his transition to the all-boys and Catholic, Xavier High School, was difficult. Contrasted with how he was raised, the new environment wasn’t as supportive. He initially struggled to connect with his classmates and began to feel discouraged.

Searching for ways to combat these negative feelings, Obas gravitated towards athletics and other leadership positions, becoming a key player on Xavier’s track and football teams and winning multiple awards for his service and advocacy. As a member of these teams, he found a stable social group that was supportive, reminiscent of how he was brought up. With this sense of community, he began to flourish. Positively, reflecting on these experiences, he reminisces, “they got my mind right and my body right.”

Heading into the college admissions process, Anthony wished to put himself in a place where he could find community, pursue his ambitions and expand his network. He chose Syracuse University, a school which would give him the opportunities, teachings and access he needed.

Developing skills in television and radio, blogging and event planning, Anthony has spent his time developing a wide knowledge base to inform his future decisions.

He began working with the on-campus radio station, WERW as a freshman. Here he excelled, both in his social media coordinator position, as well as within his own radio show. Obas reflects on his time at the station, saying, “WERW gave me the space to be creative. It gave me the creative room to work and explore.”

During his sophomore year, he served as the Director of Operations for a label called Voiceless Music. While simultaneously handling company finances, he popularized a blog on the labels’ website. Producing high-quality content on a regular basis, he learned how to connect with an audience through written word and how to use them as tools to achieve his goals.

By hosting events like the Voiceless Music Meetup, This is Upstate, and multiple others on campus, this year, Obas has created spaces for creatives and entrepreneurs to network with each other and exchange ideas. The confidence he has formed through these experiences allow him to a sense of preparedness for any new situation. His preparation enables him to excel.

His brand has recently gained notoriety throughout upstate New York and New York City, through his exciting events and entertaining #ObasRants. His well-attended events, charming personality and growing social media presence have helped his personal brand continue to grow. As his impact grows, so does he, saying, “I can’t separate my business and my personal because it goes hand in hand.”

He is currently traveling abroad in London. Studying abroad will give Obas the opportunity of a lifetime, allowing him to excel both academically and professionally. Splitting time between classes and an internship at Sony Entertainment, He wishes to use his time in London to start the development of his international network. He wishes to do this by building on his skills, continuing to plan events, helping artists and occasionally writing.

His biggest lesson learned from is to always remain positive. “One thing my brand is so strong about is making sure I’m positive all the time,” he said, “at times I felt like I was losing that identity by making a few mistakes, but I’m more focused now and more mature now.”

This year will be a culmination of each of these lessons. He will translate this knowledge and momentum in his new business venture called Guided by Obas, which is an independent consulting agency, looking to “take artists and brands that are good and make them better.” Built on principles of personal and brand growth, Obas predicts this agency will be different, “emphasizing collaboration, and working with others, instead of working for them,” a value he has gravitated towards, his whole life.

With plans to officially drop in late-spring, this journey will be the culmination of each of his lessons learned.

Each step of Anthony Obas’ life has been intentional. By consciously learning from each of his experiences, he chases the prospects of limitless potential. Driven by his confidence, work ethic and community, he will continue to progress as an entrepreneur, and in all aspects of life.

Story by Jalen Nash, Blackstone LaunchPad Global Media Fellow

As we pack up the last of his equipment, in comes Jack, an employee at Upoint Syracuse. Lanzel asks to clock out and a smiling Jack replies, “sure man, you did a great job.” As the clock nears 8 o’clock p.m., Lanzel Smith Jr., better known by his moniker, DJ ZEL, has just finished another gig, his fourth this week, DJ-ing a promotional giveaway for the nearby apartment complex

Creating a brand, DJ Zel Entertainment, rooted in quality control and vision, DJ Zel’s reputation precedes him, with more than 11K followers and over 100K total content views on Instagram. Backing out of the driveway, heading toward his home, he gently presses the brakes. Approaching the car window are three fans, excitedly asking for directions to his event.

He told them the event had just ended. Greeting his friend and introducing himself to the others, he encourages one of them to reach out. Rolling up the window, he explains, that this “stranger” is a rising producer he’s heard good things about.

Constantly aware of his surroundings, Lanzel finds opportunities in unique places. This resourcefulness derives from his childhood experiences. He grew up in a religious and disciplined household, saying, “I was in the house a lot when I was a kid- I was religious, I’d go to church on Saturdays, people used to think I was literally a vampire.”

Raised by Jamaican parents, Lanzel spent significant time with his parents. He sees his own personality as a combination of theirs. His mother is one of the most talented people in his life. He has seen her work as a school administrator and educator while thriving as an entrepreneur, inventor, writer and leader. Dedicating much of her life to service, she taught Lanzel the value of charity and giving back to the less fortunate.

His father was much different he said, remembering, “I grew up with my dad being very stern and strict educationally.” As an educator himself, Zel’s father encouraged him to follow a more traditional path, away from creativity and towards “practical” fields like science, business and economics. He taught that studying and preparing are valuable, instilling habits his son would need to excel.

Lanzel attributes much of his success to these deeply ingrained value systems,. In what was admittedly a sheltered childhood, as he, videographer Cristian Kaigler, and I enter his Theory apartment, Zel likens his early experiences to that of the Buddah, stating, “The Buddah was sheltered.  He was well taken care of.  One day he went outside of this sheltered world and he experienced death, something he couldn’t understand.  Realizing he couldn’t understand death, he allowed himself to truly experience life, which he felt was true Nirvana.”

Arriving to Syracuse University exposed Lanzel to a life he was unaccustomed to. A tiring transition at first, he took his ample new opportunities as challenges, to both test himself and further pursue his own interests. Using his resources and mentors and he laid the groundwork for the success we see today. Reflecting on the early stages, he admits, “every single craft that I’ve developed, I was told I sucked at.” Continuing, he notes, “Maybe I was terrible, but I didn’t stop.”

As he rose to tune into the annual State of the Union address, we began to discuss his other endeavors. I noticed a large stack of comic books on the television stand. Catching my interested gaze, Zel responds, detailing his latest venture, a comic series entitled, The Adventures of DJ Zel.

Featuring appearances by real people, inspired by lived experiences, this graphic novel, set to release within the first half of 2019, illustrates Zel’s life. He gives me a sneak peek into one of the books stories, saying, “In my comic there’s a promoter that’s dying, and he says to me ‘everything has its purpose.’”

Beside the comic books on the stand, laid a 2016 edition of the student-led, Renegade Magazine. He was on the cover, cutting a client’s hair in his barbershop.

Lanzel has been cutting hair since high-school. A skill derived from circumstance, he is now a barber for a select-few students and celebrities such as Bronx rapper Smooky MarGielaa, Syracuse basketball star Tyus Battle, and most recently, Michael Rainey Jr., star of the hit-show, Power.

He describes his craft as an art, saying, “When I cut hair, I am constructing. I’m taking a vision that I have in my head, and creating it on my client.”

He unlocks his iPhone to show me some of his best work. Making use of hashtags, Zel archives pictures and videos of his best haircuts dating back to 2014. Averaging around 2,000 views on his earlier videos, his more recent posts have regularly reached around 5,000. His latest post, a promotional video, is currently sitting at around 9,500 views. He optimistically sets his goal to reach 10,000 views, placing his phone on the table and returning to a conversation which has shifted to music.

Sharing his hot-take on why Drake is his favorite artist of all time, we finally get to talking about his love of DJ-ing.

“I can’t perform at a venue if I can’t feel the music in my chest,” he says, “If there’s a song playing, I see the energy of the crowd, and I can see if the next song will get them lit. It’s a surreal feeling.”

As a successful creative and a businessman, Smith continues to redefine his potential and remain limitless. A self-described “multi-potentialite,” Lanzel is focused on skill-development and vision, repeating his companies’ mantra, “Versatility is gold.”

Analyzing his living room, I can see the subtle and the apparent ways he has transformed, not only our campus, but various communities across the country. With his energy, confidence and versatility, he has no signs of slowing down.

Zel believes he is on pace to accomplish each his goals of $1 million dollars by age 25, saying, “At 20, I thought about where I want to see myself in five years, right now I’m 23, and I’m on the path.”

He will continually evolve, explaining, “Yeah, you have to respect history, but then you have to acknowledge that it is history (in the past).”

“I want to create in a way that is innovative and unique” he says, on his way to becoming “the most versatile businessman ever.”

Story by Jalen Nash, Blackstone LaunchPad Global Media Fellow

From the time Teodoro Delellis was a child, he was always working on the next big idea. A driven inventor and a lover of learning, Delellis has been dreaming up ideas and putting them in a journal his whole life.

Delellis ’19 is a civil engineering major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and minoring in engineering management with the Whitman School of Management. Despite the work load, he doesn’t let his learning end once he leaves the classroom. Delellis lives by a philosophy to understand as much as he can about the project that he’s taking on, even if it means that he’s doing “electrical engineering labs for fun” or studying rotational motion with the physics department on his own time during weekends.

In the summer of 2017, Delellis had an internship in one of the biggest buildings in New York City, and he was immediately able to see a huge problem: buildings are incredibility inefficient and harmful to the environment.  It wasn’t long until he thought up his solution, in one of the most SU-related ways possible.

While walking to the Carrier Dome to attend the Syracuse vs Duke game, Delellis noted just how many people were walking in through the revolving doors. From that observation, he made a connection that would change his life. Since that pivotal day, Delellis has been working on GiraTech, a company that designed to transform kinetic motion from revolving doors into electrical energy (similar to the concept of windmills). In Italian, Gira means “to spin” and he paired that with technology to coin the name GiraTech.

GiraTech’s value proposition is not only just producing energy, but also the ability to help buildings get LEED accredited while doing it, meaning that it increases the real-estate value of each building. Delellis hopes that people would be able to see the technology as they walk through the door and realize that they are able to have a more direct impact into helping the environment. “It would demonstrate that everyone can engage in something simple every day that works towards a more sustainable building, city, and world.”

As for how he manages to do it all, Delellis joked, “Coffee is truly a great thing – but honestly, being able to see the end goal is really what keeps me going.” He hopes to work with his three young brothers on his project, working together in different areas. Coming from an entrepreneurial family, team work was taught early on. He also credits the Couri Hatchery and the Blackstone LaunchPad, as well as experts he’s been able to learn from thus far.

When asked, Delellis’ advice to future entrepreneurs and innovators is to keep a journal of ideas. “Using pain points – thinking, let me write this down, I can use this in the future, even if the market isn’t ready for it now.”

Currently, GiraTech is validating its technology through the College of Engineering and Computer Science, with Delellis ready to continue on to the next step. Learn more GiraTech, and catch up with Teo either in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, or at the Blackstone LaunchPad.

Story by Blackstone LaunchPad Watson Scholar Kayla Simon ’19

Photo by Blackstone Launch Pad Global Media Fellow Emily Pearson ’21

Shelby Smith, a communication and rhetorical studies major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and a Chinese studies minor in the College of Arts and Science, always knew that she wanted to be involved in making something impactful and purposeful.

Her entrepreneurship journey began with Contrast, a service company that focused on women’s cosmetics, founded in 2017. Although she didn’t continue with this venture, this experience gave Shelby access to resources around campus. Through mentors like Gabriela Meija, the Blackstone LaunchPad, and the Couri Hatchery, Shelby was able to work with the best of the best and learn how to make impact. But most importantly, after her first taste of entrepreneurship, from business plan competitions to managing events, she caught the bug. She found a love for business development, startup culture, and found a passion for “implementing strategy to help get these companies off of the ground.” She saw how there was truly so much more than a business plan, how she can really help others with their businesses, and got ready to take on her next big challenge. Her experience in running her own company gave her the connections to meet the CEO of NJ-based startup Kairos Culture, where she was enticed by the mission and service-aspect of the company.

Smith is currently the COO of Kairos Culture, a creative community made up of Christian creatives, activists, and entrepreneurs who want to create an impact in the world, while promoting the foundation and values of their religion. This is done by creating training sessions that feature mentors who are experts in their fields, who speak to the affiliates on how they made substantial strides in society on their own path, by fostering a community that is always in contact, and linking to the community. Right now, the group is targeting college students, ages 18-23 who are looking into ways to create a large impact, and is limited to 50 members. However, one of their biggest milestones to date is the more than 150 people who registered for their first training session at Rutgers University. Smith has pitched in business plan competitions all over the East Coast and at Syracuse University.

When asked about how important creativity is to her, Smith said, “Love is the goal.  Creativity is one of the ways we aspire to show love, and a desire to create change in our communities.” She credits her success with Kairos Culture to amazing leadership that promotes mental health and collaboration with the team. But most importantly, the best part of working at Kairos Culture for her is her own personal growth, both growing self-confidence in herself and knowing that if someone doesn’t like your idea, it’s okay. It’s also taught her about passion, and about the drive she wants to have in her life after graduating this May. “You really need to be passionate about what you’re focusing on, it makes your life so much more enjoyable.”

Kairos Culture is continuing to develop by expanding its business model, including a clothing line very soon. Smith will also be around at the Blackstone LaunchPad working on managing the community that helps others reach their full potential, along with working on her own lifestyle blog at shelbydsmith.com.

Make sure to check out more about Shelby and Kairos Culture by checking out their website kairosculture.net and Instagram @kairosculture.

Story by Blackstone LaunchPad Watson Scholar Kayla Simon ’19

Will DeVito, a junior television, radio and film major at the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications, and marketing minor from Long Island, New York, is the Blackstone LaunchPad’s new Global Media Fellow and Digital Storyteller.

Always passionate about storytelling, DeVito grew up making skit videos, acting in high school plays, and coming from a family of advertisers. Digital storytelling was a medium that allowed DeVito’s stories to have reach, and gave him a platform to do his favorite thing – make others laugh. His drive to make others laugh, or as he says, “Even that little exhale out of your nose,” is absolutely clear in his work, which brings an earnest and wholesome feel to everything that he does. “Humor needs to be a part of the story for me – that connects all of us,” he said. “In the void of everything that is confusing, humor is a consistent bottom line, at least for me.” DeVito has recently begun performing stand-up, and cites comedians such as John Mulaney and Hasan Minhaj as comedic inspiration.

He is also a member of Orange Seeds and First Year Players as an Acting Coach, through the Office of First Year and Transfer Programs. He’s also a member of the Cinematic Arts Fraternity, DKA. He credits these organizations for giving him a community outside of home, allowing him to really grow into who he is today. Even his LaunchPad journey began as a student, in EEE370 more than a year ago, where he created Bonfire in a Bin. Bonfire in a Bin — an all in one product to build bonfires that follow beach guidelines. In the course, DeVito and his partner came up with the idea, and myriad of others, by using the challenge, “Come up with an idea you are passionat about, solves a problem, and run with it.  It’s okay to be wild.” The Bonfire in a Bin team took that to heart, and won best product in class, earning “$6 million in Launch Dollars for their idea, and even ended up winning real funding in last year’s RvD iPrize in the products category. “We won money because we came up with something that we were excited about, and we were able to convey our idea and business model in a passionate and enthusiastic way that people responded to.”

DeVito is excited about his new role at the LaunchPad, and is looking forward to seeing what he can do to help entrepreneurs share their stories. “I love new things, and this is definitely another fun, new thing,” he said. On day one,  he was whisked off onto an adventure with the LaunchPad team and immediately went to work helping a OptechVR, another student startup make a pitch video for a major competition. “I love the LaunchPad because I get to hear amazing stories from all of these different people and what made them want to build all these different types of companies.”

Make sure to head over to the Blackstone LaunchPad to meet Will, and check out some of his work here: www. wfdevito.wixsite.com/home

Story by Blackstone LaunchPad Watson School Kayla Simon ’19

Photo by Blackstone Launch Pad Global Media Fellow Emily Pearson ’21

Growing up in a small town in Maine, Quinn King looked up to his grandfather, a serial entrepreneur who was always working with his hands to build something new. Seeing his grandfather’s success, King developed a passion for innovation which would eventually lead him to creating something that would change his life.

Now King ’20 is an Industrial and Interaction Design student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. But he wasn’t always the charismatic entrepreneur he is today. He recalled what it felt like to come from such a small town to the size of Syracuse University, and notes that he felt like “a country mouse in a big city.” But that didn’t stop him for connecting with others, including business partner and classmate Alec Gillinder ‘20.

When King and Gillinder began to see advertisements for Invent@SU throughout the school year, they were instantly intrigued by the idea of spending the summer innovating new solutions together. Yet, they had no idea that they would go on to create Liberating Intravenous, or L-IV, a portable alternative to the standard IV treatment, and eventually win first place in the six-week invention accelerator program. The idea was sparked from King’s own personal experience and pain point, seeing his mother having to go through IV treatment from cancer, and wanting to make that process better for her. L-IV is a portable and adjustable IV treatment option that produces the same mass flow rate as the standard IV.

After Invent@SU, the team knew they wanted to continue with this venture, eventually creating MedUX LLC, which aims to “create innovative medical products through user-centered design.” Right now, the team is focusing on bringing L-IV to market, currently creating the final prototype for manufacturing and working through creating an FDA roadmap. This steadfast and determined team has developed a great team of advisors and mentors who have been helping them along the way, with King saying, “We’re really excited to talk to anyone who is excited about our product.” He also notes that over the past year, “I’ve learned how to network like a pro, and that a joint Google calendar with Alec has been life-changing.”

King recalls a few moments as stand-out moments over the past year, but his favorite was during the first week of Invent@SU. During the first week, the team had begun to reach out to nurses in the area to get primary customer discovery regarding their initial design of L-IV. Although they had expected to get some useful information, they never anticipated the response that their idea generated. “The nurse had said to us, Listen, you have something here. Don’t think of this as a side project, this is something that could really help people.”

When asked about what is life dream is, King smiled and said, “I would honestly really want to be a mad inventor in his garage making new things, taking on the newest and best products to help others.” He then immediately responded with, “Wait, can I make that my tag line? ‘Quinn King, Mad Inventor.’ It has a really nice sound to it.”

King is often seen in the Blackstone LaunchPad in Bird Library working on developing MedUX, practicing pitches, or in meetings with mentors and experts in their fields. The MedUX team will be competing in this year’s ACC InVenture Prize, along with other SU innovators.  Head over to the SU Warehouse or the LaunchPad to hear all about how this team is changing the way we view portable medical devices, and aiding others to have an improved quality of life.

Follow their Instragram @medux_infusion

Story by Blackstone LaunchPad Watson Scholar Kayla Simon ’19

Photo by Blackstone Launch Pad Global Media Fellow Emily Pearson ’21

Sam Hollander, a freshman at the S.I. Newhouse School studying advertising came to Syracuse University with a passion for entrepreneurship that he had developed over four years.  When Hollander was in high school, he first found his passion for multimedia storytelling, and figured out how to monetize his passion. He started his own content creation business, creating photo/video content solutions for life events, companies, and corporate marketing campaigns. His goal was to help people capture moments, tell stories, and build his foundation for entrepreneurship.

Although Hollander had to step aside from his content creation venture to come to school, he still had the itch for entrepreneurship. He wanted to “continue his innovation education” while pursuing a college degree at one of the top communication programs in the country.  For that reason, as an incoming freshman, he elected to live in the Creativity Innovation and Entrepreneurship learning community, where he met Matt Shumer,a Whitman freshman and fellow entrepreneur. Shumer saw Hollander’s talent for content creation and marketing, and his interest in finance and banking, and wanted to start to work with him.

Together, they started to grow OptechVR, a business Shumer started a few months prior. Hollander initially started in a marketing role and is evolving into operations, where he is “really excited by the company, and its goals and aspirations.”

OptechVR is creating the world’s easiest to use VR headset, merging cutting-edge technologies to make an affordable, accessable, usable, and high quality VR headset to the market. Hollander thinks that being able to make VR an every-day, household item, like an Xbox, is going to be a huge leap forward in the technology industry, and he is excited to be a part of the team making that happen. In his operations role, Hollander is tasked with conducting the overarching logistics behind the business, and day-to-day operations. He notes that, “being able to be a part of a startup, learn new things, and being able to merge new skills with prior knowledge is the best part.” His position forces him to learn about business finance, leadership, and external business relations/strategic partnerships.

Hollander competed as part of the OptechVR ream in the Cuse Tank prize, and Impact Prize at Syracuse University. This was his first time doing a formal business pitch and he said it really helped him learn the art of pitching. OptechVR was slected one of the top 32 student startups in the world according to Student Startup Madness. OptechVR is currently waiting to hear if they were ranked in the top 8, which would give them the chance to compete, and network at SxSW in Austin, Texas.

Having an entrepreneurial mindset extends beyond just to the startup world, according to Hollander. He believes that it “forces you to think about problems, and how to solve them” and teaches how to “be self-driven, a leader, and a team player.” Although Hollander is still exploring career paths for his advertising degree, he would love to stay in touch with is entrepreneurial roots through the rest of his life. “Being an entrepreneur has taught me so much, beyond just business, and if I can continue to have an entrepreneurial mindset, it will make me a better person.”

Tasked with a new mission everyday, Hollander is constantly learning how to be a better entrepreneur, and improve himself. Follow him on Instagram, and take a look at his portfolio.

Emily Pearson ’21 is a sophomore Environmental + Interior Design major in the School of Visual and Performing Arts, and a new Blackstone LaunchPad Global Media Fellow, utilizing her skill set as a designer and photographer as the social media manager for the LaunchPad’s new Instagram account, @LaunchPadSYR

Pearson was first introduced to the LaunchPad a year ago as an intern for a Julia Haber 18’, CEO of WAYV when she helped design and install WAYV’s proof of concept pop-up shop in Syracuse’s Marshall Street Mall with Rent the Runway. The pop-up was a weekend long event that quickly became the hottest thing on campus. In preparation to the event, Pearson spent a great deal of time working with Haber, ideating and bringing the pop-up to life.

Independently, Pearson played a leadership role in VISION, a cross campus student entrepreneurship club, and created a popular pop-up on the glass wall of the LaunchPad in Bird Library a part of last fall’s Global Entrepreneurship Week.  An interactive art project, Pearson and her team asked a simple question,” What are 10,000 Ideas That Can Change the World?’  Over just a few days, they quickly completely filled the front walls of the LaunchPad with inspirational ideas from students, faculty and staff interested in exploring innovation.

“I am exciting to be working in the LaunchPad as a Global Fellow this semester,” said Pearson. The LaunchPad is an incredible opportunity for innovative students who want to create, build and collaborate on something. I am surrounded by students who are establishing successful businesses, and who have an incredible future ahead of them. They are all definitely an inspiration for me.”

Pearson is a workaholic and is very involved on campus. She spends many late nights on school work, is on the executive board for The Women’s Network (club), works as an ambassador and peer advisor for the School of Design in the VPA, works remotely for WAYV, LLC. and just recently launched her own RSO with her co-president called Design Link.

Next year Emily will be studying abroad in the spring and couldn’t be more excited to explore entrepreneurial opportunities on a global scale. She has grown up traveling the world with her family, her passion for photography is on display through her Travel Journal here: www.epdesigns.org

A Los Angeles native, design enthusiast, and coffee lover, Pearson has an ambitious and innovative personality and do-it-all mindset. She is passionate about learning new skills furthering her professional career.  The LaunchPad is thrilled to welcome her as a new member of our team.  Watch for her photos in future Student Startup Spotlights.

Jiaman “Maggie” Peng ‘21 is an advertising major at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Although she is only a sophomore, Maggie has been involved with more than 12 twelve organizations on campus, ranging from the First Year Players (FYP) to The Daily Orange to SU Globalist, where she has expanded her perspectives and skill sets by involving herself with various organizations. “I think that’s one of my biggest strengths,” she says. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of time and a lot of energy. I’ve had the time to go to involvement fairs, ask others what they’re working on and I’ve gained a lot of knowledge on marketing, public relations, and media by involving myself.” But Maggie’s perspective extends further than her experiences in student organizations her at SU.

She’s originally from Sichuan, China but grew up in Shanghai, and them attended high school in Connecticut. When asked if she experienced culture shock when she moved to the United States, she responded, “High school, itself, is a culture shock.” She mentions that while there are differences between American and Chinese culture, she thinks she’s learned how to navigate the two and that they’ve only added to her interest in culture and globalization. Maggie is involved with PanGEA, the Pan Global Entrepreneurs Association, whose mission is to help and support students in becoming global leaders, while simultaneously helping build stronger relationships and breaking stereotypes between different cultures and backgrounds. Maggie describes it as an organization that is creating a community for students who realize they have unique abilities and experiences that can be used in collaboration with others to generate creative problem-solving solutions.

Maggie is a very insightful and reflective person, and she cares about self-growth because she’s aware of how she can better herself. “I know I have to work on my self-confidence, and I want to better match my actions with my intentions of being a good person. I’m learning how to focus my attention and energy on topics I really care about.” One can tell that Maggie has high expectations for herself and she isn’t afraid to pursue them.

When asked if she has advice for those who have difficulty approaching or meeting new people, she responds, “If you feel like you want to or need to approach new people, think of that task as something necessary, a goal you want to achieve. Once something becomes necessary, you don’t doubt if you want to do it, you just commit the best you can to doing it.” She mentions that one of the greatest lessons she’s learned by being involved with the Society of Asian Scientist and Engineers (SASE) and the Filipino Student Association (FSA), two organizations she joined because she was drawn to their energy and passion, is that one can’t just be a part of something and benefit from the fun. One must realize that there is the responsibility of helping the organization reach its goals. “It doesn’t matter why you’ve joined.  But it does matter that you help make a difference once you’ve joined.”

Maggie says that she’d like to take her entrepreneurial mindset, and continue to build her skill sets and leadership abilities at an innovative big company after she graduates. She says can see herself staying there for a while if there are the opportunities for learning and continual growth. Although she’s not entirely sure what company she’d like to work for, she does know she wants to be a mentor one day. With the amount of experience Maggie has, and will continue to develop over the next two years at Syracuse University, she is already blazing her own trail as a role model and mentor.

Story by Bridget McDonough, Blackstone LaunchPad Global Media Fellow

With a unique style, a memorable moniker, and a self-titled platform, creative entrepreneur Nathan Spurlin, uses his opinions on rap music to teach, inform and impact his listeners. Spurlin, a WERW radio host, the creator of a unique blogging platform, OLDMLK.com, a music columnist for the Daily Orange, and a junior Communications and Rhetorical Studies major, has followed his instincts to become the person he is today.

“I like to be spontaneous and I like to act on instinct,” he said, “the key is knowing when you should act on instinct and when you should really think through a problem.”

Born in Chicago and raised in Brooklyn, Spurlin, remembers his early experiences as crucial steps on his journey. He attended a small high school called Bedford Academy, with a graduating class of just under 100 students. During those years, his favorite pass-time was debating. Whether it was professional sports or music, he enjoyed challenging conventions with his witty retorts and broad knowledge base. Finding his first love in debate, he began to develop his love of hip-hop during his freshman year of college.

He remembers a defining moment coming in his male empowerment class. As he tells it, “my teacher liked to play Lupe Fiasco a lot. One day, he played the video ‘B*tch Bad’ by Lupe Fiasco, and basically broke it down for us- how do black women view black men and vice versa. After hearing the song and its message, I realized the power of hip-hop, and started listening to the music more.”

During his freshman year at Syracuse University, a concert headlined by Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty and Dave East, crystalized Nathan’s passion for rap music. From this point, he decided to pursue a career in hip-hop commentary. Immersing himself in more music, instead of just playing the hot and new songs, he began listening to complete projects, start-to-finish. This new approach to music translated into a role at SU’s WERW radio station. It also led to his music reviews.

“I would go through an album, track by track, and screenshot it. After that, I would grade it based on fire emoji’s and put it up on Snapchat. At the time, I was just doing it for fun- I can tell who’s trash or not and I can put people on to fire music,” he said.

After a few months, these short Snapchat reviews evolved into concise, one or two sentence reviews. He gave the album Without Warning an 8.5 out of 10 saying, “There is not one trash song on this whole tape.” After he got a handle on this format, Nathan continued to evolve, stating, “Drake’s album, Scorpion, was the first album where I started explaining more, why I do or do not like the song, things just kind of took off from there.”

Presupposed by a successful blog called, “Oldmlktheblog”, the official platform, OLDMLK.com released on October 5, 2018. Coming out the gates with a boom, with poetry and a radio show and three album reviews, the release of his official website was a landmark occasion. He had created a platform, “powered by The Ear, The Eye and The Mind,” where he could express his thoughts and grow as a creative.

With consistent work, the content of the website has continuously improved. However, the process did not come without its fair share of struggles.

“When I first started doing my blogs, I would put it out and text all of my friends. But compared to the people I thought we’re my friends who I sent it to, I wouldn’t get those views back,” said Spurlin. Initially, this made him defensive, “I would start pressing them like, “did you read my work.’”  From experiences like this, he learned the value of truly engaging an audience, saying simply, “you have to find a way to make people care”.

He has continued to work hard toward his goals, finding ways to make people care. The blog produces content at a rapid place, releasing playlists, album reviews, poetry and a weekly podcast on a regular basis. He recently began his fourth semester on WERW’s show “It’s All Opinion,” while becoming a new columnist for the #1 ranked student newspaper, the Daily Orange.

Trusting his instincts, and a mantra of “patiently dreaming consistently,” Spurlin’s platform OLDMLK, along with his persona have grown tremendously. On what he has learned in the last year, he says, “You need to be consistent. You need to have patience, not everything is come to you at once. And you need to know that it’s okay to dream. Maybe you might be the next game changer, but that doesn’t happen unless you dream.”

Nathan Spurlin wishes his work to engage and inform. He plans to continue developing, with ambitions to become “one of the most known hip-hop opinions ever.”

Story by Jalen Nash, Blackstone LaunchPad Global Media Fellow