Startup Spotlights

Alex Rolinski ’24 on entrepreneurship as a path to independence

December 2, 2021

Alexander Rolinski didn’t exactly align with the typical “hustler-esque” image of a young entrepreneur. He says, “I didn’t have a lot of lemonade stands growing up, but I was very independent. Even my teachers saw that I was challenging how things were being taught and how I would always see a different way of doing things.”

However, despite not selling freshly squeezed lemonade for a nickel, Rolinski always knew that he “disliked the repetition of school which I thought was similar to the 9-5 grind. I always knew I wanted to build something and be financially and personally independent.”

In high school, Rolinski’s intellectual mind noticed an opportunity for innovation. During his senior year, he took a business capstone class where he had to essentially develop a business plan. Rolinski says, “I was seeing a lot of kids at my school who were buying and selling items through inconvenient mediums like Snapchat. I originally saw the exchange of textbooks but then I was seeing kids selling shoes and even cars.”

Rolinski was drawn to attending Syracuse University because of the Blackstone LaunchPad. Now a freshman in the Whitman School of Management, he says, “I wanted to be involved in the LaunchPad and it’s one of the reasons I chose Syracuse. Initially, my aspiration was to graduate with the 3+3 program legal degree. Now I want to graduate early and fast track school.”

Through the LaunchPad and campus competitions, he’s been to develop his company, Sice Me, a mobile application geared for college and high school campuses. Students create an account with their student email and are placed in an insular marketplace with their fellow students. Within the marketplace they are free to post the products and items of their choosing which they wish to buy and sell.

The branding came from slang from his hometown of Potomac, Maryland. He says, “In the DMV area the word ‘sice’ means ‘can you give me something’. “

Rolinski describes the current state of Sice Me as something that’s developing with “feedback from users in the LaunchPad and eventually test users across the Syracuse University campus.”

The company is currently looking for a student intern who’s qualified at mobile app development. If you’re interested, reach out to Alex at aprolins@syr.edu.

You can check out the company website here.

Story by Jack Lyons ‘22, LaunchPad Global Fellow; photo supplied

Matt Keenan ’22 is the marketing talent you need

December 2, 2021

Matt Keenan ’22 always makes a great first impression. He usually approaches you with a warm smile and a friendly hello. His kindness is only matched by admirable work ethic and love of people and community. Keenan, a senior majoring in marketing and minor in public communications, was exposed to a lot of different environments growing up.

“I grew up in the Boston area for the first part of my life and then I moved to England for a couple years and then I moved to Boulder, Colorado going into middle school,” Keenan says. His diversified experiences growing up made him interested in people and their motivations. Before coming to Syracuse University in 2018, Keenan interned twice with Techstars which is where he learned his foundational knowledge about the Blackstone LaunchPad.

“When I was an operations intern, part of my job was to write emails to university LaunchPads across the country so it was cool to see the great entrepreneurial ventures coming out of the network.”

Keenan grew up building things himself, starting a sports website that he maintained for three years. “I really like to be creative and really enjoy seeing all these founders and their different ideas take off.”

When Keenan came to Syracuse, he immediately felt a connection with the LaunchPad. “I remember stopping in and at the time they didn’t have room for employment but I wanted to keep in touch.” Luckily, Keenan was able to connect with current LaunchPad program manager Sam Hollander who connected him to an open position as a Global Media fellow running marketing and managing the team’s social media. He is also the incredibly talented and patient behind the scenes guru who pulls the LaunchPad weekly news blasts together — typically on crazy deadlines.

“I’ve really enjoyed the community here and being a part of people’s entrepreneurial journey. The people I’ve met here are super nice and awesome.” Keenan is also excited by the applicability of the skills as well as the networking he’s experiencing at the Launchpad.

He says, “Understanding the social media landscape is really important and doing it on the business side is essential for any marker. I’ve also really enjoyed meeting so many people and feeling deeply rooted in the entrepreneurial community. I am hopeful these connections will help build my career path.”

Story by Jack Lyons ‘22, LaunchPad Global Fellow; photos and graphics supplied

Mike Young ’22 applies his entrepreneurial spirit to finance and real estate

December 2, 2021

Entrepreneurship runs in Mike Young’s blood. The senior, studying real estate and finance with minors in data analytics and economics, grew up in Huntington, NY where he saw his father, a Stanley Steemer franchise owner flex his entrepreneurial muscles.

Young says, “He was a huge influence on me and is actually one of the reasons I initiatly decided to go with a EEE major coming into Syracuse.”

Although Young later changed majors, he possesses a lot of his dad’s entrepreneurial spirit. In high school he started his own t-shirt business with the help of a friend. He says, “I took an intro to business class in high school and wanted to start a clothing business with someone else.”

The business developed rapidly and Young was having fun doing it. After coming to Syracuse University, however, he learned about his passion for finance and real estate.

Currently, Young’s career aspirations involve a path that blends financial modeling, personal finance, and real estate investments.

He enjoys the creativity and problem solving associated with these areas and is something that initially drew him to the Blackstone LaunchPad. He says, “I loved being surrounded by people that are driven to solve the world’s problems. It definitely motivates me.”

Young also has a strong affinity for non-profit work. He says “over the summer I volunteer at an arts center for children with special needs specifically working on their financials and helping with mergers and financing of the building…having a mission behind your work is really motivating and rewarding.”

Young initially found the LaunchPad after being in the same class as current program manager, Sam Hollander and is now helping other LaunchPad members with any financial work. He is happy to be working with such an awesome team.

If you want to learn more about Mike or contact him about how to help with the financials of your business reach out to myoung14@syr.edu

Story by Jack Lyons ‘22, LaunchPad Global Fellow; photos and graphics supplied

Sebastian Gonzalez ’22 curates his wellness brand Ataraxia

December 2, 2021

Stress is perhaps the most well-understood word in the modern individual’s dictionary. The burden of managing a multitude of responsibilities in an increasingly fast-paced modern world has left individuals burnt out, overwhelmed, and struggling with anxiety in an attempt to meet all expectations.

Enter the world of nootropics — natural supplements that can improve cognitive function and reduce burnout. Sebastian Gonzalez ’22, studying real estate in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences and founder of Ataraxia, a brand selling nootropic supplements to enhance cognitive performance.

Ataraxia, a Greek word meaning a state of serenity free from worry, was inspired by Gonzalez’ own personal experience with the importance of mental health and his lifelong mission to support mental wellness in himself and others. He studies psychology for that precise reason — to understand how the brain works and what strategies to implement for its health and happiness. For him, simple strategies such as taking cold showers in the morning or meditating before starting the day have significant effects on his focus and presence.

Another behavior he’s found revolutionary in improving productivity and calm? The answer lies in Ataraxia – taking nootropic supplements.

Gonzalez’ business of artisanal supplements started a few years ago when he traveled to Japan and visited the green tea market in Kyoto. There, in the city known for producing the world’s finest tea, he was introduced and fell in love with Japanese matcha. As obsession for green tea made its way to America in the form of ice creams, cakes, and lattés; Gonzalez decided to begin selling ceremonial grade matcha, touting its many health benefits and advantage as an alternative to coffee.

Through sleek, elegant packaging and intentional care, Gonzalez quickly found customers for his premium matcha. Hoping to expand more into the world of supplements for cognitive function, he began developing a nootropic blend in one pill from several different mushroom powders. His current supplement contains ashwagandha, which reduces stress and anxiety, chaga, which improves memory recognition, and lion’s mane, which increases focus and attention.

“Stress and anxiety is the number one factor that decreases our energy. Nootropics increases your brain’s productivity. If you take it in the long term, you’re going to feel less stressed and more energetic,” said Gonzalez of the profound impact nootropics can have.

With his passion for mental wellness and intentional cultivation of his wellness brand Ataraxia, it’s no surprise that Gonzalez is already seeing funding and interested customers run towards him. Gonzalez was one of four winners at the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University’s Startup in a Day competition, where individuals gathered from across the Syracuse community to give one-minute pitches of their business idea for the chance to win $1,000 as part of a collaboration with Startup Tree.

As the winner of the Consumer Products and Services categories, Gonzalez now gets to move on to a nationwide competition competing for the chance to win $10,000 in funding for Ataraxia. Gonzalez, who signed up for the competition after he saw the LaunchPad team pitching it in Bird Library, is so thankful that he saw that LaunchPad table that one day and propelled his path toward funding and recognition.

With the past year’s rise in mental health struggles, motivation, and productivity due to world forever changed by COVID-19, Gonzalez hopes that nootropic supplements can help people find more focus and energy in their day-to-day life. His resolve to create a brand that helps people cultivate wellness and mental health via remarkably powerful brain supplements contributes to the creation of a modern society that is well, not stressed.

Story by Claire Howard ’23, Global Fellow.

Light Group is building future leaders through impact entrepreneurship

November 30, 2021

Ever wondered where you can find the talent of the future generations? The Light Group showcases exactly this as an innovative nonprofit organization, built by students for students. The group connects students with policymakers, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in society during their formative years. Placing personal growth center stage, it is creating a community that will foster long-lasting change.

The students forming the Light Group team range from 34 universities from around the world spanning 24 countries and 4 continents. It has a group here at Syracuse University led by Brandon Henry a content creator and mentor at the LaunchPad. (Read more about Brandon and his LaunchPad and Light Group engagement here.)

Light Group helps students build character and lead with integrity. Birthed during the pandemic, it grasped the opportunity to bring a generation together beyond the physical space. The bedrock of its work is rooted in the membership of future leaders from top universities all across the globe.

Indeed, the fruits of the journey begin by taking the shape of a growing community of serial academics, partnered professionals, and highly motivated individuals. Mentors who oversee projects take on roles that extend from financial analysts at Blackstone to project engineers at Tesla.

By enabling this collaborative ecosystem, it is creating a community that connects the experience and intellect of mentors with the enthusiasm and eagerness of its students, working in tandem with sponsors to leave an indelible impact on the world. The emerging generation has realized they are the curators of their fate and hold an opportunity they are the first to test: they are children of the digital age.

The first two Light Group departments are Capital Management and Scientific Analytics, where the directors explore the bounds of the associate’s interests and ambitions through a series of projects.

The following two other departments are the Environmental Sustainability and Social Development Departments, revitalizing society through the endeavors of the associates and mentors.

Additionally, The Light Group Art Foundation founded by one of its associates Jacob Black is an extension of efforts to highlight some of the important artworks through human history by working with institutions affiliated with it such as the Barnes Foundation. The Light Group creative ethos promotes the symbiosis between art and technology. By interconnecting such disciplines, the Light Group provides a holistic and inspiring understanding of the world surrounding us, equipping youth with the best tools to change it.

Founder Eyoel Kass-Darge

The founder Eyoel Kassa-Darge is looking to expand its reach to other LaunchPads in the global network to attract more students with unique skill sets, along with the ambition to grow our sponsoring network and secure our support system.

As Tim Ville, one of Light Group’s leaders says, “As I was interviewing candidates for The Light Group, I came across a unique and diverse group of candidates from all across the world. What struck me, however, was the consistency between candidates that animated the same zest for learning, their avid desire to immerse themselves into new projects, and the desire to polish their already-prolific skill sets. Indeed, our adept members of the organization are invigorated and provided with the tools necessary to facilitate their journey to making their mark.”

Through a platform that encompasses all types of disciplines and caters to a relentless curiosity, by joining the Light Group you will be joining a global community thirsty for knowledge, and eager for a better world. To learn more, feel free to reach out to Brandon Henry ’24, a Maxwell student who is a Launchstar team member at Syracuse’s Blackstone LaunchPad. You can reach him at bhenry01@syr.edu

Story by Brandon Henry, Eyoel Kassa,Laura Dere, and Timothee Ville

Murray Lebovitz ’23 is championing the craft of artisanal coffee

November 30, 2021

Each morning, a cup of coffee. That is the daily ritual for 70% of Americans. From Keurig machines on nightstands to drip coffee pots in kitchens that keep caffeine coming all day long, most adults survive on coffee to give them a boost of energy to start their day.

Yet despite the overwhelming number of people who rely on coffee as an essential item in their life, coffee sourcing is not often well understood or celebrated as an artisanal craft. Enter Murray Lebovitz ’23, studying Supply Chain Management in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, determined to create community centered around appreciating and championing the craft of coffee through his platform Keep Coffee Casual.

Lebovitz’ interest in coffee began after working a summer camp job after he graduated high school. As one might imagine, the coffee there was atrocious, probably mixed from an industrial sized instant coffee container. Lebovitz couldn’t stand it and bought his own personal-sized coffee maker. He soon began taking it everywhere with him.

As he started his studies at Syracuse University, Lebovitz continued his tradition of brewing his own coffee every morning in his dorm. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in his freshman year, Lebovitz used his newfound time to research more into the practice of brewing coffee, curious to discover the intricacies of what had been for him for so long a core, but not understood, aspect of his lifestyle.

Lebovitz’ newfound passion and interest in the art of coffee led him to start his own mini business selling his own cold brew coffee across campus during freshman year. His fascination with coffee grew into him securing a job at the new Salt City Coffee as one of their roasters, working hard to create the perfect, most flavorful roast of coffee for the local artisanal coffee shop.

As Lebovitz dived deeper into the world of coffee, he wasn’t content to let it merely be a personal hobby but wanted to unite and connect with other people around the appreciation of specialty coffee. Enter Keep Coffee Casual, a business focused on creating community for coffee lovers and expanding the specialty coffee community to everyday coffee drinkers.

Lebovitz identified two main problems within the coffee industry today — transparency and consumer accessibility. The coffee industry is sourced from coffee farmers in countries across the world, typically Southern hemisphere developing countries. It unfortunately can be industry that profits off exploitation from poor farmers, without consumer transparency of these practices. “Transparency is huge in the coffee world because the product people are drinking is sourced so far away from most people. Keeping the supply chain transparent works as a benefit for both sides,” said Lebovitz of his hopes to increase people’s awareness about the sourcing of coffee through Keep Coffee Casual.

While standard coffee is readily accessible to most Americans, Lebovitz also hopes to improve accessibility to specialty coffee. Specialty coffee, which highlights carefully cultivated roasts for unique flavors, artisanal methods of brewing from pour over to French press, and often is sourced through ethical fair-trade practices, is typically not accessible to most people because of the price difference and purchasing barrier to entry.

Lebovitz hopes to introduce more people to specialty coffee through Keep Coffee Casual’s coffee variety bags, which include different roasts following an industry theme. This allows new customers to try various varieties of coffee without committing to the expense of a large bag of one variety that they may not like. Instead, consumers can dip their toes in the world of specialty coffee by trying what aspects they love.

He is working with the Blackstone LaunchPad to refine his business model and begin work on commercializing his venture. He’s also been offering occasional informal pop-up coffee tastings featuring unique roasts in the LaunchPad for other student ventures, growing a cult following and appreciative audience for his coffee expertise.

The power of coffee lies in its ability to cultivate community. This is at the core of Keep Coffee Casual’s mission. Through intentional consumption of ethically sourced and specialty coffee, Lebovitz seeks to create community around the care and love for coffee. “Coffee is a great way to bring people together – that’s where the magic happens,” said Lebovitz.

Story by Claire Howard ’23, Global Fellow

Rich Jiang G’21 is working on a Venmo for cryptocurrency

November 16, 2021

Rich Jiang G’21 has come up with quite a few business ideas throughout his time in Syracuse as a Computer Science student (both undergraduate and graduate) at the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences.

Rich joined the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University Libraries at the Bird Library during his undergraduate junior year as he worked on his ventures. He initially joined to explore a business idea for a music application where you would be able to stream the same music with your friends. Rich’s next business venture was a mental health application. Now, as a graduate student, matured with past experiences from the ventures he tried to explore before, Rich has a new exciting business idea – Beam Wallet.

To put it in simple terms, Beam Wallet is the “Venmo for cryptocurrencies.” What is unique about Beam Wallet is how simplified it is compared to other platforms. The way that cryptocurrency moves now is through addresses and hashes. Rich is working a way around that by selecting a name and domain for your crypto wallet that could be substituted for the hashes. Currently, Rich is researching on how to provide affordable service to his potential users.

Rich came up with the idea when he was thinking of how to completely get rid of physical wallets. Phones can now replace debit and credit cards, but Rich is thinking of a future where his users will have the ability to replace traditional paper documents like identification cards, passports, driver’s licenses and house deeds with digital NFTs instead.

As an ambitious man, things can become overwhelming. Even though you are passionate about your venture, burn out can make you lose passion for your work. However, Rich has cracked a code. He has gamified his work life. He tries to see working on his business like a challenging game, so he never gets bored or tired of it. Naturally, this idea comes from his past obsession for gaming.

Rich has now moved on to other hobbies such as reading mangas and working out with his trainer. Always looking to better himself, coming up with exciting ventures and most importantly, being engaged in what he is doing, there is no doubt that Rich could really change how the cryptocurrency world works.

Story by LaunchPad Global Fellow Natalie Lui ‘22; photo supplied

Xinyi Wang ’24 is creating a FoodAI system

November 15, 2021

When you meet Xinyi Wang, the first trait you will notice about her is her radiant smile and positive attitude. Her wonderful personality radiates into every activity she participates in. Xinyi, 24’, is an Industrial and Interactive Design major with a minor in marketing. Her passion to become a design major started when she found her love for solving problems and learning to navigate different ways to reach her end goal. She is from Mongolia, China, and has lived there most of her life. When she was going into her high school years, she moved to the United States and finished her high school diploma in California. After, she decided to attend Syracuse because of the student opportunities it had, and she knew she could explore different areas of study.

On campus, Xinyi is very involved and continually keeping herself busy. She was a representative for Women in Design, which is a program that promotes women’s rights in design. Her love for design and her love to help groups made this club perfect to express her talents in problem-solving. Furthermore, she is in IDSA, Industrial Designers Society of America, which provides multiple opportunities for design students to display their skills and working on a variety of different activities. In the past, she has also worked with start-up business to help them grow by providing her knowledge to hopefully see them become successful. As a result of all her activities, Xinyi has grown immensely, not only as a student but as a person.

Currently, she is participating in DES 400, Inclusive design with Don Carr. This course connects design students and allows them to help solve a difficulty that students with disabilities face on a day-to-day basis. It is part of the Intelligence ++ Program, and Xinyi is currently working directly with a student, Shawn, to create a program that allows him to make his lunches on his own.

Since August, Xinyi and her team have been working countless hours to create the best program to help Shawn. She is creating a FoodAI system through meal prep. They have worked closely with Shawn and his father to brainstorm different methods that would best suit him. For example, they started with printing off pictures of food that Shawn uses every Tuesday night to make his tacos for dinner. In class, they tested their first idea by allowing Shawn to move these pictures on to the taco shell as if he was building his own taco. After, they collaborated more ideas that led them to understand that Shawn responds well to his father’s voice. Thus, they had his parents make a video of them creating a taco at home and the following week Shawn attempted to make his own taco through watching the video. As the team predicted this would be successful, they ran into a road bump. Since the food provided to test their idea was not identical to the products used at home, he had a hard time making his taco. Although this has been a slight set back in their progress, Xinyi is determined to solve it. Hopefully they can open it to other individuals with disabilities and add features that include navigating around food allergies in the future.

Xinyi is empathic, determined, and has a strong passion for helping others. Between her personality and her strong skill set of solving tech problems and contributing well in her group, there is nothing she can’t do. In her future, she aspires to create her own UX design company and be a manger. Lastly, she wants to make a lifelong impact to severing those with disabilities. She has a lot on her plate, but there is nothing Xinyi can’t do.

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Story by Sydney Grosso ’23 Zaccai Foundation Fellow, Policy Studies & Public Health

Natasha Brao ’22 on combining her passion for food, design and entrepreneurship

November 15, 2021

Creativity has always been something that came easy for Natasha Brao, a senior from Los Angeles studying communications design in VPA with a minor in IDS. She says, “I’ve been a dancer my whole life ever since I was three. It was my number one passion, but I also loved to be creative in the kitchen and in art as well.” Additionally, she says that through her passions she was able to get very comfortable with being creative and not being afraid of putting it her own way.

As she entered her senior year of high school, Brao began to find a distinct love of graphic design in her AP Art class, particularly digital art. When it came to applying to colleges, she considered 24 schools before finally settling on Syracuse University. “I loved the combination of sports and college vibe with art school vibe. It was exactly the place I was looking for.”

After her freshman year of college, she encountered a life-changing moment. “Right after freshman year I was feeling overwhelmed and depressed. I needed a refresher, so I went to Israel for three weeks. It was truly amazing.” Brao specifically mentions how the food culture in Israel was something she really resonated with. She says, “Israeli food is all about coming together and sharing and enjoying food with one another. I wanted to find a way to bring this experience back home.”

Because of this realization, she started creating her own Shakshuka, an Israeli breakfast food that typically contains a variety of spices, poached eggs, tomatoes and other ingredients. Brao felt that a food truck with made-to-order Shakshuka would be a great way to share her Israeli culinary experience in an entrepreneurial way. As a design student, she spent all of her junior year creating a holistic view of the brand and came up with the Holy Egg! As she came into her senior year, she was trying to explore how to turn this idea into a business. Although Communications Design students are taught the practices of target audience research, brand positioning and other marketing strategies, she felt it was important to seek help with the logistics and financial aspects of things.

“My friend Kelly Davis brought me to the LaunchPad after one of my IDS classes and I met a wonderful community filled with the resources I needed to jumpstart my business.” Brao has competed in two pitch competitions, experiences that she says really pushed her to be the entrepreneur she is today.

If you ever have tasted Holy Egg! you know how delicious it is. Now Brao is looking to expedite the logistics and work on product development.

If you are passionate about food and Holy Egg! and are experienced in finance or supply chain reach out to nlbrao@syr.edu.

Story by Jack Lyons ‘22, LaunchPad Global Fellow; photos and graphics supplied

Xinyao Zhao ’21 wants to become a businesswoman to help people with clinical success

November 15, 2021

student in a white lab coat with a syringe

Xinyao Zhao ’21 has a passion for volunteering, social work, and medical devices as shown in her experiences in China, the USA, the UK, and Europe. As someone who has a strong interest in advancing clinical and commercial success she decided to major in Bioengineering at the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

In high school, Zhao volunteered at a nursing home in Tian He Lao Nian in Xi’an, Shaanxi, China. For three years, she founded a club with other classmates and arranged weekly activities, such as storytelling, chatting, and message for elderly people in the nursing house. Zhao realized her help was not enough. She then determined to improve the living situations for elderly people. As a result, she raised about $370, bought a new washing machine and clothing for elderly people, and gained positive media awareness in the newspaper.

After high school, Zhao decided to take a different route from most of her peers. She took a gap year and applied for a job in England. Her love for traveling and social work brought her to a facility in Ringwood called The Lantern Community, where she worked as a living assistant. There, Zhao assisted adults with depression, autism, down syndrome, etc., with their finances, medication, and day-to-day tasks. This later turned out to be a good opportunity for newfound confidence in her stress management skills, social skills, and cultural adaption skills. Outside of work, she traveled all over England on her own or with a few friends. This Christmas, she plans to fly to Germany to visit one of her friends she made during her time in The Lantern Community.

During Pandemic, on a quest to expand knowledge and skills for medical devices, Zhao interned in a medical device trading company. Each week she had to visit 40 hospitals to understand the market for fluorescence visualization systems for cancer treatment and constantly followed up with the hospitals to introduce this device and provide on-time after-sales Services. Zhao was very excited that she and her team successfully sold $400,000 of the visualization system device.

With experiences in medical devices trading, various hands-on projects, and the health care field, Zhao began working this fall on an idea called Lateral Assist with Andreea Merloiu who co-developed the invention with SU engineering students Chyenee Kersavage and Katherine Braun through the Invent@SU summer 2021 accelerator program. The Invent@SU team of Merloiu, Kersavage and Braun created the prototype and pitched it during the summer program to address the specific segment population of morbidly obese patients who are facing all kinds of challenges and discomfort in hospitals. They received a positive response. Zhao and Merloiu have participated in a campus competition this fall, seeking to raise funding for the idea.

Story based on information supplied by Xinyao Zhao ’21 with additional information on Invent@SU