Startup Spotlights

Alexandra Cianfarani and ClubMATCH Make a Difference on the Syracuse Community

November 9, 2021

Alexandra Cianfarani ‘22 is an Information Management and Technology major in the iSchool with great aspirations to make an impact on her fellow students. She has played an important role in the development of other people’s experiences in their college years by making a platform to find their clubs and interests.

Alexandra, a go-getter, and driven student, made one of the best decisions in her life senior year, to go to Syracuse. When applying for schools she was determined to find a school that had great co-curricular activities, sports, and school spirit but most importantly a great alumni connection. Since Alexandra had a vision, she knew surrounding herself with others who aspired just as much as she does would help her be successful. Freshman year, she took initiative and joined the Entrepreneurship Club at Syracuse University. While being active in the Entrepreneurship club, she also joined as a member of the LaunchPad to further her involvement in the startup community.

Alexandra is no one like you’d ever meet; she is fearless and ready to take on any task. Her journey hasn’t been easy, but she has definitely pushed herself to make the most out of her experience. Freshman year, Alexandra worked toward creating her own major since her many passions couldn’t fit in just one. She met with faculty, deans, and even the Vice President of Syracuse University to pursue her goals. Overall, this experience taught her confidence to have in herself, pushed her out of her comfort zone, and ultimately motivated her to create ClubMATCH.

ClubMATCH was started from attending a research study presentation regarding dislocation on college campuses, and Alexandra knew she needed to help. After thinking about her own experiences with her clubs and how she was able to find some of her best friends there; she thought if more people joined clubs similar to their interests, more connections could be made that could ultimately change students’ lives. She wanted to create a platform that allows individuals to find clubs based on their specific individual interests. Alexandra said, “There are hundreds of clubs on campus, and it’s hard for people to find and sort which ones would be most similar to their personalities and interests.” Helping students find their people and activities comes from her own personal experience, “If I didn’t find the Entrepreneurship Club, I wouldn’t be at LaunchPad today, and I wouldn’t have the same amazing friends and incredible experiences that I’ve had at Syracuse.” Furthermore, she wanted to give this experience to other students while making it easier for them. During the pandemic, Alexandra saw decreased activity in clubs as well as seclusion because of COVID-19, but that was going to change.

Alexandra decided this year was the year to display ClubMATCH in ‘Cuse Tank. Alexandra used to be a timekeeper in previous competitions throughout the years, and in that time she learned from fellow LaunchPad members and competitors how to pitch. In ‘Cuse Tank 2021, Alexandra did an amazing job pitching to the judges, and she loved her performance. “‘Cuse Tank was more than just a pitch competition for me. I learned how to present a product well and I developed an important professional skill from this competition that I will carry with me throughout my entire career” Alexandra said. She learned more about herself, faced her fear of public speaking, and it gave her more confidence than she had before. Moreover, she gained more insight into pitching and allowed her to gain networking skills for her future endeavors with ClubMATCH.

This upcoming November, Alexandra plans to compete in the Impact Prize Business Competition, Campus ACC InVenture Prize Competition, and the RVD iPrize. Money would go towards developing her software and beta testing. Then, she would work on marketing for ClubMATCH.

Freshman year Alexandra would be so proud of the woman she has become today. Her hard work and dedication have allowed her to gain confidence in herself, pursue her passions, and help other students find their niche in their community.

Nashon Ash ’23 and his self-made music production career

November 3, 2021

Nashon Ash ’23 is an extremely busy student. He is a junior, majoring in Social Work at the Falk School of Social Work who spends his time working on school, at the school district for social work, and participating in seven different school organizations.

Ash is a man of multiple talents. Not only does he play the trombone, violin and a little bit of piano now, Ash has been playing the drum since he was three years old. Church definitely helped him spark an interest in music. Ash also played the drums at church sometimes.

“I always had something for music since I was young,” says Ash.

Eventually, the young drummer started listening to more and more music when he was in middle school and high school. One thing Ash noticed about himself was that he was listening more to the beat of the music instead of the lyrics. How the drums and the claps in the music are composed really amazed him.

High school sophomore Ash would then start producing music Ash started his production career by making beats on his phone for fun. As junior year rolled around, he upgraded and purchased an old used laptop to make his music using Garage Band and Logic Pro. These audio workstations shouldn’t be a stranger to music makers. Ash kept making more music and getting better at it. He learned through practice and “how to” YouTube videos.

As a college student, Ash produces music whenever he can. Music is Ash’s biggest hobby but he wants to make it his career. Getting to know more clients, making a consistent income through a music career is his goal. The Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University Libraries, located in Bird Library, has been helping Ash connect to some connections in the music industry. Ash wants to make the most out of his opportunities and want to make more connections.

Ash knows a lot of artists, but he is aware that there are a lot of artists he doesn’t know yet. He knows a lot of local artists and work with a few of them. He’s also worked with artists from New York City, Atlanta and New Jersey. His history of production can be traced on his Beat Stars Page, Youtube and his Apple Music Playlist.

Ash grew up in the south side of Syracuse and absolutely loves the city. However, after he graduates, he has plans to move to a bigger city, either Atlanta, Los Angles, Charlotte or Dallas, where music thrives in the energy and creative scene.

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

Ben Delmarsh ’22 is SYRAZY

November 3, 2021

When you meet Ben Delmarsh, you’re immediately drawn in by his sense of humor and quiet, yet present energy. Ben is currently a junior in the College of Visual and Performing Arts majoring in communication and rhetorical studies or, what he likes to call, a “bachelor’s of persuasion.” Growing up in Manlius, right outside of Syracuse, Delmarsh always had a creative mind that sometimes got him in trouble. He says, “ I was a pioneer on the playground. I was always coming up with new games and ideas which sometimes got me into trouble, but it was all in good fun.”

He channeled his creative energy into a business in middle school where he would flip clothes on eBay to make an extra buck. As he transitioned into high school, Delmarsh praises his grandfather for helping foster his business skills. He says, “Every summer I would work at my grandfather’s t-shirt store in Inlet in the Adirondacks and I recognized the passion he put into it. He credits his time in the Adirondacks as an experience that “helped him learn sales technique, operations management, and proper customer service.”

Delmarsh was inspired by his work with his grandfather to start his own apparel company during high school. When figuring out branding he wanted to capture the essence of Syracuse as a place full of energy. He simply combined the phrase “Syracuse going crazy” to create “Syrazy,” a brand (some would say a movement) that spread like wildfire throughout his high school and the local area. Delmarsh says, “My school liked it and Syracuse loved it. We were featured on the news and people recognized our brand.”

After graduating high school, Delmarsh brought Syrazy to his abroad experience in Switzerland where he spent a year at Franklin University. He says, “It was a profound experience that really changed how I view the world and I think ultimately helped me grow Syrazy.” Coming back to Syracuse University, Delmarsh knew there was an opportunity to expand Syrazy beyond clothing.

After perusing the Facebook marketplace, he realized a huge issue that could be solved in a quick and cost effective way. Delmarsh says, “I found a limo for sale and it made me realize how expensive transportation is to bars and events. I wanted to provide a less expensive and luxurious experience for the people of Syracuse.” Delmarsh purchased the limo and has been providing transportation to hotspots in Syracuse and the surrounding area for an affordable price. He says, “You’re really selling an experience and we want it to be a positive one.”

Additionally, he plans to use the limo in a creative guerilla marketing campaign for Syrazy as they want to travel to five cities across the country also named Syracuse in order to create content promoting their new service. Innovative ideas like this make Ben Delmarsh and Syrazy look like a company that is ready to explode.

When looking towards the future, Delmarsh says “Our plan is to grow our number of limos and drivers and revamp the t-shirt business.”

Check out Syrazy to follow the company’s growth or try out a ride for yourself.

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

Tiny Desk ‘Cuse features Lauren Juzang ’24

November 1, 2021

Tiny Desk ‘Cuse continued this week at Bird Library with a concert by freshman Lauren Juzang, an alternative pop artist from Tarzana, California. She studies music business in the Bandier Program at Syracuse University and started putting out solo music in February of 2021. Previously the lead singer of the jazz-indie band Deli Hours, her new music is a mix of electric and acoustic instruments that blend to create music that’s a little left of center. Lauren’s upcoming EP is now finished and will be out soon.

The series, a collaboration with the LaunchPad, showcases campus creatives in live recorded music performances. Tiny Deck ‘Cuse is designed and curated by Jackson Siporin ’22 (College of Visual and Performing Arts, music industry program), who is interning at the LaunchPad. The idea was inspired by the popular NPR Tiny Desk series.

Read more about the series in these two great articles in The Daily Orange:

Jack Rose ’24 on authorship with empathy

October 31, 2021

Jack Rose, ’24, a Whitman student majoring in entrepreneurship has found his passion in social entrepreneurship and writing, which has led to the ideation of a venture catering to new and experienced authors alike. His love for storytelling blossomed ever since he used to watch Saturday morning cartoons with his brother. In his spare time, he has found productional value in drawing inspiration from books, movies, and video games alike.

In his most recent endeavor, Jack has found his purpose and added more fulfillment to his life by writing a memoir for his friend and mother figure, Nicole, who battles Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. His future business endeavor revolves around assisting new and experienced authors weave a compelling story from start to finish with excellent service from professionals. The operation will also aim to assist individuals like Nicole who dream of publishing but struggle with conditions that hinder them from reaching their goal. The end goal is to build an enthusiastic company culture that provides both a platform and an opportunity for people of all walks of life to be heard.

Jack’s pen is his sword entwined with emotional intelligence. In addition, his honesty, insight, and empathy have played a role in attempting to curate this tenacious project. A question he considers in the ideation of his business is, “How do we give marginalized communities a medium and offer a voice to those who currently don’t have one?” Living up to an egalitarian society, no matter your affliction or background, can have a tremendous impact on social good.

Watching trends, he sometimes wonders if social media and technological growth make print media totally obsolete in the coming years. In a world where we see eBooks and other digitally native content on the rise, Jack wants to be at the forefront of this change and sees himself as a multi-purposeful tool to expand the unspoken voices on a variety of platforms.

I asked Jack what “financial freedom” means to him, and he explains, “I like the game of it all. The freedom of choosing your income and the ability to be flexible and meet people as they are and where they are conveniently and efficiently. I aspire to be in a position where I can touch lives and bring positive change through my writing.”

For Jack, failure or setback presents an interesting opportunity. He says, “Everything you go through is either a blessing right off the bat, or a lesson meant to embolden you for the future.” Any amount of progress is good progress, which is evident through his drafting process.

Part of the gauntlet was spending nearly a year agonizing over his first chapter. Jack experienced multiple minor setbacks in his organizational structure. He describes to me, “This isn’t just a memoir about Nicole, but a story about a woman who has had a profound impact on my life. To me, conveying that feeling of being with her and having my heart strings tugged as she told me her stories was integral to laying context for the reader. I spent a long time trying to capture lightning in a bottle, and I’m happy to say that I’m finally in a content and progressive place with my writing.”

Mentorship is also crucial for Jack because it provides him the support of someone who has your best interest in mind, as well as the option to look at your work from a different perspective and have a system of accountability. He says that his family has always been supportive of him, never telling him there was something he could not do, but always encouraging him to be creative and put in the hours in pursuit of getting where he wants to be. He also looks to Nicole as an example, considering how she carries on a joyful and fulfilling life despite all that she has been through.

Looking for solutions when there are not any is the seed of many great ideas. Jack used to be a perfectionist, but has realized that failure pokes holes that allow you to fill in the gaps in this new mental space he has occupied.

From the perspective of writing, creating material is about communicating ideas felt and experienced into content that the reader can relate to and thus develop a relationship with. Not looking for perfection, but zeal and willingness for growth and knowledge have underpinned his book writing. “Humility is vital because your pride can inhibit opportunity,” he says. “Holding on to ego keeps you from adopting new perspectives and new angles. I think that great companies build a foundation with this notion at the center. The key is to remain humble, and to never lose sight of where you came from and why you started.”

Jack considers himself an innovator, which he describes as someone at the forefront of change for the greater good. Change is a way of figuring out how to do something that can improve the lives of many. Along the way, he has learned that innovation sometimes means breaking the rules. Preconceived notions of ways you are supposed to do things should be entry points to break new ground. He notes that the “weight of expectation and tradition can be crushing, and sometimes you have to push boundaries by thinking unconventionally.” His frustrations were a reminder to keep writing and keep his pen as his sword that is unwavering.

Later in our interview, Jack touched on God and his role in catalyzing his work. “There were many times when I felt like I was at the end of my rope,” he says. “I think many others have found themselves in that same position, but from a certain point of view, the end of everything could be the beginning of something phenomenal. When it feels like your entire world is crumbling, I want people to recognize that’s only step one, because oftentimes the weight of the hardship you’re going through is proportional to the reward on the other side if you can manage to endure it. The belief that there’s a power out there with my best interest at heart keeps me moving forward. All it takes is a little prayer at times.”

In Jack’s closing words, “If you think you have an idea, then tell your story. Seek people who can help you get there, and don’t be deterred by the challenge. In fact, I would encourage you to lean in.”

Story by Brandon Henry’ 24 for the LaunchPad; photo supplied

Jared Anderson ’23 is passionate about saving lives

October 31, 2021

two firefighters — *Jared Anderson (left) with his father, Brian Anderson*

A junior at Syracuse University with a major in biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, Jared Anderson ‘23 is contributing not only to his local community but those across the country. As he’s working toward his ambitions to pursue medical school, he is also building a platform to save lives. Jared is working hard to succeed in school and make a difference in educating people with knowledge they can use in emergency situations.

Jared is a dedicated student who is passionate about making a difference in the world. He has always been a leader in his community, and one of those leadership roles is being a resident advisor in Shaw Hall for the past two years. One of Jared’s traits is his keen interested in being engage. Immersed in Syracuse campus activities, he is also a member of Engineering World Health Club and Christian Outreach. Jared has also served as an EMT and is an active firefighter/ EMT at DeWitt Fire Department.

Jared comes from a family of ten and knows the importance of taking care of others, especially his family. With his own mission to keep his family safe, he has the same passion to keep others as well. Through his time as a firefighter and taking care of his siblings, he has understood the importance of safety when dangerous situations arise. Jared is the type of person to put others before himself, and it is no surprise he would create a platform to ensure others safety.

Through his many experiences on the job, he has seen community members who are unsure about how to handle emergency situations. Jared was determined to fix that. Civilian Medical Response (CMR) is a non-profit organization that will teach the basics of first response skills and emergency preparedness. The goal is to teach and inform others to ensure their safety at and away from home. Jared states, “Through my experience as a firefighter and EMT, I have seen people struggle in emergency situations from a lack of information and training.”

You might be thinking that some people already go through training for these types of situations, but not enough. Jared is determined to tackle training differently. He has discovered that many people undergo these trainings for work and are less likely to pay attention. Jared has observed that modules aren’t as impactful because individuals rush through it to complete them and don’t retain the information.

The mission of CMR is “to empower individuals to recognize and react to medical emergencies through training and education.” CMR will offer hands-on workshops to churches, schools, work, all free of cost to ensure quality information and training for individuals. Jared wants to build convenience into the program, reaching more community groups and people to accommodate training within their schedule.

With the concept for CMR, Jared joined the LaunchPad to find greater community support to help grow his venture. He said, “Once I had the idea, I knew it would be the best place to pursue my aspirations.”

He competed recently at ‘Cuse Tank and said that pitching his idea was a great experience. He received valuable feedback on how to improve and build his non-profit. After the competition, in recognition of his hard work and good idea, he received a $2,500 LaunchPad Innovation Grant to help incorporate, and to develop his product and curriculum. He is eagerly awaiting his next competition, the Impact Prize, to compete for additional funds and to develop even more personal and professional skills.

His goal is to offer his very first training in the community that supported him – the LaunchPad.

Story by Blackstone Global Fellow Sydney Grosso ‘23

Mia Hinz ’23 on creating a Candid form to make better decisions about picking classes

October 31, 2021

For a lot of students, college scheduling is a battleground. As students are frantically trying to get into the classes required to graduate, they need to evaluate timing, course content, and most importantly, the reputation of the professor teaching the class. Mia Hinz ‘23, studying public relations with a minor in the iSchool, found an issue with this process that could leveraged with an innovative solution..

Hinz is a junior at Syracuse University from New York City, specifically downtown Manhattan. She knew Syracuse was the place for her after she toured with her brother as a freshman in high school. “I fell in love with the campus during my freshman year and always had it in my back pocket when I was applying for schools.” I didn’t even revisit my application process. I just knew it was the place I wanted to be.”

Although Hinz wouldn’t say she had an entrepreneurial spirit growing up, she definitely showed creative flair. Hinz says “I loved building Legos and building creative projects growing up. I used to watch Shark Tank a lot and loved the ideas they would present.”

Coming to Syracuse, Hinz stumbled upon the idea for her company after experiencing the struggles of choosing what courses to take. Hinz says, “When I used websites like Rate my Professor, I wasn’t getting nearly enough information I needed to make the right decisions with picking classes.”

To combat this challenge, Hinz created Candid, an open forum for info on classes and professors. She was seeing these kinds of discussions already happening on campus, so she wanted to create one platform to put all of these conversations regarding class selections together. Hinz says,“With applications like Yik Yak being used as a means of communication for students as well as the Tab talking about what professors and classes are good to take, I think Candid will be popular in that sense.”

Hinz credits her iSchool teacher Elizabeth Ruscitto for pushing her to test her idea at the recent ‘Cuse Tank competition. Hinz says, “She basically told me that I had nothing to lose and that it would be a great experience to learn how to develop my idea and pitch it in front of people.”

Hinz is grateful to the LaunchPad for allowing her to pitch her idea and for others to see the value in it.

“I hope students see Candid as an intelligent tool to inform their academic decisions,” Hinz says.

She is currently in the process of developing a landing page for Candid. If you are a web developer that is interested in helping, reach out to mehinz@syr.edu.

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

Caeresa Richardson ’07 brings creativity to life at her Ecodessa boutique in downtown Syracuse

October 31, 2021

On South Salina Street in downtown Syracuse, in a small shop with warm lights and brick walls, women buy beautiful floral dresses and glamorous handbags. These dresses, handbags, and other items of beauty purchased here are no ordinary retail but contribute to environmental sustainability and ethical human production across the world. Caeresa Richardson ’07 had dreamed of owning her own fashion boutique. Through her rigorous engineering studies, fast-paced college life, and early career working as a mechanical engineer, Richardson turned to personal style as an outlet for confidence and creative expression. Today, she harnesses that creative expression and entrepreneurial energy in her own fashion boutique Ecodessa.

Richardson, who studied mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science from 2003-2007, always wanted to explore the fashion world beyond personal style, and decided to take several classes in fashion design from the College of Visual and Performing Artshttps://vpa.syr.edu/. She discovered there that fashion was not merely a way to dress or a form of self-expression, but an industry in the marketplace. Like all other industries in business, it requires hard and technical skills to work in, and an entrepreneurial mindset to break into.

She also discovered in her studies of fashion that again, identical to other consumer goods industries, the cost of mass production translates to damaging environmental impacts. For example, the fashion industry in just one year produces 1.2 billion tons of carbon emissions. Her dream to start a fashion boutique grew into a dream to start a sustainable fashion boutique, with clothing items sourced from ethical producers. “I wanted to align purchasing power with my values and test out the hypothesis that other women were interested in that as well,” said Richardson on her dream of creating a space for women to shop and buy ethically.

After Richardson graduated with her degree in mechanical engineering, she moved into working for various firms in an engineering position. She continued working toward a point where she could open her sustainable boutique, but then focusing on gaining professional experience, financial stability, and better knowledge of the market and business creation before taking a bold leap into starting her own business.

In 2019, after several years building her professional career, she decided to take that bold leap. This was no small risk for Richardson. To successfully start her boutique, she had to personally finance her business. Bank loans and grants aren’t given to nonexistent or starting businesses, so her commitment to starting Ecodessa meant betting her own and her community’s savings and income upon her own success. “The hardest part was mindset,” recalled Richardson. “How much of this idea do I believe in to finance on my own?”

In just two years she made her way from popups and obtaining LLC status to a brick-and-mortar business in downtown Syracuse, and her belief in her own ability to succeed validated itself. For Richardson, the building of her business was not merely success, but it was a commitment to her values and freedom to make choices in response to those values. “I stepped away from my career to re-align myself with my values and what I saw as financial freedom.” Her creation of an environment where individuals had the purchasing power to choose sustainably, ethically sourced items instead of items with negative production consequences was the fulfillment of her own values to choose sustainability and follow her lifelong dream.

Today, a quick trip to 312 South Salina Street in downtown Syracuse is a step into a world of beauty. The carefully curated collection of jewelry, accessories, clothing, shoes, and much more is more than just stylish or aesthetic, but actively contributes to the creation of an ethical, sustainable fashion industry. The power of Ecodessa lies in their culture of fashion as industry not simply commercial, but a celebration of art and human creativity.

“Garment makers make beautiful works of art- someone actually poured their heart and energy into a piece.” Said Richardson. At Ecodessa, clothing purchases contribute to art, creators, and care of the earth.

Story by Claire Howard ’23, LaunchPad Global Fellow.

Charlie Zeeve ’22 on Crypto ‘Cuse and making cryptocurrency accessible and understandable for all

October 21, 2021

A broadcast digital journalism major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and spanish minor, Charlie Zeeve ’22 plays an important role in educating students on blockchain as the secretary of the new Crypto ‘Cuse club. While Zeeve might not strike you as a crypto junkie, this only speaks to the larger aspects of the cryptocurrency market which makes the field so intriguing. You don’t need a tech or finance background to succeed in the market. All you need is passion and curiosity.

Zeeve, an avid sports fan with ambitions of becoming a sports journalist, wanted to expand his portfolio of expertise beyond the realm of communications. After initially learning about the cryptocurrency market while in high school, Zeeve began familiarizing himself with the space and digging into smart contracts and NFT’s in 2019. Zeeve became more immersed in the market in 2020. Building upon his communications background and love for current events, he started scavenging the internet for crypto articles in order to better understand how the news will affect the market. What he finds most fascinating about this research is trying to piece together the overall psychology of the market.

Zeeve attributes a lot of the club’s early success to its president Catherine Forrest and vice president Zach Goldstein. After becoming more invested in the space, Zeeve joined the club this past summer and hit the ground running to help craft the club’s vision for this upcoming school year.

Nested at the Blackstone LaunchPad in Bird Library, Crypto ‘Cuse educates Syracuse University students in cryptocurrency, DeFi, NFT’s, and blockchain. At the core, Crypto ‘Cuse makes investing in cryptocurrency easier to understand and more accessible to all students, no matter their experience. Through a series of workshops, lectures, and projects, Zeeve and the rest of the Crypto ‘Cuse e-board emphasize interactive experiences to get all members involved during meetings. Crypto ‘Cuse recently expanded into the world of NFT’s.

Through Crypto Kitties—a game centered around breedable and collectible NFT creatures—they created “Annabel the Crypto ‘Cuse Kitty” as a Crypto Cuse mascot. Annabel is based on a real cat who is part of the Crypto ‘Cuse family — industry advisor Phil McKnight and his dad, iSchool professor Lee McKnight. Annabel achieved icon status when Linda Hartsock, Crypto ‘Cuse advisor and director of the LaunchPad, cat-sat her for a few weeks, capturing her daily adventures on camera for the McKnight family and solidifying her cat celebrity status.

CryptoCuse provides resources to help students get started when building their crypto portfolios. On the club’s website, students can find in-depth instructions on how to set up a Meta Mask wallet. Meta Mask is a very fast and secure decentralized wallet. It allows you to buy things like NFT’s through the Ethereum network that you would not be able to purchase on other exchanges like Coinbase. A lot of club members use Meta Mask and love it.

Fascinated by the future of cryptocurrency exchanges and DeFi, Zeeve is eager to see how society will react to the further integration of blockchain in the future. He is most curious about the influence that China will have on the cryptocurrency market through laws and regulations. Zeeve believes that, while there will always be setbacks in the space—whether a specific coin or the overall market—cryptocurrency is here to stay and will continue to increase in importance.

While the club does not give financial advice, Zeeve stressed long-term growth and avoiding the craze around short-term gains. The club likes to say that “this is an accumulation game.”

If you’re new to the crypto landscape, Zeeve recommends a few different places to get yourself more familiar with the space. He strongly suggests reading various newspapers such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes to gain a firmer understanding of the broader markets. Coindesk.com is a great resource for crypto-specific resources, articles, and current events. However, above all, Zeeve says that students can do a lot of their initial learning through YouTube. Some YouTubers such as Coinskid—who has over 230,000 subscribers—provide in-depth technical analysis.

You might also find yourself overwhelmed by the many coins available for purchase. Zeeve mentioned that some coins to look out for include Cardano, Maddick (Polygon), and Helium. He also mentioned that XRP has potential, but proceed with caution when looking at this coin as it is not available for purchase on Coinbase and other exchanges due to recent fraud allegations by the SEC.

Zeeve praised Hartsock for her help throughout this process of launching Crypto ‘Cuse. She has been instrumental in many ways such as assisting with industry and alumni connections, outreach and creating awareness for the club.

Zeeve cannot wait to see what awaits Crypto ‘Cuse in the future, and big things are already on the horizon for the club. Zeeve stresses that, no matter your background, Crypto ‘Cuse welcomes all students as the club places an emphasis on networking within the space and fostering a collaborative learning community.

Crypto ‘Cuse meets each Friday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Blackstone LaunchPad in Bird Library and new members are always welcome.

Use the scan code below to join.

Story by Selim Dangoor ’23, LaunchPad Global Fellow; photo supplied

Nikita Chatterjee ’20 continues her entrepreneurial journey with PAANI

October 21, 2021

Nikita Chatterjee ‘20 saw her grandmother boiling buckets and buckets of water when she visited her in Mumbai, India. Confused, Chatterjee asked her what she was doing. Her grandmother explained that she was purifying the water since water there does not have the same health safety as in New Jersey, where Chatterjee grew up. That was when Chatterjee realized that water contamination is a reality for millions of people in India. She continues to work on solving that challenge — first as a student at Syracuse University and now as a young alum pursuing a career in public health.

Water in India is often contaminated with industry pollution or body contamination. The experience impacted Chatterjee to the point that she wanted to be a part of the solution, in helping women in India, and people in developing countries, help access clean drinkable water.

Chatterjee believes that clean water is a human right. As an Economics student in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, as well as premedical student, Chatterjee was focused on both business strategy and healthcare. As she developed her skill sets, she focused on creating a solution that could have an impact, while being sensitive to local culture.

First world solutions are not always the best option for a developing country. Water filtration devices can be expensive to purchase, cumbersome to use, and often abandoned over time because of complexity and cost.

Chatterjee noticed that women in India and Bangladesh have been using their saris to filter their waters for a long time. With this concept, Chatterjee had an idea for PAANI – an affordable and culturally sensitive refined water filtration system embedded in a sari.

The filter is made of georgette. The fabric is used in Bangladesh to filter water already and research has proven that the process helps prevents against cholera up to 50%. The porosity and longevity of georgette is what makes it the perfect fabric for water filtration.

As an added advantage, since PAANI uses natural fabrics, there are no artificial dyes to leak into the water.

An updated design of the filter that be featured on the PANNI website soon. There will be pod-sized pockets that are inserted in the georgette filled with different disinfectants. They are arranged so that when the fabric is folded over, the built-in filtration fits together like a puzzle. The fabric can then be placed over a water collection vessel and water could be poured over it to be filtered.

PAANI is targeting specific bacteria that causes waterborne illnesses like cholera, typhoid fevers and dengue fevers that comes from mosquito eggs.

Chatterjee joined the Blackstone LaunchPad, located in the Syracuse University Libraries at the Bird Library, during her junior year of school. The Blackstone LaunchPad has been a resource for her especially by connecting her to many people who could help achieve her vision for PAANI. She was also a part of Invent SU and won the first prize for PAANI in 2019.

She has continued her journey after graduation and has remained in touch with the LaunchPad as a young alum still working on her venture idea. She is also working full-time in the health care industry in a role that bridges business, health and health care training, the goal she established during her academic career. Being a founder allows her to blaze a career path as a public health innovator while also working on her venture pursuit.

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