LaunchPad entrepreneurs, rocket scientists, go to GSEA regional finals

Charlie and Kayla go NASA

Kayla Simon ’19, cofounder of Syracuse University student startup In-Spire, won second prize in the U.S. – Western NY regionals of The Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s (EO)  Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA).  Charles Keppler, ’18 G ’19, cofounder of FibreFree, was also a top finalist in the competition which is open to student entrepreneurs who are actively launching a venture and pursuing a degree.  Simon and Keppler are both rocket scientists and entrepreneurs, as well as alumni of the Invent@SU program.  Both are aerospace engineers in the College of Engineering and Computer Science

Kayla Simon

The U.S. – Western NY regional competition was held in Buffalo in November.  Six teams from applicants across Upstate New York competed in the qualifier, which was one of similar competitions playing out at more than 100 locations around the world.  Fifty finalists were selected to advance to the Global Finals. With more than 1,700 competitors from over 30 countries each year, EO GSEA is an exclusive opportunity for student entrepreneurs to make connections, find resources, and grow their businesses.

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is a global business network of more than 12,000 leading entrepreneurs in 160 global chapters.  Founded in 1987 by a group of young entrepreneurs, EO enables business owners to learn from each other, leading to greater business success and an enriched personal life.  EO offers resources in the form of global events, leadership-development programs, peer-to-peer learning, an online entrepreneur forum, executive education opportunities, and connections to experts.

Both Simon and Keppler are members of the Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars at SU Libraries and alumni of the Invent@SU program.