The Blackstone LaunchPad and Techstars program at Syracuse University is pleased to welcome new LaunchPad student team members who will serve as mentors and subject matter experts, and work with the LaunchPad to expand outreach and engagement, particularly related to innovation, diversity and inclusion. The search committee for the 2020 – 2021 LaunchPad student team included our 2019 – 2020 former student team of Rubin Family Innovation Mentors and Global Fellows — Alec Gillinder ’20, Matt Shumer ’22, Nick Barba ’20, Quinn King ’20, Victoria Lawson ’20, Will DeVito ’20, David Fox ’19 and Kelsey Davis ’19 and G ’20.
Meet the new 2020 – 2021 student team here. It includes Global Fellows, Rubin Family Innovation Mentors, Orange Ambassadors, Todd B. Rubin Diversity and Inclusion Scholars, Hunter Brooks Watson Scholars and a Syracuse University Hult Prize Campus Ambassador.
Rubin Family Innovation Mentors serve as peer advisors to a portfolio of student startups, coaching them on strategy and venture development. They are funded through a generous gift from the Rubin Family Foundation.
2020 – 20201 Rubin Family Innovation Mentors include:
- Emma Rothman ’21, Falk College, food studies
- Patrick Prioletti G’21 iSchool, graduate program, applied data sciencce
- Sam Hollander ’22, Whitman, finance and Newhouse, advertising dual major
- James LePage ’22 Whitman, real estate
- Bruno Luiz G ’22, iSchool, graduate program, applied data science
LaunchPad Global Fellows are subject matter experts in various disciplines such as engineering, software and data management, industrial and interaction design and product development, graphic design, web design, UX-UI, all forms of digital media and content development, as well as marketing, sales and finance.
2020 – 2021 LaunchPad Global Fellows include:
- Claire Howard ’23, Maxwell, economics and international relations
- Emily Pearson ’21, VPA, environmental and interior design
- Patrick Linehan ‘21, Arts and Sciences, newspaper and on-line journalism and policy studies
- Sloane Sexton ’21, VPA, communications design
- Hanna Seraji G’22, iSchool, library and information science
- Chris Appello ’21, Newhouse, advertising
Orange Ambassadors, funded through a generous gift from Todd B. Rubin ’04 School of Architecture, Minister of Evolution and President of the Republic of Tea, compliment the skills sets of our Global Fellows, supporting outreach and engagement with entrepreneurial students across campus.
2020 – 2021 Orange Ambassadors include:
- Sam Hollander ’22, Whitman, finance and Newhouse, advertising dual major
- Justin Diaz ’23, College of Engineering and Computer Science, civil engineering
- Russell Fearon ’19 and ‘G22, College of Engineering and Computer Science, mechanical engineering
- Alesandra (Sasha) Temerte ’22, Arts and Sciences, economics, writing and rhetoric
- Ellen Jorgensen ‘’23, Arts and Sciences, earth sciences
- Jackson Ensley ’22, Whitman, marketing management
- Season Chowdhury ’23, College of Engineering and Computer Science, computer science
- James Rudman ’21, iSchool, information management and technology
- Krishna Pamidi ’21, Whitman, finance
- Zain Edeen Elwakil ’21, School of Architecture
Todd B. Rubin Innovation and Diversity Scholars, also funded through a generous gift from Rubin, work to broaden diversity and inclusion outreach and programming, expand participation in entrepreneurship by underrepresented groups and support the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
2020 – 2021 Todd R. Rubin Innovation and Diversity Scholars include:
- Tyra Ambroise Jean G ’21, Maxwell, public policy
- Gabriela Holliman-Lopez ’22, VPA, communications and rhetorical studies
Hunter Brooks Watson Scholars are supported through a generous gift from the Hunter Watson Memorial Fund. It is Inspired by Syracuse University’s Remembrance Scholar program, and was established as a way to honor the life and entrepreneurial spirit of Hunter Brooks Watson, a Syracuse University student who passed away after injuries suffered in a tragic 2016 distracted driving car accident. The Syracuse University Hunter Brooks Watson Scholar peer mentors students and builds the pipeline of innovative students who exemplify the “spirit of entrepreneurship.”
The 2020 – 2021 Hunter Brooks Watson Scholar is:
- Emma Rothman ’21, Falk College, food studies
The Syracuse University Hult Prize Campus Ambassador helps organize the campus Hult Prize competition at Syracuse University. It is part of a global competition that is often referred to as the “Nobel Prize” of student impact entrepreneurship.
The 2020 – 2021 Syracuse University Hult Prize Campus Ambassador is:
- Claire Howard ’23, Maxwell, economics and international relations
Together, the LaunchPad team provides multi-disciplinary skill sets and expansive services to help all members of the Syracuse University community explore innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, and build professional and personal skill sets to succeed.
“The Libraries is grateful to Todd for his continued support for Syracuse University’s innovation hub and encouraging diversity and inclusion,” said David Seaman, Dean of Syracuse University Libraries and University Librarian. “The LaunchPad is an incubation environment for students from 116 countries around the world to grow and flourish. It provides experiential opportunities for innovative students to interact with a variety of people from different backgrounds, with different interests, from all the academic disciplines across campus. This type of learning significantly compliments what they learn in a classroom, helping them understand how to become thoughtful and engaged citizens and change-makers.”