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Traci Geisler Presents at KUGLi Innovation Summit

Syracuse, New York, August 27, 2024 – Traci Geisler, director of Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad (LaunchPad), presented a keynote address and served as an entrepreneurship competition judge at the first ever Kenya-USA Global Launchpad Initiative (KUGLi) Innovation Summit, held at Kibabii University in Bungoma, Kenya on Augst 17, 2024. The KUGLi Summit was the culmination of a technology innovation and entrepreneurship program focused on fostering multi-national ventures among science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) students to address global issues through entrepreneurship and creative opportunities.

The program was started in the winter and spring of 2024 by Dr. Churchill Saoke with support from the U.S. Embassy to promote entrepreneurialism and facilitate partnerships between Kenyan universities and Syracuse University. Throughout the winter and spring, 131 students from Kenya and the United States participated in virtual and hybrid training sessions focused on identifying unexploited areas for micro-multinational ventures using STEAM-focused solutions. Syracuse University student entrepreneurs in the LaunchPad partnered with Kenyan student entrepreneurs to advance several Kenyan student ventures. The Kenyan entrepreneurs were also invited to participate in virtual support and services from Syracuse’s LaunchPad, including one on one advisory sessions with Traci Geisler, participation in LaunchPad workshops and presentations, and entrepreneurship ideation classes offered by Professor Bruce Kingma (School of Information Studies).

The culmination of that budding partnership resulted in the invitation to Geisler to deliver a keynote speech at the Summit in Kenya to student entrepreneurs from at least eight universities. The Summit was also attended by Drew Giblin, the USA cultural attaché in Nairobi; Bungoma County Deputy Governor Jannipher Mbatiany; university officials and faculty from Kabibii University, JKUAT University and Great Lakes University of Kisumu; and other business leaders. Geisler spoke to the entrepreneurs about how to avoid and address cash flow problems, market misalignment, and team communication challenges during the initial growth phase of a startup. Geisler and other Kenyan subject matter experts also participated in the judging panel for the 14 student teams’ business pitches.

“The project is an intensive experience training of U.S. and Kenyan university students to develop micro-multinational ventures that employ entrepreneurial solutions to address and resolve global issues,” said Dr. Saoke

The students’ business venture ideas addressed social impact initiatives and “wicked” problems, such as infant malnutrition, financial illiteracy, plastic pollution, water scarcity, inadequate markets for local produce, teen pregnancy, food insecurity and crime, among others.

About Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad

The Blackstone LaunchPad is Syracuse University’s innovation hub, connecting the campus resource-rich ecosystem with a global network that provides support for aspiring entrepreneurs, inventors and creators. The program serves faculty, staff, students and recent alumni across all disciplines who are interested in entrepreneurship, venture creation and innovation careers. The program supports a key pillar of Syracuse University’s academic strategic plan to give students experiential opportunities that help prepare them to be trailblazers in an entrepreneurial world.

Trey Augliano ’27 Named 2024-2025 Intelligence ++ Innovation Scholar

Trey Augliano ’27, Martin J. Whitman School of Management, has selected by SU Libraries as its inaugural Intelligence ++ Innovation Scholar for the 2024-2025 academic year. This prestigious recognition highlights Augliano’s dedication to innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly working with diverse communities.

Intelligence ++ is an innovative, interdisciplinary initiative at Syracuse University focused on inclusive entrepreneurship, design, and community. It is a partnership between SU Libraries, the College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Design and InclusiveU, a program of the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education. Intelligence ++ is supported through a generous donation by Gianfranco Zaccai ’70 H’09 and the Zaccai Foundation for Augmented Intelligence.

Auglianois studying entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises, and is the founder of Flamingo Brands, a global e-commerce company. During the past academic year, he served as an Orange Innovation Scholar for SU Libraries and worked with the Blackstone LaunchPad and Couri Hatchery as a tech commercialization specialist. He was a member of the student steering committee for the inaugural ‘CUSE50 program. He previously interned as an angel investment portfolio manager at Shaw Harbor Holdings (SHH), where he worked alongside the founder and CEO. SHH is a group of companies operating as a private equity and asset management firm that acquires assets directly and through joint ventures.

The Intelligence ++ Innovation Scholar will assist with Intelligence ++ Ventures, a funding program to help students across campus commercialize products, services and technologies that support people with intellectual disability or who are neurodivergent. The Intelligence ++ Scholar serves as a peer mentor to students from across all disciplines and academic units to help bring their ideas to life and also engages with SU alumni who are innovators in this field who can serve as subject matter experts.

Orange Innovation Fund Fall 2024 Grant Applications Open

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Syracuse University Libraries is accepting Fall 2024 applications for the Orange Innovation Fund grant now through Friday, September 27, 2024 by 5 pm. Interested applicants should plan to attend one of the information and proposal/grant writing workshops being held on September 10, 11 or 12th.

The Orange Innovation Fund supports student research initiatives emerging from campus innovation programs. The grant ‘concept to commercialization’ fund is designed to help move graduate and undergraduate student research or scholarly projects from ideation to proof of concept to commercialization. Initial funding from the program came from a gift to SU Libraries from Raj-Ann Rekhi Gill ‘98, a member of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees.

Grants up to $5,000 per award will be made, with a total of up to $50,000 per academic year based on the merit of applications. A fall 2024 Orange Innovation Fund fact sheet can be found here. The application template can be found here.

The program is administered through Syracuse University Libraries, in collaboration with the University’s research and commercialization programs such as the Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE), the Blackstone LaunchPad, Couri Hatchery, Invent@SU, NEXIS, the Innovation Law Center, the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps program at Syracuse, Intelligence ++, Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental Energy Systems, the Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering at Syracuse University (NYSTAR designated Center for Advanced Technology) and the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Applicants can also come directly through research classes, labs or independent study programs across the University.

Student applicants must identify specific tangible needs related to the product, service, technology or creative work they are developing. Grants will support defined projects over a clear timeframe with identified outcomes that will help move a research project or innovative venture toward proof of concept toward commercialization.

A prerequisite to applying is attendance at one of the proposal writing workshops being offered by Linda Dickerson Hartsock, advisor, strategic initiatives Syracuse University Libraries, and former founding director of the Blackstone LaunchPad. Students should attend one of the following workshops to create a successful application. Dickerson Hartsock is also available to help coach applicants through the process and can be scheduled for sessions on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons by emailing ldhart01@syr.edu.

  • Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 3 to 4 p.m. in Blackstone LaunchPad, Bird Library 120
  • Wednesday September 11, 2024, 3 to 4 p.m. in Couri Hatchery, Whitman Room 116
  • Thursday, September 12, 2024, 3 to 4 p.m. Hybrid in Bird Library or via Zoom

Applications are due Friday, September 27, 2024, by 5 p.m. to Syracuse University Libraries. For a link to the application or to register for a workshop, please e-mail orangeinnovation@syr.edu to indicate your interest in the program.

Following a cross-campus committee review process, announcements and award letters will be made in October.

Congratulations to the student teams who were the Spring 2024 winners of Orange Innovation Fund awards.

For more information: OrangeInnovation@syr.edu

Photo caption: Whitman MBA student Natasha Brao received Orange Innovation funding to help formulate and produce Shooka Sauce (shookasauce.com), now available on line and in retail markets.

Registration Open for National Science Foundation I-Corps Innovation Course

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Syracuse University will host a free, virtual U.S. National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corps) regional course this fall. The program is designed for STEM researchers and early-stage startups who are interested in exploring the market potential of their work and learning valuable entrepreneurial skills.

Participants will learn how to take innovation from the lab to the market, and to position themselves for future funding through grants and private investment.

Registration is now open through August 7.  The course is open to all faculty, postdoc, doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students, as well as community researchers, especially those working with universities. Teams from all Northeast universities and community-based incubators and accelerators are also encouraged to apply.

The virtual course will run Sept. 9 – Oct. 2 (with course pre-work beginning August 30). Is being taught by Syracuse University NSF-trained instructors, and is being offered free of charge through SU as a partner in the Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps).

The program is funded by the NSF, and the Interior Northeast consortium includes Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Buffalo, University of Pittsburgh, University of Rochester, University of Vermont, and West Virginia University. The Hub is part of the National Innovation Network, connecting researchers, entrepreneurial communities and federal agencies to help commercialize research.

The virtual course combines self-directed online learning activities with Zoom-based class meetings and one-on-one instructor mentoring. Any sufficiently developed tech innovation team (beyond ideation stage) is welcome to apply. The course teaches teams how to identify target customer segments, find their value proposition, conduct customer discovery and formulate a more effective product-market fit. Teams present their findings for feedback and learn about the national I-Corps program and various other tech commercialization grant opportunities.

Course Dates

  • Course opens for pre-course work: Friday, August 30, 2024
  • Session 1: Monday, September 9 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
  • Session 2a: Wednesday, September 11, individualized coaching
  • Session 2b: Friday, September 13 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
  • Session 3: Monday, September 16 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
  • Session 4: Wednesday, September 18, individualized coaching
  • Session 5a: Wednesday, September 25 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
  • Session 5b: Monday, September 30 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
  • Session 6: Wednesday, October 2 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Read more about Syracuse University’s participation in the new IN I-Corps Consortium and its $15 million STEM innovation program.

For additional information:

Jeff Fuchsberg, CASE: jrfuchsb@syr.edu

Cristiano Bellavitis, Whitman School of Management: crbellav@syr.edu

Linda Dickerson-Hartsock, SU Libraries: ldhart01@syr.edu

2024 ACC InVenture iPrize Winner

Katy Arrons-winner of ACC Inventor
Katy Arrons ’24 first runner up in the ACC InVenture

Syracuse University’s entrepreneurial spirit shone brightly as Katy Arons won top honors at the 2024 ACC InVenture Prize Campus Qualifier, hosted by the Blackstone LaunchPad at SU Libraries.

Arons delivered an engaging and persuasive pitch, highlighting the critical role of her venture in revolutionizing conversations about consent and intimacy. She impressed a distinguished panel of judges, including Russ Fearon, Yvonne Hyland, Dr. Yunpeng Li, Aidan Mickleburgh, Ryan Pleskach, Phahsa Ras, Dana Scherzi, and Noah Mechnig-Giordano. Moreover, their diverse backgrounds in innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology added depth to the evaluation process, providing Katy with invaluable insights and validation of her impactful work.

Katy embarked on her journey to develop Continual Consent—a platform aimed at educating and empowering young adults about sexual consent and domestic violence—with a vision to address a glaring gap in sexual education in public and private school systems around the country. Her tenure as an Analyst at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. solidified her work ethic and honed her market research skills, further contributing to her entrepreneurial journey.

As Katy prepares to represent Syracuse University on the national stage at the ACC InVenture Finals in Florida this March, the LaunchPad community firmly supports her, inspired by her innovation, determination, and pursuit of making a meaningful difference in the sexual health and safety of young adults.

Congratulations, Katy, on your well-deserved victory. In conclusion, we eagerly anticipate your continued success as you take Continual Consent to new heights and leave your mark on a national platform.

2024 ACC InVenture Deadline 01/25/24

Aidan Mickleburgh, a Syracuse alum and previous ACC Inventure Prize Second Place winner
Aidan Mickleburgh, a Syracuse alum and previous ACC Inventure Prize Second Place winner

Applications are officially OPEN for this year’s ACC InVenture Prize competition! Act fast because applications close this Thursday 01.25! CLICK HERE TO APPLY The winner of the Syracuse University competition will receive an expense paid trip to compete in the ACC InVenture Prize finals from March 26-28 in Tallahassee, FL. The televised finals feature one team from each of the 15 colleges and universities in the ACC Academic Consortium who compete for $30,000 in prizes.

Teams selected from the applicant pool will compete in the live pitch Syracuse qualifier on Thursday, February 1, from 4 – 6 pm in Bird Library. Don’t miss the opportunity—submit your application before it’s too late!

ALL applicants are encouraged to join pitch workshops starting Wednesday, January 24th, from Noon-1 p.m. Led by Aidan Mickleburgh, a Syracuse alum and ACC Inventure Prize Second Place winner, and Linda Hartsock, previous director of the Blackstone LaunchPad. Virtual workshops on Jan 30 (6-8 p.m.) and in-person practice pitches on Jan 31 (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.) at Bird Library.

Competitive applications cover technology or research in areas like agriculture, biology, life sciences, medical, climate, consumer electronics, education, finance, sports, hardware, software, AI, VR, big data, autonomous devices, robotics, advanced materials, IoT, 5G, etc.

Open to undergraduates or recent degree holders (within the past year) who are original creators, inventors, or owners of the intellectual property. Teams with revenue or funding over $100,000 are ineligible. Qualifier finalists can apply for LaunchPad Innovation Fund grants and Orange Innovation Fund grants.

Applications are now open for ‘Cuse Tank 2023

Dean David Seaman hands a prize check to Selim Dangoor, founder of MUNCH Jerky, at ’Cuse Tank 2021.

The Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University is pleased to present ‘Cuse Tank as a featured event during Family Weekend. Join us Friday, November 3 at 12:00 p.m.

What: Cuse Tank student startup prize competition sponsored by the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University Libraries as part of Family Weekend. The event features top student ventures pitching to parent judges who are innovators and entrepreneurs. An impressive prize package from parent donors will be awarded to the winners.

Where: Peter Graham (Room 114) at Bird Library, with pitches occurring in various rooms. Judges will be in person.

When: Friday, November 3, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Who: The competition is open to all SU students across all academic majors who are creating innovative new products, services and technologies in exciting industry sectors. Apply here before Friday, October 27 at 11:59 p.m.

Event description: ‘Cuse Tank is a “Shark Tank” style pitch competition open to all SU students across all academic majors who are creating innovative new products, services and technologies in exciting industry sectors. Prize funding helps take the most promising ideas through next steps from concept to commercialization. How successful is ‘Cuse Tank? In the past five years, Syracuse University LaunchPad students have gone on to raise $50 million in competition follow-up funding to start and scale their business ventures. In fact, a 2017 LaunchPad alum scored a $1 million deal from the Sharks this past season. Others have gone on to become leading innovators at companies like Virgin Galactic and more. Catch a rising rock star at this year’s ‘Cuse Tank!

It is being organized by LaunchPad Innovation Mentor, Sai Bolla G’24, School of Information Studies, Information Systems.

About Family Weekend 2021: Family Weekend will be held Nov. 3-5 and registration information will be shared this summer on the Parent and Family Services website. Loved ones are encouraged to participate in a host of programs that showcase daily life for Syracuse University students.

Are you a parent who would love to mentor or be judge? We’d love to hear from you. Here’s a simple way to let us know: e-mail us at: LaunchPad@syr.edu

Join Alan Rosenhoch for an October 12 Fireside Chat on Impact Entrepreneurship


Alan Rosenhoch, Managing Director of Endeavor Western New York (EWNY), an affiliate office
of Endeavor Global, the leading global community for high-impact entrepreneurs, will be the
featured speaker at a Fireside Chat on Thursday, October 12 from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. at Bird
Library, Room 004, in partnership with Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and
Blackstone LaunchPad at SU Libraries. Attend the chat and learn about impact
entrepreneurship and its role in transforming local economies. Register here

EWNY identifies and selects the top entrepreneurs in and around Buffalo, Rochester, and
Upstate NY, providing curated connections into its global network of deeply experienced
entrepreneurs, mentors, and capital providers. These invaluable resources and connections
accelerate their growth and provide them a platform to pay-it-forward, thereby multiplying their
impact in their ecosystem.

Prior to EWNY, Alan spent 12 years in business development for Invest Buffalo Niagara, the
private, non-profit business attraction organization, driving job growth and capital investment in
the eight-county Buffalo Niagara region. He studied political science and sociology at the
University of Toronto, before pursuing his MBA at the University at Buffalo. Alan is an avid fan of
the Buffalo Bills and Sabres, enjoys playing competitive soccer and traveling. He lives in Buffalo
with his wife and two young daughters.

Organized by Azadeh Tajdar (PhD), Professor of Practice in Community Impact at Syracuse
University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Sarah Schreiber ’26 (Maxwell), Syracuse
University LaunchPad Global Fellow and Hult Prize Campus Director for 2023-2024

Syracuse University Blackstone LaunchPad Freelance and Small Business Challenge Returns on Friday, October 13

The Syracuse University Blackstone LaunchPad Freelance and Small Business Competition returns on Friday, October 13 from 12:00 – 2:30 p.m. with $2,000 in prize funding. Open to all designers, creators, producers, artisans, and small business owners to apply here before Friday, October 6.

This competition is specifically designed for students who are building a career or side hustle providing services or creating products. The competition will be judged in two different categories: Freelancing and Small Business. Freelancing includes individuals specializing in services such as graphic design, web development, videography, photography, software development, writing, and any other professional service. Small Business focuses on artisans hoping to sell their artwork, craft, and creations of all forms. 

The application asks students to submit a link to their portfolio or photo examples of their work.

The competition asks students to present a 4-minute pitch of their business, focusing on their previous work and the unique value they bring to their product or service market. While competitors are not required to have an established business before entering in the competition, they are expected to show previous work. Competitors will be asked to present a plan for the awarded funds in the case of winning the competition.

Judges will pick winners based on categories of professionalism, targeted market focus, portfolio, creative ability, and unique market value. There will be a total of four winners: first place prize of $1,000, second place prize of $500, third place prize of $400, and a fan favorite prize of $250.

Applications close for the competition on Friday, October 6. The application can be submitted here, and further competition information will be forwarded to all applicants. Please visit the LaunchPad on the first floor of Bird Library if you would like mentorship while preparing your executive summary or pitch. 

For any additional information or questions please contact competition organizer, Christy Ying Liu ’24 (Maxwell) at cliu124@syr.edu.

The LaunchPad is the university’s resource center and accelerator for students looking to pursue owning their own business or building a side hustle. We warmly welcome all student freelancers and artisans to enter the Freelance & Small Business Competition for a chance to showcase their talent and receive funding for their future. 

Sarah Schreiber ’26 named Syracuse University Hult Prize campus ambassador and competition director for 2023-2024

The Hult Prize.

It’s an amazing business plan competition that challenges an international community of young innovators to solve the world’s most pressing issues through social entrepreneurship. Every year, one team walks away with $1 million in funding to make their idea a reality. And this year, Sarah Schreiber ’26 will be filling the role of campus ambassador and competition director at Syracuse University as she supports our own student innovators in preparation for the campus qualifier held concurrent with the Impact Prize on November 15, 2023.

Sarah, a LaunchPad Global Fellow and a student of International Relations at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, possesses a passion for international culture that far surpasses the routine studies of her degree program. This interest sprouted in high school when she had the opportunity to take her first Spanish class, and she’s been enamored with learning about people and places across the globe ever since.

Sarah’s first international adventure came about when she seized an opportunity to take an expenses-paid gap year in Germany through a prestigious scholarship program. There, she was able to pause and reflect on her nail-biting, all-or-nothing approach that she’d previously maintained in regard to her academics.

“What people describe as slow living in America is just life in Germany,” Sarah says. “The people there work hard, but it’s not as money-driven as it is here. They take plenty of time to enjoy their families, friends, and hobbies too.”

Through conversations with locals and numerous other experiences abroad, Sarah also started to realize how much larger the world was than Virginia Beach—her home, which she humorously describes as “almost the South, but not quite the South”—and this excited her. It excited her so much, in fact, that she began her freshman fall semester in Florence, Italy through the SU Discovery Program, an opportunity which provides an international foundation to students looking to expand their academic and professional options, foreign language proficiency, and comprehension of global politics and issues.

Between her studies, her international experience, and her role as a virtual SAT tutor for students in Mexico, Sarah couldn’t be a better fit for this honor. After all, there are few U.S. teenagers who are able to say that they gave a full-length presentation in German whilst in Dresden. One of her favorite credos is, “if I can do it in German, then I can do it in English.”

Sarah first found out about the Hult Prize when she returned from Florence in the spring of 2023. At first, she felt that she’d missed the bus on involvement opportunities, but that was until she befriended a LaunchPad alumna, Sasha Temerte ‘23—the Hult Prize ambassador and director for 2022-2023—who visited one of her classes that semester and encouraged her to stop by. It was at the LaunchPad where Sarah also met Claire Howard ‘23—the Hult Prize ambassador and director for 2020-2021—and the two of them quickly bonded over their interests in international relations and German.

That same semester, Sarah followed in the mentorship of her two new friends and was able to accompany Tree-Spun, the winning team of the Hult Prize qualifier, to the quarterfinals in Boston. While she was there, she watched as many pitches as she could and found herself deeply engaged in the rich, academic conversations being held between the judges and the competitors talking about their businesses.

“This is an incredible community to be a part of,” Sarah says. “The people drawn to it are international, so you will definitely learn about new cultures. They have ideas and plans to do good in this world, and they are such kind and genuine people. It also provides you with so many valuable connections. I can’t say enough good things about it. It’s really incredible.”

Sarah hopes to feel just as inspired by the competition this time around, and it’s a really good year for inspiration.

In the past, the Hult Prize has limited its competitors to create social enterprises that address specific topics, such as clean energy, early childhood education, or sustainable food production. But in celebration of the Hult Prize’s 15th anniversary, this year’s theme is “UNLIMITED!” Meaning, you can pitch any idea you want, as long as it’s world-changing and aligns with at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

If you’re interested in applying to this year’s Hult Prize, learning more about the specific rules and regulations, or learning more about the SDGs, you can visit the website here.

Syracuse University on-campus applications will open later this Fall.

Story by Jack Rose ’24, LaunchPad Global Fellow