Jack Lyons

Vaishnavi Varma ’21 uses sentiment analysis to improve social media health

As humans, we are in constant “go mode.” We are continuously transitioning from doing work, to going to class, to checking social media without taking a moment to take a deep breath and become mindful of what we are doing. Particularly, as technology has progressed over the past decade, we are taking in more information than ever without taking a second to realize what we are reading and how it is affecting our well-being.

Over quarantine, Vaishnavi Varma, a senior majoring in Physics from Abu Dhabi, began to realize the toll that her media consumption was taking on her mental health after finding the meditation app Headspace. She says, “I really like meditation because it’s not super time-consuming and it helps me become more aware of my emotions.”

Through meditation, she was able to realize how much her social media use was impacting her. Varma says it “was difficult to find a balance because when I would go completely off social media, I felt super disconnected, but I also noticed the negative effect it had when I was on it too often.”

She wanted to create an application that helped social media users realize what they were consuming and how it was affecting them. As an intern at Bank of America, Varma learned about an interesting subject called sentiment analysis, essentially how neutral, negative, or positive words were in any form of media. Using this newfound knowledge, she decided to create NewZone, an application that would be incorporated into your Instagram newsfeed and would tell you if content is rated positively, negatively, or neutral so users can be more aware of how their consumption is affecting their mental health. 

This is not Varma’s first idea as she’s had the entrepreneurial spirit ever since middle school. She says, “I’ve always done small business here and there… I’ve been upcycling old jeans since middle school… I think it really helps me explore my own creativity.” 

Varma says that she couldn’t have done this without the help from the Blackstone LaunchPad and Techstars at SU Libraries. She explains, “My idea was very new, and I came up with it during winter break, but I had very little direction.” With the help of her Rubin Family Innovation Mentor Sam Hollander, she was able to get insight into how to develop her idea. Varma said, “Sam was super helpful in asking the right questions to help guide me in the right direction and build a solid foundation of what I wanted my venture idea to be.” 

Varma will be working as a Business Technology Analyst at Bank of America after school but is excited to continue building out NewZone. She says, “Social media has some great aspects but there needs to be some awareness surrounding it.”


If you want to learn more about NewZone check out its website.

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

Alex Don ’22 creates an audio-based social media app

Social media, in principle, is a tool for connection. Regardless of their location, users can connect with anyone across the world and share photos, videos, and a plethora of other types of content. But, as documentaries like the Social Dilemma reveal, because of social media’s influence on our lives, people have become skeptical on whether platforms like Instagram and Twitter a positive or negative force are. 

Alex Don, a junior studying both Marketing and EEE at the Whitman School of Management, is originally from Mountain View, California. He saw a huge flaw in the social media market. “Social media has been used and advertised incorrectly as a tool to promote an idealized self-image,” he says. “Instead of being a hindrance to connectivity, social media should be an outlet for healthy self-expression.”

That’s why he decided to create his own social media platform called CIRUS. CIRUS is an audio-based social media app where users get 90 seconds to create and share creative audio content. “We want to become the TikTok of podcasting and music,” Don says, “The best comparison I can give is the analogy of a TikTok of sound, as we are eliminating the visual aspect of social media.  We want to promote the users’ voice over an idealized image.”

Growing up in Taiwan, his entrepreneurial spirit emerged at a young age. “I curated the selling and trading of comics during middle school which helped me realize the value of entrepreneurship and helped me solidify that as a path I wanted to take.” 

As he got older, Don had the opportunity to intern at Regent Hotel where he fostered a love for marketing and more specifically, social media marketing. During his time at Regent, he grew the hotel’s Instagram following from 52 to 9,000 followers and he knew he had a knack for creating online communities. 

He started CIRUS with the idea of creating a business model that is effective yet distinct from other social media platforms. He says, “A lot of apps use an ad-based model, but everyone knows ads are annoying and disruptive.  I thought there was a better way to advertise.”

For CIRUS, Don wanted to use create an attention-based model. He says, “Rather than interrupting users’ attention in order to market to them, we want to capture our user’s attention through content they are listening to or creating on our app, and through direct marketing we will be able to direct our users’ attention to products that they are genuinely interested in, leading to a genuine buy.”

He recognizes how important content is in capturing a user’s attention especially in today’s society where people’s attention can get so fragmented.

Like with any startup, he and his team have encountered some challenges along the way, but he’s realized the value of obstacles and how they help you grow your business. He says, “At first there was some stagnation as I tried to get people to work with me, but I’ve learned it’s okay to go slow and build a plan so that your business can be more successful in the long run.”

Alex has competed in several campus competitions coordinated by the LaunchPad and is excited to continue to showcase CIRUS and its capabilities.

To learn more about CIRUS visit its website.

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

Jules Moskowitz ’21 creates a successful fashion business in quarantine

student looking at the camera

For a lot of people, the pandemic was a time to completely unwind, grab a bag of popcorn and watch endless amounts of Netflix. Jules Moskowitz, a senior studying advertising with a minor in sociology, decided to do what many others didn’t, take initiative. Noticing a popular fashion trend, Moskowitz realized she could create a business around the collar under sweatshirt look that has been popular for the past year. She says, “I’ve always loved street style and have wanted to create my own fashion line.” So, she started her company, Unfolded, from her personal quarantine at her home in Essex, New Jersey.

Unfolded Shop is an e-commerce store offering high-quality, unique items.  The collar allows people to create a new look with items already in their wardrobe. Unfolded has the ability to transform and outfit by adding a timeless touch. No matter your age, job, or lifestyle, Unfolded suits everyone.

“It started out as really a trial-and-error experience,” Moskowitz says, “I started out trying on rugby shirts under sweatshirts and figuring out what fits the best.” Her persistent experimentation led her to create multiple prototypes. “It took three to four times to finally get it right.”

After a lot of prototyping and figuring out what would work best, Moskowitz released her product for the world to see. When she first started, she had 18 sales and around 200 followers on Instagram, but little did she know how her company would explode. After connecting with an influencer on TikTok, Moskowitz’s Unfolded collar was included on a TikTok that racked up 1.4 million views. “We sold out that night,” she says, “I received 700 emails from customers on when my products would get restocked and if they could get a special order. I even received orders from Italy and Australia.”

Having never taken a marketing or entrepreneurship course in her life, Moskowitz was a little overwhelmed with the massive number of orders. She says, “I needed to fulfill tons of orders and I didn’t know how to work the logistics as well as keep in contact with people in Asia and New York while still being a full-time student.” She credits her mom for helping her with shipping and packaging as well as her LaunchPad Rubin Family Innovation Mentor, James LePage, for helping with all the logistics, as well as the website’s backend technology and analytics. 

When asked about why she thinks Unfolded grew to the level it is at now, Moskowitz says, “I think people resonate with the hard work and effort put into the product and its design. People are willing to buy new things if the clothing is comfortable and versatile.”

She notes that the collared shirt under a sweatshirt is usually a “bulky look” but with her fitted product, it gives customers a sleeker, yet comfortable feel. 

Looking forward, Moskowitz would love to continue working on Unfolded and see where she can go with it or work for an influencer in the fashion industry.

Check out Unfolded website for more information about a truly unique and captivating fashion product.

Instagram product photo:

photo of a sweatshirt with a collar shirt underneath

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

Alec O’del ’22 marks a year of growth along with a year of the pandemic

As the pandemic has been upon us for a little over a year, there has been one constant throughout the chaos, fear. It is no secret that the collective mental health of millions across the globe has been on the decline. Isolation paired with a global pandemic not to mention the normal stresses of everyday life has people feeling overwhelmed and scared.

Growing up in a household with a psychologist, Alec O-del learned techniques early on how to help him cope with fear. O-del, a junior dual majoring in entrepreneurship in the Whitman School of Management and information management and technology at the iSchool, credits his mother as someone who made mental health a priority from an early age. He says, “My mom has always said you need to take care of your mental health and she helped me do this through breathing techniques, journaling, and just being honest with myself when I’m not feeling okay.”

O-del grew up as an entrepreneur, starting his own chocolate company when he was just ten years old, but as he grew older, he wanted to work with businesses that made an impact. Throughout high school he began working with organizations like the United Way and other nonprofit incubators but encountered a difficult dilemma as he realized that nonprofits were limited in reach because if they accumulate too much profit, they lose their non-profit status.

As he started his journey at Syracuse University, he became interested in social entrepreneurship. “Sure a business can make a profit, but they can also help people,” he says. 

O-del’s belief in business as a tool for social good drew him to SolaceVision where he now works as head of business development. “I think I do a good job of taking a step back and breaking down an idea so we can make it reality.”

Solace Vision helps people overcome phobias by immersing them in tailored virtual environments specific to each phobia. The company is a modern solution to helping phobia by providing a software platform with multiple tailored Virtual Reality environments for phobias and anxieties.

O-del recounts meeting SolaceVision CEO Shawn Gaetano through the Syracuse University LaunchPad’s Summer Startup accelerator program, “I really liked Shawn’s vision and saw he had strong technical and leadership skills that made me want to help in any way I can.” 

The company has gained traction through the NEXIS program offered in the iSchool and the LaunchPad, and it also secured funding through LaunchPad business competitions over the past year.  It also was one of the top companies in this year’s Global Student Entrepreneurship Award competition in the Western NY region. It was recently selected for a prestigious LaunchPad & Techstars spring fellowship program.

“I really like the direction the company is heading especially considering how, now more than ever, learning to improve mental health is so important.”

O-del sees the immense value of SolaceVision, even for himself. He says, “I can be shy at times and the idea of getting over public speaking and social anxiety is really great.” At the end of the day, he hopes potential customers realize that “mental health is real, and you should care about it. Maybe you don’t have to use our product, but we just hope that people can get the help they need.”

O-del’s fervent desire to make an impact and give back to the community is only matched by his tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit. 

If you want to learn more about SolaceVision and their mission, check out its LinkedIn page.

Story by LaunchPad Global Fellow Jack Lyons ’22; photo supplied

Kelly Davis ’23 celebrates International Women’s Business Week by launching Wo-manly

young woman in a field with sunflowers

“I’ve always grown up in spaces that were male-dominated,” says Kelly Davis ’23 (Whitman and Newhouse), a native of Boston majoring in television, radio, and film, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Before she was targeting social media posts as head of communications for the LaunchPad, she was literally aiming at targets as an archer in high school.

Archery, being a very male-dominated sport, meant that Davis was subject to a lot of insensitive comments. “I was always told that I couldn’t do as well as my male counterparts.” She explains that, “People wouldn’t take me seriously or thought that I didn’t know much about the sport.” Despite gender bias, Davis persevered to become a member of the Renee Crown Honors Program, a Whitman Leadership scholar, and hold multiple internship positions, a small sample of her many great achievements. As she’s transitioned to her time at Syracuse University, she wants to provide women with a network that she never had growing up. 

Davis has always dreamt of becoming an impactful entrepreneur, and, after joining the LaunchPad she looked to her coworkers as motivation to start her own business. She says, “I’m truly amazed at the work ethic and intelligence of the entrepreneurs in the LaunchPad.” Using her past experiences as fuel, she’s excited to unveil a company that provides support for driven women just like herself.

Women around the country have been deprived of safe community spaces to participate in male-dominated hobbies and interests. Wo-manly strives to fix this by building an online platform by women for women. Despite progress toward equality and inclusiveness, there is still a gender imbalance in our society. Women don’t feel welcome or empowered in male-dominated sectors such as athletics, stem, and entrepreneurship.

That has personal significance to Davis. She explains, “There’s currently not a lot of female founders so I felt a little intimidated coming in.” Davis continues, “I didn’t know if I had the confidence to start my own business, but luckily I was able to push through that.”

She found inspiration in fellow LaunchPad entrepreneurs like Kelsey Davis, founder of CLLCTVE, and her ability to build such a large and interconnected network of young people.

In her communications role at the LaunchPad, Davis is excited to take the valuable social media skills she’s learned and translate that into her new company. “As I got more comfortable with how to properly build a social media presence, I knew I could create a platform around it.”

Davis currently runs the LaunchPad’s LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts so she’s confident in her ability to create an online community for Wo-manly. She credits Linda Hartsock, executive director of the LaunchPad, as one of the people to push her to go through with her business and use the skills that she was hired for.

Davis hopes that she can help at least one woman “try something new and feel comfortable knowing that there’s a community of support behind her

If you want to be a part of a community that empowers women, follow Wo-manly on Instagram

If you’re inspired by Kelly’s work and would like to help out and join the Wo-manly team, email Kelly at kdavis21@syr.edu.

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

Patrick Linehan ’21 launches The Commute to Class podcast series

Listen here

The alarm goes off. Snooze. You know you have to get out of bed, but you just don’t have the motivation. The day seems like this looming monster that awaits you outside of your covers. This is a process that college students are all too familiar with. During a global pandemic, it can be difficult to muster up the willpower to take on a sometimes stressful and overwhelming day. Patrick Linehan ‘21 (Newhouse) wants to make that dreadful morning wake up and walk to class a little brighter. His podcast, aptly named The Commute to Class, provides listeners with a fifteen-minute spark of motivation they need to tell themselves, “Hey you know what I can do it”.

The Commute to Class is a new podcast brought to you by Blackstone LaunchPad & TechStars at Syracuse University Libraries. The series sits down with recent LaunchPad alumni who have gone on to create successful ventures. From Forbes 30 under 30 recipients to CEOs getting multi-million-dollar investments, the guest list is quite expansive and inspiring. Despite all their successes, host Patrick Linehan sits down with them to discuss their struggles and failures. As you listen, you might just become more motivated to follow your passions.

Linehan, a former economics major turned newspaper and online journalism major, struggled himself to be honest about what he truly wanted to do. He says that “In high school I suppressed the more artistic side of myself in order to fit what I thought was best for me.”

Since he’s gotten to Syracuse University Linehan has embraced the creative storyteller inside him. From jump-starting a magazine publication on campus to filming music videos for a local band, he has created quality content that he is passionate about. He is now a LaunchPad Global Fellow, producing stories and digital content for the Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars at the university.

Although he never thought of himself as an entrepreneur, he came to see himself that way from LaunchPad director Linda Hartsock, the first guest on the podcast series. You don’t necessarily have to have a business venture to be an entrepreneur. You need a way of thinking about your life and how you approach the world. Linehan explains, “She has taught me that being an entrepreneur is more about mindset than anything else which has encouraged me to put my ambition towards projects I have a passion for.”

Now as he faces his newest creative project, he’s excited to provide valuable insight from some of the brightest business minds to his audience. Featured guests will include Kelsey Davis, founder of CLLCTVE, on Forbes 30 under 30 list this past year; Julia Haber, founder of WAYV and Home From College; and Dylan Kim, founder of Brevité.  “This podcast is meant for people who want to achieve something great but maybe don’t exactly know how they are going to make it happen.”

Over the nine interviews in the series, Linehan dives deep into topics he didn’t think he would be hearing from successful entrepreneurs. As dual major student who is engaged in so many campus projects and his own passion pursuits, he really resonated with his conversations about burnout, stress, and humility. He says, “It’s nice to hear that these super successful people encounter the same challenges that we all do.” He hopes listeners find their own comfort, as well as motivation from these stories of struggle and failure.

Like any successful company, Linehan recognizes the team effort required to produce a captivating podcast. He says that he really couldn’t have done this without the help of Nick Barba (podcast production coordinator), Connor Johnson (original music scoring), and Sloane Sexton (graphic design and branding), who are all fellow LaunchPad members.

https://open.spotify.com/show/4OyxEdqIXdMFNjvi4FSqmnIf you want to hear impactful discussion about the triumphs and failures of Syracuse University’s most successful entrepreneurs, tune in as the first few episodes of The Commute to Class have been released on wherever you listen to your podcasts. Be sure to come back often here.

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