Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad has announced that Anthony J. Thomas ’24 (School of Information Studies) and Fatim Cisse ’25 (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamic) have been named 2024-2025 Todd B. Rubin Diversity and Innovation Scholars. Aidan R. Turner ’25 (School of Architecture) has been named the Hunter Brooks Watson Scholar for the upcoming academic year.
Anthony J. Thomas and Fatim Cisse
Thomas’ entrepreneurial endeavors include building websites/web design, information security systems and home security systems. He has experience working in retail as a technology associate on both hardware and software.
Cisse’s entrepreneurial experience includes owning Womb’s Yoga, an organization that provides mindfulness workshops and support groups for Women of Color. Cisse is passionate about maternal health care and women’s wellness. She also previously served as a researcher in Health and Wellness Services through the office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
The Todd B. Rubin Diversity and Innovation Scholars is funded by a multi-year gift from Todd B. Rubin ’04 (School of Architecture) to directly support employment of entrepreneurial students focused on innovation, diversity and inclusion at the LaunchPad. Rubin was the recipient of the University’s 2014 Generation Orange Award for philanthropy and is a member of the Syracuse University Libraries Advisory Board. Todd serves as the minister of evolution (president) for The Republic of Tea, founded in 1992 as a premium tea company dedicated to enriching people’s lives through great-tasting premium teas and herbs, education, and innovation.
Aidan Turner
Turner is a fifth-year architecture student minoring in real estate (Martin J. Whitman School of Management). A member of the Blackstone LaunchPad since 2021, Turner’s entrepreneurial endeavor includes a premium garment design and supply company called Grater Things Threads, which supports his two clothing brands. He was awarded Whitman’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2022 and 2024.
The LaunchPad Watson Scholar is a paid position for students passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship and venture development. Funded through a gift from the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund, the Watson Scholar honors the life, passion and entrepreneurial spirit of Hunter Brooks Watson, who passed away in 2016 after a car accident.
