Campus & Community

Blackstone LaunchPad Announces 2025 Afropreneurship Business Competition Winners

Friday, February 21, 2025, By Cristina Hatem

Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad awarded prizes to several student teams as part of its fourth annual Afropreneurship Celebration and Business Competition, held in Bird Library on Feb. 7.

Among the winning team awards:

  • $1,500 to Olutosin Alabi G’25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Diabetech;
  • $1,500 to Anthony H. Smith Jr. G’25 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications), Bryson Carter G’25 (Newhouse School), Asha Breedlove G’25 (Newhouse School) and Stacey Collier G’25 (Newhouse School), founders of HBeatzCU;
  • $1,000 to Sydney Moore G’25 (Whitman School), founder of Thrive Insights;
  • $1,000 to Lindy Truitt ’25 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and Anjaneya Padwal G’25 (School of Information Studies), founders of Safe Sip;
  • $500 to Tony Goncalves ’27 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Armani Isonguyo ’24 (Engineering and Computer Science), founders of GymIn;
  • $500 to Jasmine Mayers ’26 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs), founder of Pressed;
  • $500 to Elizabeth Paulin ’24 (College of Arts and Sciences), founder of Paulin Capital;
  • $500 to Swathi Jacob G’25 (Whitman School); and
  • $250 to Maven Kavan ’28 (Visual and Performing Arts).
The image shows a group of eleven people standing in a room, each holding large ceremonial checks. The checks display various amounts of money, with most showing $1,000. The individuals are dressed in business casual attire. In the background, there is a screen displaying a video call or presentation. This appears to be an award or recognition event.

A group photo of the 2025 Afropreneurship Celebration and Business Competition award winners