The Blackstone LaunchPad hosted Ideas Fest, the annual LaunchPad student innovator competition, in Bird Library on Sept. 12. The event drew more than 60 student entrepreneurs from various schools and colleges across campus, and they delivered a 90-second elevator pitch to a panel of judges.
Winners received $4,500 in cash prizes as well as a 30-minute mentoring session with the CEOs of Ami Cole and Overtime Media. These prizes provide student founders with the early stage support needed to jump-start their ventures and cover startup costs.
A group of winning students from the Ideas Fest competition.
Here is what a few of the winners had to say about their ventures and about the experience as a whole:
Gabi Josefson ’28 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications) is the founder of XCHKR, a platform designed to support club leaders. Josefson describes his platform as one that will “streamline and organize every aspect of running a club, whether that is dues, membership management or event planning.” His main goal with this venture is to “support the club leaders at different universities and help them build community.”
Maya McDermott ’25 (Whitman School) is the founder of Fit Friends, a social networking app for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The app allows users to connect with others in their local area who share similar athletic interests, goals and skill levels, making it easier to find a workout partner or teammate. McDermott plans to use the prize money for app development, hoping to create a platform where users can “find and swipe and match with other people” who share their passion for fitness.
Jack Sipperly G’26 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) is developing a venture focused on creating a supportive brace for individuals with connective tissue disorders. The device is designed to help prevent joint dislocations by detecting muscle weakness and promoting safer movement. Sipperly aims to create a product that will help users “promote more effective and safe movement going forward, ultimately aiding in their physical therapy and improving their quality of life.”
Other student winners from Ideas Fest:
Rajdeep Chatterjee G ’26 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
Luzceleste Delgadillo ’28 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
Haley Greene ’26 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
Yasmin Madmoune G’27 (Whitman School)
Imaad Maqsood ’29 (Whitman School and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
Kellen Stewart ’27 (School of Information Studies and the Whitman School)
Samuel Turin ’27 (Newhouse School)
Judges for the 2025 Ideas Fest:
This year’s panel of judges included alumni, doctoral candidates, business leaders and staff at Syracuse University:
Tyrin Fernandes ’21;
Kevin Foresti ’99;
Janice Harvey ’73, G’85;
Frank Marin ’24, G’24;
Phil McKnight ’20;
Damaris (Koi) Munyua G’22;
Thomas P. O’Brien ’25;
Cydavia Patterson (Newhouse School Ph.D. student);
Lisa Smith, Broadview Federal Credit Union;
TJ Stewart, Syracuse University Libraries;
Justin Storie, Libraries;
Barnabas Szilagyi, Broadview Federal Credit Union;
Dhwani R. Vora G’25;
George E Wazen, Syracuse University Public Safety Coordinator;
Earl Young, Broadview Federal Credit Union.
Story by Mariah Brown ’26, student in the Whitman School and the School of Information Studies
