Entrepreneurship director co-authors book for founders
Zach Shulman ’87 J.D. ’90, director of Entrepreneurship at Cornell, has co-authored a new booklet for startup founders focused on legal issues.
eShip News – November 2023
Director's Note: A season of giving and thanks We hope you had a great Thanksgiving. In case you are wondering, lake effect snow arrived in Ithaca this past week! Students are bundled up and getting ready for finals, so things are relatively calm on campus. Our eship activity continues at a fast pace, but we [...]
Jonah Gershon ’24 Launches Spekld, Novel Brown Butter Stick Company
While on Food Network’s “Christmas Cookie Challenge” in 2022, Jonah Gershon ’24 attempted to cook brown butter from scratch and was frustrated due to its messy and time-consuming nature.
Researchers win grants to remove carbon from air, manufacturing
Two Cornell researchers have each won grants to develop carbon removal technologies that aim to position New York as a global hub for carbon removal and clean industrial technology and innovation.
Building Trust and Fostering Collaborations Key to Startup Formation
One of the hardest points on the translational road “from bench to bedside” can be the point where you have to turn over your discovery to a company you’ve founded—a company whose subsequent direction you won’t fully control.
Grow-NY winners aim to make regional economic impact
Hypercell Technologies of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, was named the $1 million grand prize winner of the fifth annual Grow-NY Food and Agriculture business competition. Six other winners split a combined $3 million in awards.
New grant to broaden support for hardware entrepreneurs
Rev: Ithaca Startup Works is set to expand its hardware accelerator programs thanks to a new $2 million “Build to Scale” grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Entrepreneurs talk about disruption, growth and the power of AI
“The network that will make the greatest impact in your career is around you, not above you.”
Brown butter rises to the top at Pitch Deck Competition
Jonah Gershon ’24 was baking a batch of Mexican hot-chocolate-flavored sugar cookies on a Food Network competition last year when the idea came to him: Why spend 20 minutes creating brown butter for your recipe when it would be quicker to buy it off the shelf?
Cornell Researcher Launches Startup with Community’s Support
by Sabrina Khaleque Cátia Dombaxe, who was raised in the Southern African country Angola, is now a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering at Cornell University. Her roots, along with her perpetual hunger for learning and experimenting, inspired Dombaxe to start Nakwaha Beauty, a skincare line targeting hyperpigmentation in black women. Nakwaha Beauty is a brand focused on remedying hyperpigmentation and scarring that occur due to the excess production of melanin in women of color. As a black woman, Dombaxe herself has struggled with this problem. “In Angolan traditional language, Nakwaha means love,” said Dombaxe. “My mission is to hear many black women come to me and say, ‘I used to struggle with skin hyperpigmentation, but your product has helped me in the long term.’” Growing up, Dombaxe observed people in her village using artisanal methods to extract ingredients from plants, which women would later purchase as skincare. Dombaxe aims to build upon this approach using her background in chemistry and biomedical engineering. “Since I always loved science, I wanted to have a science-driven cosmetic solution,” she said. When she entered Cornell to pursue her research on spinal cord injury and tissue regeneration, the idea for Nakwaha Beauty came alive. Dombaxe […]
Governor Hochul Announces Round Five Winners of the Grow-NY Food and Agriculture Business Competition
$3 Million in Prize Money Awarded to Seven Food, Beverage, and Agriculture Startups – Including $1 Million Grand Prize for Hypercell Technologies of Georgia
Startup Cornell Episode 27: Osei Boateng ’18, MHA ’20
The newest episode of a podcast hosted by Entrepreneurship at Cornell, Startup Cornell, features Osei Boateng ’18, MHA ‘20, founder of OKB Hope Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to transforming healthcare delivery in Africa especially in rural and low-income communities.
Thursday night sessions connect student entrepreneurs
Every Thursday night in Collegetown’s eHub location, there’s business building going on. Fueled by Chipotle, startup ideas and knowledge from various disciplines, 30-50 students gather every week for Startup Hours, a meetup begun last year by Sean Cai ’25, an applied economics and management major in Dyson.
Urban Tech Hub Unveils Plan to Power Innovation Across NYC
Cornell Tech and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced the launch of Pilot: New York City to advance New York City as a global hub for urban innovation.
Student, alumni-run business drives impact in Nigeria
As an undergraduate at Cornell and inspired by a newfound faith, Dr. Kelechi Umoga ’15 began plans to build a health clinic in Jeida, Nigeria, an impoverished village an hour from where he grew up in Abuja. The six-room clinic opened in 2016, but after a few years of operation, Umoga was struggling to find a sustainable source of income to pay its bills.
eShip News – October 2023
Director's Note: Eship listserv is all treats Happy fall, everyone. Might get some snow showers tonight in Ithaca! Every once in a while, we like to remind people that the BEST way to stay on top of the Cornell eship ecosystem is to subscribe to our listserv. Currently there are over 6500 members, and all [...]
Honey-based beverage grabs grand prize at food hackathon
Members of the “Bad Bees in Business” team were up late into the night Oct. 20, making trips to Wegmans and then mixing tea, lavender, honey and other ingredients to create their entry into the 2023 Food Hackathon, held at Stocking Hall.
NYC conference Nov. 3 features leading entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs will gather to hear fireside chats with top business leaders, enjoy multiple networking and engagement opportunities and hear startup pitches Nov. 3 at Entrepreneurship at Cornell’s Eclectic Convergence 2023.
Student hackathons focus on food, ag, animals, health and business services
Five hackathons this year will bring students together to solve problems and create new business ideas related to food, digital agriculture, animal health and healthcare and global business services.
Chuck Feeney, Cornell’s ‘third founder,’ dies at 92
Charles F. “Chuck” Feeney ’56, founding chairman of The Atlantic Philanthropies and Cornell University’s most generous donor, died Oct. 9 in San Francisco.
Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator culminates at Demo Day
After a 10-week intensive program this summer, the 2023 Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator (JSSA) cohort celebrated innovation and progress at its culminating Demo Day on Sept. 9 at the Sage Atrium in Ithaca, New York.
Startup Cornell Episode 26: Lauren Brand ’12
The newest episode of a podcast hosted by Entrepreneurship at Cornell, Startup Cornell, features Lauren Brand ’12, co-founder of Fatty Sundays, a company that creates chocolate covered pretzels in an array of unique flavors that are customizable for any occasion.
Kessler Fellows gain startup experience at internships
Many students at Cornell spend the summer between their junior and senior years gaining professional experience through internships.
Cornell Student Develops a Greener Phone
by Sabrina Khaleque There are more phones in the world than there are people, and in 2022, an estimated 5.3 billion of these devices became waste. Asma Ansari ’25, an electrical and computer engineering student at Cornell, aims to address this problem with her startup, Orgophone. Orgophone’s mission is to make the most sustainably and ethically produced electronics in the United States, offering long-lasting cell phones and devices made from recycled electronic components. Such an idea deviates from the norm of Big Tech by reducing electronic waste (e-waste) and pushing for modularity. Orgophone’s modular business plan has a website where customers will be able to purchase individual cellphone parts that are prone to breaking, like screens. This would allow them to repair these parts themselves rather than having to buy a whole new device. “I was always really interested in the idea of sustainability with personal electronics,” Ansari said. “When it comes down to sustainability, the big players are greenwashing, which I already knew of. And the sustainable smartphones that I knew of just weren’t fitting the needs and the standards I had set…So I said, okay, I’ll do it myself!” Becoming a student entrepreneur was not an easy journey […]
eShip News – September 2023
Director's Note: Intense Energy Fall is always in entrepreneurially insane time of year for Cornell. Students are back with intense energy. Our listserv is blistering with messages. We hold our annual eship kickoff event, which attracts over 300 attendees. And, we are not stopping to take a breath. We hope to see many of you [...]
$13.5M gift to Human Ecology supports design across disciplines
The College of Human Ecology has received a $13.5 million gift commitment to support cross-college design research and collaboration across disciplines. The gift includes funding for a new 15,000-square-foot design makerspace on the Ithaca campus, a 2,500-square-foot design studio in Martha Van Rensselaer Hall and a new scholarship fund for Human Ecology undergraduates in the Department of Human Centered Design.
eLab welcomes record cohort of student entrepreneurs
Twenty-eight student teams have been selected to participate in the fall cohort of eLab, Cornell’s student startup accelerator.
Startup Cornell Episode 25: Colin Day ’97
The newest episode of a podcast hosted by Entrepreneurship at Cornell, Startup Cornell, features Colin Day ’97 founder and former CEO of iCIMS
Researchers commercialize rare-earth tech with I-Corps help
Cornell researchers-turned-entrepreneurs are commercializing a technology with the potential to upend the rare-earth elements industry – with implications for sustainability and even national security.
Grow-NY startups enrich robust agri-food system
The startups battling for $3 million in prize money in the fifth annual Grow-NY Food and Agriculture Business Competition aren’t just bringing revolutionary innovations to market that could change the way we feed our planet – they are enriching the region’s robust agri-food system, too.
Entrepreneurial-Minded Students Find a Home at Cornell eHub
Cornell eHub, a space where students with entrepreneurial ambitions can display and generate their unique business ideas, kicked off its programming for the academic year Wednesday, Sept. 6 at the eHub location in Collegetown with eShip, a pitch event for select applicants.
Entrepreneurial students pack eHub Collegetown for kickoff event
More than 300 students visited eHub in Collegetown Sept. 6 for the annual Entrepreneurship Kickoff, learning about a revamped minor, hearing students pitch their businesses and connecting to staff representing more than 20 campus resources.
Life Sciences Technology Innovation Fellowship announces 2023-24 cohort
After its inaugural cycle in 2022-23, Cornell University’s Life Sciences Technology Innovation Fellowship, formerly known as the BioEntrepreneurship Initiative, enters its second year with a new cohort of 15 business students and 12 researchers who are eager to embark on their journeys to becoming C-suite startup leaders.
The age of the mompreneur: Empowering working mothers
Modern societal shifts and emerging trends in the startup ecosystem present new challenges and opportunities for women, particularly for mompreneurs – those juggling the responsibilities of motherhood and entrepreneurship.
Seeing a bright future for hemp in NYS
Hailee Greene MBA ’24 has a passion for the cannabis plant, but not the kind you might imagine.
In Amish-Chinese partnership, shiitake mushrooms are the main ingredient
Sam Peachey, who started raising free-range chickens and eggs in 2015, found himself financially strained by 2019.
Community invited to Sept. 6 entrepreneurship kickoff
Students who have an interest in business creation, venture capital, technology, startups, social enterprises or anything related to entrepreneurship can learn more about the vast array of available campus resources during Entrepreneurship at Cornell’s kickoff event Sept. 6 at eHub Collegetown, 409 College Ave.
Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator Treks to NYC
While some may think of Silicon Valley as the hub of startup activity, there’s no shortage of innovation and entrepreneurship on the East Coast. Participants in the Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator found that out firsthand during the annual JSSA NYC Trek on July 14. The startup teams convened in the city to connect with founders, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders for a day of education and discussion. Offered through the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, JSSA is an intensive, summer-long program. MBA students with a budding passion for entrepreneurship programs have the opportunity to explore their ideas for a startup venture and go through three phases of entrepreneurship education — customer discovery, developing solutions, and testing. Hosted in the Cornell ILR School space at 570 Lexington Avenue, the trek contained no shortage of inspiration. The first presentation of the day came from Randy Kane, managing partner at Profec Partners. Kane spoke about the dynamic between founders and angel investors, and gave the teams insight into the importance of finding the right fit when seeking investments. “Randy taught us the power of an extremely pointed pitch, that you want to get to the point quickly and effectively. A strong pitch […]
Mike Misch Named 2023 Best & Brightest Executive MBA by Poets & Quants
Mike Misch, MBA ’23, a member of the inaugural Life Sciences Technology Innovation Fellowship (LSTIF) cohort, formerly known as the Cornell BioEntrepreneurship Initiative, has been named a 2023 Best & Brightest Executive MBA by Poets & Quants.
Dairy Innovation Competition crowns inaugural winners
Three dairy innovators – lu.lu Ice Cream, Oakfield Corners Cheese LLC and Terra Firma Farm – were named winners of the inaugural Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition following a pitch competition on Aug. 8 in Stocking Hall.
Startup Cornell Episode 24: Seth Feuerstein ’94
The newest episode of a podcast hosted by Entrepreneurship at Cornell, Startup Cornell, features Seth Feuerstein ‘94, founder of Oui Therapeutics, a company developing a digital therapeutic going through the FDA process and seeking to be the first prescription product available for people at risk of dying by suicide.
Caffeinated snack wins top banana in national contest
CaféNana, a banana-inspired, caffeinated pick-me-up snack, partly made with food waste and produced by a team of Cornell students, has won the 2023 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Student Association’s Mars Wrigley Product Development national competition in July in Chicago.
Food Innovation Lab expands entrepreneurship potential at Cornell AgriTech
The Food Innovation Lab officially opened on July 25 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Cornell leadership and public officials.
Startup Cornell Episode 23: Kim Hehir ’94
The 23rd episode of a podcast hosted by Entrepreneurship at Cornell, Startup Cornell, features Kim Hehir ’94, cofounder and president of Brutus Broth, a family-run business created from a passion and commitment to enhance canine diets.
Sustainable fashion company makes semifinals of Hult Prize competition
When you’re shopping online for clothes, it’s so easy to put that $10 T-shirt in your cart and check out without much thought about why it’s only $10 or how well or ethically it was made.
eShip News – June 2023
Director's Note: Summer is here! Happy July, everyone! It is full on summer in Ithaca. Hot, rainy, sunny, calm, windy – I am guessing you remember the saying about Ithaca weather “if you don’t like it, just wait 5 minutes!” We are looking forward to kicking off the fall semester soon in late August and [...]
Robert Gregor named executive director of Pillsbury Institute
Robert Gregor, a practicing attorney and the founder and owner of Gregor Hotels, has been named the inaugural executive director of the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship (PIHE).
2023 Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator names record cohort
From accessible urgent care services to skill-based training centers in Indonesia, the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management is excited to unveil the diverse group of 25 startups that make up the 2023 Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator (JSSA) cohort.
Cayuga Forum forges connections between alumni entrepreneurs
A new program from Entrepreneurship at Cornell is helping alumni entrepreneurs across the country forge meaningful close connections with their colleagues and move their companies and businesses forward.
Startup Cornell Episode 22: Steve Izen ’13
The 22st episode of a podcast hosted by Entrepreneurship at Cornell, Startup Cornell, features Steven Izen ’13, Founder and CEO of Lokai and Elements.
Kessler Fellows embark on summer internships
The 2023 Kessler Fellows have accepted internships and will spend the summer gaining firsthand entrepreneurial experience in industries ranging from renewable energy to quantum technology.
Cornell Law at Cornell Tech: A Pioneering Program Grows and Students Benefit
At the start of his 3L year, John Koerper ’19 came back to campus, registered in the Law School’s new Entrepreneurship Law Clinic, and found himself working with clients for the first time.
Cornell Tech launches new product, technology leadership program
As the demand for product managers and tech executives continues to grow, Cornell Tech has purposefully designed a flagship Product and Tech Executive Leadership Program in collaboration with eCornell, offering professionals a unique opportunity to enhance their leadership skills and take their tech innovation strategies to the next level.
Turning toilets into health monitors, startup joins life science business incubator
CareTech Human, a startup developing a device to monitor urological symptoms at home, is joining Cornell’s Center for Life Science Ventures business incubator.
These Are The Top Universities For Funded Founders
Every year or so at Crunchbase News, we tally up which U.S. universities graduate the highest number of recently funded startup founders.
From Food Network to his kitchen, student crafts better butter
Home cooks hoping to perfect a unique chocolate chip cookie recipe could soon be thanking Jonah Gershon ’24, who’s creating a key ingredient.
eShip News – May 2023
Director's Note: Congrats Class of 2023 Spring has turned to summer too fast! The weather has been unbelievably gorgeous over the past few weeks with more sunshine in the forecast. Cornell had a fantastic graduation over Memorial Day Weekend, and now we are planning for fall semester and a new bunch of entrepreneurial minded students! [...]
Mental Health and Technology Converge at Cornell Tech Summit
Cornell Tech’s Behavioral Health Next Summit: Showing the importance of integrating tech and behavioral health working together.
Clean water and medtech innovation fueled by SBIR grants
Winning an SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) or STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) grant can be the turning point in a founder’s journey. Described as “America’s Seed Fund,” this influx of non-dilutive funding gives them the resources to expand their research, conduct customer discovery, hire team members, and explore the commercialization of their innovation. However, time-intensive and complex application processes can make it difficult to submit a competitive application without the assistance of a grant writing consultant. That’s where the SBIR/STTR Assistance Program comes in. Funded by NYSTAR and administered by Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement, the program has deep roots in New York and serves companies doing work anywhere in the state. By providing up to $2,000 in matching funding for NYS-based startup companies to work with a qualified SBIR/STTR grant-writing consultant, the process is simplified and made accessible for aspiring entrepreneurs who might not have the capital to invest in hiring a consultant. Since 2021, 40 startups have received matching funding, with 15 of those applicants going on to win SBIR/STTR funding totaling nearly $8 million. Read on for a Q&A with the founders of two of our recent SBIR/STTR-winning startups. First Water Technology Founded by Marcin Sawczuk, Cornell University PhD in Environmental Engineering | $255,849 […]
Ogbemudia ’25 Builds Skincare Startup at Cornell
When Osaiyekemwen (Ruth) Ogbemudia ’25 stepped onto Cornell’s campus her freshman year, she wasted no time getting involved with the university’s robust entrepreneurial ecosystem. In just two years, she has made the most of opportunities like the Black Entrepreneurs in Training (BET) program, W.E. Cornell, and the Epperson Entrepreneurship Fund to develop her skincare startup, ÒMÓSÈ. Not only has she grown her company, but along the way, she’s also gained confidence in her abilities and acquired insight for other aspiring young entrepreneurs. ÒMÓSÈ is a skincare brand that makes regenerative creams to fade hyperpigmentation, scars, and stretch marks in all complexions, with a focus on celebrating underrepresented forms of beauty. The company is currently developing novel technology which will focus on minimizing waste and excess skincare product needs through reusable equipment that optimizes the skin’s barrier and biome. Ogbemudia’s sister, Osariemen, thought of the idea for the company in 2017 as a beauty and self-care enthusiast, and the siblings began to seriously pursue ÒMÓSÈ together during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. According to Ogbemudia, the goal of ÒMÓSÈ is to breathe Bini heritage into the beauty space and pass down to women the core tenets of self-love, self-esteem and self-care […]
Cornell debuts biotech, pharma management program
As biotechnology and pharmaceutical professionals continue efforts to make advances in medicinal drug formulation, safety and efficacy, experts in the field are implementing innovations to address regulatory hurdles, research costs and global health challenges.
Cornell Tech Announces Winners of its 2023 Startup Awards
Four student companies receive co-working space and $100,000 in pre-seed funding to pursue their startups after graduation
CREA named partner on $30M Regional Food Business Center
Cornell’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) has been named a key partner in establishing a Regional Food Business Center that will serve the agricultural industry across the Northeast.
Upstate 2.0 wins $1M NSF award to transform economy
Upstate 2.0, a partnership between Cornell and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) that aims to bolster economic development in upstate New York, has received a $1 million development award from the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines.
Technology showcase returns with a BOOM
Darren Key ’25 was tired of listening to the same lofi hip-hop songs on repeat while studying.
Startup Cornell Episode 21: Nona Ullman ’88
The 21st episode of a podcast hosted by Entrepreneurship at Cornell, Startup Cornell, features Nona Ullman ‘88, CEO of LessonLoop and president of Improve LLC, companies focused on the public education and information technology sectors.
Commercialization Fellows assess innovations’ potential
Ph.D. candidates Mehrnaz Sabet, Mokshin Suri and Ruben Trujillo make up latest cohort of the Cornell Engineering Commercialization Fellowship, an entrepreneurship program designed to help researchers who are immersed in a particular technology evaluate it through a business lens.
AI ed-tech, smart contraceptive among innovation awardees
Cornell Engineering has announced the winners of its seventh annual Engineering Innovation Competition designed to encourage and recognize independent work from undergraduate students working on innovative product concepts and prototypes outside of the classroom.
Six-person Cornell spinout raises $90M for prostate cancer drugs
A small biotech, armed with technology out of Cornell University and a former Dana-Farber chief at its helm, has raised $90 million for its cancer drugs.
Big Red Ventures showcases portfolio at Annual Meeting
Big Red Ventures (BRV), Cornell’s early-stage venture capital fund, showcased the student-run portfolio and highlighted 2022-23 investments during the Annual Meeting on April 20 at Cornell Tech.
Dairy Innovation Initiative Announces 10 Finalists for the Inaugural Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition
Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) and the Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center (NDFRC) have announced the 10 finalists for the first-ever Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition, an initiative that supports food innovators in launching products made from dairy ingredients produced in the Northeast. Funded by a $1 million grant from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC), the competition provides finalists early-stage incubation assistance from Cornell’s food processing and business experts, access to the university’s food processing facilities, industry mentorship, and training on product prototyping. Along with these resources, finalists will receive $20,000, up to three winners receiving an additional $55,000, and a presence at the Dairy Innovation Showcase at the 2023 Grow-NY Summit in November. Laura Ginsburg of the NE-DBIC, said, “This initiative responds to a growing need for developing new value-added dairy products, a critical component to increasing milk value for farmers, supporting regional opportunities, and building energy around dairy.” Over 50 food entrepreneurs, including those making products on organic and small farms, applied to the competition from across the United States. A committee of dairy experts representing producers, industry, and research selected the 10 finalists based on product concept, innovation or improvement, viability, prominence of dairy ingredients, […]
NGO connecting young adults to philanthropy wins business plan competition
“Citizens of the World,” a concept developed and pitched by Lucas Suero ’26, received the $25,000 first place prize in the 13th annual Cornell Hospitality
eShip News – April 2023
Director's Note: Springing forward as the semester ends We have much to be thankful for as we wind down the semester. Lots of excited interns being placed through our internship program. Lots of cool end of the year competitions, like the NYS Business Plan Competition, in which many Cornell student-founded companies participate. Lots of engaged [...]
Cornell Tech campus to name ‘Feeney Way’
There will soon be a second “Feeney Way” at Cornell: a central thoroughfare at Cornell Tech to be named in honor of the transformative impact and legacy of Charles F. “Chuck” Feeney ’56, the university’s most generous donor.
Celebration honors student, alumni entrepreneurs
When Barry Beck ’90 realized that people were starting to buy practically everything online – except for luxury cosmetics – he saw the opportunity.
Startup Showcase in Silicon Valley spotlights innovation
Teams from eLab, Cornell’s student accelerator, and Cornell Tech’s Runway Startups program shared their business ideas to an audience full of members of the West Coast Cornell community at the Student Startup Showcase, presented by Cornell Silicon Valley, on March 30 at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco.
(Almost) everyone likes a helpful trash robot
How do New Yorkers react to robots that approach them in public looking for trash? Surprisingly well, actually.
New fellowship to bolster innovation in clean technology
Cornell MBA students, doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers focusing on clean energy and climate technology now have the opportunity to collaborate on real-world startup creation through a new fellowship and certificate program offered by the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.
BioEntrepreneurship Initiative Fosters Entrepreneurial Community
Members of the Cornell entrepreneurial community gathered to celebrate a successful first year of the BioEntrepreneurship Initiative at the program’s culminating workshop on March 18 at Cornell’s academic space in Midtown Manhattan.
Annual Entrepreneurship at Cornell Conference To Celebrate Student, Professional Business Leaders on Thursday
Students, faculty and alumni will gather in the Statler Hotel on April 13 and 14 for Entrepreneurship at Cornell’s annual celebration, showcasing Cornellians’ achievements in building impactful ventures.
Startup Cornell Episode 20: Barry Beck ILR ’90
Some advise for life from Barry Beck ’90, Cornell’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2023
Founder Taps into Solution for Understaffed Nursing Homes
Kayla Wooley, MBA ’22, came of age in the senior care industry. She began learning the family business of operating nursing homes from the bottom up—beginning work in the seventh grade as a summer intern and eventually becoming licensed after college to assume a leadership role at a facility in Rhode Island. “For as long as I can remember, every family dinner conversation was about the quality of senior care,” said Wooley, the founder and CEO of StaffOnTap, a digital marketplace that connects understaffed nursing homes to temporary nurses interested in earning extra money. Her grandmother founded a nursing home 50 years ago—today her family operates a portfolio of nursing homes across Connecticut and Rhode Island. “I discovered that I loved coming up with strategic programs, such as cardiopulmonary or dementia programs, but I had a difficult time implementing these programs due to nursing staff shortages. The problem was so bad that I couldn’t reliably find a nurse for an eight-hour shift, let alone to successfully implement a new program.” With the staffing gap at the forefront of her mind, Wooley decided to continue her family legacy in senior care—returning to school to pursue a master’s degree in public health […]
Hotel Alumna Karli Miller-Hornick ’12 Fulfills Entrepreneurial Path Through Cannabis Business
When Karli Miller-Hornick ’12 first attended Cornell, she never thought she would end up founding a cannabis business here in Ithaca. Now, 15 years later, she is a licensed cannabis cultivator and manufacturer with four cannabis brands, as the cannabis market continues to grow.
Former director at the SC Johnson College of Business discusses his summer business course in NYC
This summer, students can explore business management in the center of global business by taking The Business World in New York City, offered by Cornell’s School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions.
Applications open for fifth annual Grow-NY competition
Innovative agribusinesses are encouraged to apply through June 15 for the fifth iteration of the Grow-NY food and agriculture business competition.
Entrepreneurship celebration recognizes Cornellian startups
Statler Hall will fill with hundreds of Cornell students, faculty and alumni on Thursday and Friday, April 13-14, for the Entrepreneurship at Cornell Celebration, an annual event for the entrepreneurial community that recognizes Cornellian startup successes.
eShip News – March 2023
Director's Note: Celebrate Spring with entrepreneurship Happy Spring Everyone! I just looked at the 10-day Ithaca forecast, and there are some 60 degree days scheduled for next week! That definitely means “happy spring!”. And it means that literally overnight all the students will start wearing shorts and t-shirts. It also means that you should come [...]
Veterinarian helper wins digital ag hackathon
Large animal veterinarians – who trek to muddy barns and fields each day to work with their patients – face challenges when it comes to keeping records.
Startup Showcase in Silicon Valley to highlight innovation
Teams from eLab, Cornell’s student accelerator, and Cornell Tech’s Runway Startups program will pitch their ideas to the West Coast Cornell community at Cornell Silicon Valley Presents: Student Startup Showcase March 30 at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco.
Dyson students tackle societal issues at competition
Students working to support local Indigenous heritage, dairy farmers, formerly incarcerated people and entrepreneurs in Uganda and Ithaca competed for a total of $7,500 in prize money that will fund their community collaborators.
eCornell, nonprofit partners tackle economic mobility
Minister Lyneese Straws responds to a daily rush of requests from congregants, volunteers and community members as the manager of a bustling food pantry and soup kitchen in Harlem.
Kessler Fellows accepts record cohort for 2023
After receiving a historic number of applications, the Kessler Fellows program has welcomed a record 20 students to its 2023 fellowship cohort.
Bank of America, Seneca Women launch Marketplace for Women Entrepreneurs
Bank of America, in partnership with Seneca Women, has launched a new online marketplace for women entrepreneurs, providing them access to new markets and opportunities for consumers to shop and support their businesses.
Cornell Law to open Blassberg-Rice Center for Entrepreneurship Law
A new center for entrepreneurship – operating both in Ithaca and on the Cornell Tech campus in New York City – will deepen Cornell Law School’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurship initiatives through clinical education.
W.E. Cornell Welcomes Fifth Cohort
W.E. Cornell is pleased to welcome 13 new STEM innovators to its Spring 2023 cohort. Now training its fifth cohort, the W.E. Cornell program offers a proven entrepreneurship and leadership-focused curriculum to help PhDs and postdocs bring their technology innovations to market. Participants receive opportunities to meet experienced mentors, build their professional networks, and hone their market fit and customer base before launching their businesses and pitching to investors and community members. “This group is joining a strong network of mentors and founders who share a passion for supporting women in entrepreneurship,” said program director Andrea Ippolito, B.S. ‘06, M.Eng ’07, who also serves as a lecturer in the College of Engineering. “The connections they make will help them throughout their careers, long after they complete the W.E. Cornell program.” The program operates annually in two semester-long phases, with Phase 1 taking place in the Fall and Phase 2 in the Spring. Phase 1 is open to all students at Cornell doing research at the graduate level and higher, including women, female-identified, and non-binary people. Participants attend workshops to learn more about entrepreneurship, leadership, and commercialization and network with potential mentors. A smaller group of participants is selected for Phase […]
eShip News – February 2023
Director's Note: Two Plugs Hi there Cornell eship community! Still looking like winter in Ithaca despite the relatively mild season. Two plugs for this month’s newsletter. Number one: if you are interested in meaningful connections, then you should definitely consider joining Cayuga Forum, our virtual, facilitated peer-to-peer coaching and networking program, exclusively for Cornell alumni. [...]
Startup Cornell Episode 19: Trishala Dessai ’17, MBA ’23
The 19th episode of Startup Cornell features Trishala Dessai ’17 MBA ‘23, founder of Gig-Up, a , a startup that matches gig-economy workers to consumers to complete the consumer’s to-do-lists.
BET Community Day connects students interested in entrepreneurship
A Feb. 11 conference at eHub Collegetown aimed to strengthen the black entrepreneurship community at Cornell with networking, content sessions and a fireside chat featuring Jerry Raphael, CFO of Axonius. Organized by the Black Entrepreneurs in Training (BET) program and student leader Kareem Hill ’23, BET Community Day offered an introduction to the entrepreneurship ecosystem at Cornell and beyond. Hill became involved with BET in 2022 after having the idea to hold an entrepreneurship conference. Hill’s experience founding a clothing company called Rare Concepts in 2020 made him want to bring students together to learn about entrepreneurship. “The values of BET align with the values that I have for myself,” Hill said. “I was trying to host a conference on Cornell’s campus to introduce younger students to entrepreneurship and teach them the necessary skills to be successful, and it turns out the BET community wants to do the same thing.” The goal of the BET program, founded in 2019 by Ansumana Bangura ’20, Jehron Petty ’20 (now the program lead) and Julia Reeves ’20, is to empower black students to pursue entrepreneurship and to take advantage of entrepreneurship opportunities at Cornell. “BET Community Days continue to be a testament to […]
Students to develop their ideas for social change
Alex Herazy ’25, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, knows what the college application process is like for a first-generation student, so he’s been helping other first-gen friends from his high school with applications and scholarships.