Feeney ’56 honored for ‘transformative’ contributions to Cornell
Charles F. “Chuck” Feeney ’56, founding chairman of The Atlantic Philanthropies and Cornell’s most generous donor, was honored with the inaugural Charles F. Feeney ’56 Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship and Humanity on April 30 during Entrepreneurship at Cornell’s annual Celebration conference.
eShip News – April 2021
Director's Note: Spring has sprung As we wind down the semester, we typically expect a slow down on a number of fronts. But, honestly, that is just not happening! We just held our big Entrepreneurship at Cornell Celebration event with almost 1,000 registered. Celebration included our eLab Demo Day, the BenDaniel Venture Challenge, Student Business [...]
Green cemetery wins hospitality business pitch contest
A monetization platform connecting consumers to restaurants through influencers’ content and an algorithm-based trip-planning concierge were among the pitches presented during the 11th Cornell Hospitality Business Plan Competition, an annual entrepreneurship event that presents cash prizes for the top three finishers.
Research Universities and the Innovation Economy
America’s dominance is currently at risk, and a new model is needed now more than ever, argue Michael I. Kotlikoff, Emmanuel P. Giannelis and Glenn C. Altschuler.
Student entrepreneurs to exhibit startups at eLab Demo Day
Student startup founders who participated in eLab, Cornell’s accelerator for student businesses, will showcase the companies they have been working on all year during the program’s virtual Demo Day, April 29 from 1 to 3 p.m.
‘Feeney Way’ officially unveiled on donor’s 90th birthday
Today, April 23, 2021, marks both the 90th birthday of Charles F. “Chuck” Feeney ’56 and the official unveiling of Feeney Way on Cornell’s Ithaca campus, honoring the man who has been called the university’s “third founder.”
This tech makes perishable food last months without a fridge
Uncooked french fries are usually frozen, but when they’re pasteurized using the Farther Farms method of pressurized CO2, they can sit on the shelf for 90 days before going bad.
Program will support diverse founders of climate tech startups
As the cleantech industry continues to expand and evolve, a new program and partnership based in New York’s Southern Tier region aims to advance diversity and inclusivity in the growing green economy.
Report guides food, ag entrepreneurs; $1M contest opens
A first-of-its kind report intends to guide innovators and investors toward urgent technology needs in New York’s robust farming and food processing industries, as identified by dozens of farmers, manufacturers, retailers, researchers and other key stakeholders.
Cloud-optimization company secures $5M to offer cloud savings
Exotanium, a cloud resource optimization and management company, announced today that it has completed a $5 million seed funding round led by Walden International and Nepenthe Capital LLC.
ILR alumni sell storage business for seven figures
When Nick Huber ’12 and Dan Hagberg ’12 started a storage business out of their Collegetown basement, they didn’t realize it would change their lives.
A new gym climbs over COVID obstacles
With vaccines steadily making their way into peoples’ arms, businesses in Ithaca and Tompkins County are slowly climbing out of their COVID-driven doldrums.
Rev’s 2020 in review: members create 2020 new jobs despite challenges
2020 was a challenging year for many startups and small businesses across the globe.
eShip News – March 2021
Director's Note: Spring has sprung This past week it hit at least 60 degrees every day, but of course next week it will probably snow! Regardless, it feels like we have turned a corner on many fronts, and hopefully the road ahead will be a bit smoother for everyone. Our big spring event is coming [...]
Entrepreneurship at Cornell Launches New Website
Cornell eship community: we are delighted to announce that we are launching today a new website for Entrepreneurship at Cornell!
Mentor Spotlight: Beth Xie
Beth Xie is an experienced entrepreneur and investor, as well as an instructor and mentor for the National Science Foundation I-Corps program, teaching regional courses for both the Upstate New York (UNY) I-Corps Node and the New York City Regional Innovation Node (NYCRIN).
I-Corps-GEM partnership aims to increase black and brown entrepreneurship
Creating a diverse and inclusive entrepreneurship learning experience is core to the mission of NSF I-Corps and the UNY I-Corps Node.
Head & Heal Assists NYS with new CBD hemp program
Great news for CBD businesses!
Timur Ozekcin, CEO, Eng ‘14, MEng ’15, and Paul Bakoyiannis, CTO, Eng ’15, MEng ’16, fuel Cylera Healthcare with $17 million in funding
Cylera, a leading healthcare IoT (HIoT) cybersecurity and intelligence company, today announced the company secured $10 million in Series A funding, led by Concord Health Partners and Maverick Ventures
Cornell AI startup secures $1 million in seed funding
Iterate Labs, a startup with Cornell beginnings that uses wearable sensors and computer vision to drive factory production and worker safety, has obtained $1 million in seed funding to support the company’s growth.
New award honors Feeney for entrepreneurship, generosity
Charles F. “Chuck” Feeney ’56, founding chairman of The Atlantic Philanthropies and the university’s most generous donor, will be the first recipient of a new Cornell award created in his name to honor successful entrepreneurs who have dedicated their lives to giving back.
This Startup Raised $45 Million To Connect Healthcare Data In The Cloud
Luke Bonney ’08, and his team at Redox has invented a technology that is enabling healthcare information to flow in the cloud.
W.E. Cornell program takes on inequity in entrepreneurship
The W.E. Cornell program, which aims to improve gender representation in entrepreneurship, is launching its spring cohort as industries reckon with the inequities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Green hydrogen filling station fueled by Cornell research
Catalyzed by a Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability grant and prompted by other Cornell eco-friendly research over the past decade like the Cornell Fuel Cell Institute and the university’s Energy Materials Center, the Standard Hydrogen Corporation (SHC) and National Grid announced plans March 11 to build the first hydrogen “energy station” of its kind in the nation.
Student entrepreneurs selected as 2021 Kessler Fellows
The College of Engineering’s Kessler Fellows program welcomed 20 new student entrepreneurs to its latest cohort, where they will explore entrepreneurship through academic coursework, mentorship with entrepreneurs in residence and a summer internship with a successful startup of their choice.
36 Hours of Innovation at Cornell’s 2021 Digital Ag Hackathon
In just 36 hours, participants in the 2021 Digital Ag Hackathon illustrated some of the ways an industry as ancient as agriculture can still benefit from modern, data-driven technological advancements.
Food supply chain app wins digital ag hackathon
An app that would maximize profit and minimize food spoilage and loss across the agriculture supply chain was named the grand prize winner in the third annual Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture (CIDA) Hackathon.
MBAs launch high-growth startups in deep tech through radical collaboration
When it comes to applying classroom learning to the real world, Johnson MBA students waste no time.
Student startup pilots luxury lounge at Syracuse airport
Travelers passing through the Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) from February 25 to March 6 are able to experience an all-inclusive luxury lounge while waiting for their next flight.
Cornell entrepreneur wins first prize at national contest
Marla Beyer, MBA/MHA ’20, hopscotched over more than 60 student teams from the U.S. and Ireland to win the $25,000 first prize at this year’s Blackstone LaunchPad’s Startup Grind Pitch Competition.
Students Innovate Global Veterinary Solutions at Cornell’s Animal Health Hackathon
A combination of entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary collaboration and a passion for animals landed three teams of students $3,000 at the fifth annual Cornell Animal Health Hackathon this past weekend, hosted virtually for the first time due to COVID-19 restrictions.
eShip News – February 2021
Director's Note: Ithaca WINters We hope you are managing the polar vortex! Our thoughts go out to our friends down south who got a huge taste of Ithaca winter, but with no infrastructure to deal with it. Hang in there! Speaking of WINters, our students and young alumni are continuing to outperform on the startup [...]
CSV21: Tech in Focus
Cornell Silicon Valley (CSV) hosts its annual spring conference with special tributes and wonderful speakers.
Cornell startup raises $44M to advance ‘C Dots’ biotech
Elucida Oncology recently received $44M in funding to expand its business (bringing total funding to $72M). “C-Dots,” formally known as Cornell Dots, have proved safe and effective at fighting cancer. Clinical trials are planned for this summer. C-Dots were developed by Uli Wiesner, the Spencer T. Olin Professor of Engineering at Cornell, more than 15 years ago.
Dimensional Energy emerges as $20M Carbon X Prize finalist
Dimensional Energy, a McGovernCenter startup is a finalist in the $20M Carbon X Prize Competition. The startup turns industrial gas waste emissions into earth friendly products such as jet fuel. The competition winner will be announced summer ’21.
Elucida Oncology Closes $44 Million Series A-1 Financing
Elucida Oncology, a biotechnology company pioneering the next frontier in targeted cancer therapy, announced today it has closed a $44 million Series A-1 financing. “Over the past two years, Elucida Oncology has successfully evolved to forge two paths in the world of precision oncology with its proprietary C’Dot platform. As our collaborators at leading research institutions continue to push the boundary of C’Dots’ potential in diagnostics and surgical applications, we believe that we have built the foundation to deliver the next frontier in targeted cancer therapy with our novel C’Dot-Drug-Conjugates (CDCs). Through their unique Target or Clear™ properties that have the potential to markedly increase the delivery of potent drugs to difficult-to-treat tumors with reduced systemic exposure, CDCs are designed to overcome the limitations of antibody-drug-conjugates and more traditional drug carriers. We are thankful for the support of existing as well as new shareholders and are pleased to have closed this financing to provide us the funding to move our lead CDC therapeutic candidate into the clinic, which we anticipate in the second half of 2021,” stated Geno Germano, CEO and President of Elucida Oncology.
Cornell startup wins NFL innovation competition
Organic Robotics Corporation (ORC), co-founded by Ilayda Samilgil ’19 and Rob Shepherd, associate professor in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, participated in the NFL’s First and Future Competition earlier this month. ORC pitched their Light Lace trademark technology in the “Innovations to Advance Player andHealth and Safety” category, and won first place.
Meet the Female Entrepreneur Disrupting the Sports Drink Industry
Susan Buckwalter MBA ’12 and Siwat Siengsanoah, Co-Founders of Recoup Wellness have developed a clean sports recovery drink based on a ginger based family recipe. The drink is clean, without any extra added sugars, GMO’s or other artificial extras.
Alum leads legal team for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine
Douglas Lankler, J.D. ’90, executive vice president and general counsel at Pfizer, has played a leading role in establishing Pfizer’s agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense for large-scale production and nationwide delivery of 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. The U.S. began administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Dec. 14.
Powerful design software brings student ideas to life
Ronald Heisser, graduate student in mechanical and aerospace engineering, wants to change the way car chassis are designed. Rather than metal parts welded and screwed together, he reasons, why not echo the way bones, muscles, and tendons work and use organic shapes connected by cables?
Lovevery co-founder named Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year
Entrepreneurship at Cornell has named Jessica Rolph ’97, MBA ’04, co-founder and CEO of early childhood development startup Lovevery, its 2021 Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year.
Three projects receive Belonging at Cornell innovation grants
As part of its mission to make Cornell a more diverse and inclusive environment for faculty, staff and students, the Presidential Advisors on Diversity and Equity (PADE) have awarded three Belonging at Cornell innovation grants of $15,000 apiece for 2021 programming.
Gensler family endows, names Cornell AAP NYC program
A $10 million gift to the College of Architecture, Art and Planning has been given to the college by a multi-generational Cornellian family.
Lawn startup Sunday raises millions to help you with your backyard
Inspiration to launch a lawn-care company struck Coulter Lewis when he was shopping for lawn-care products one day. The entrepreneur, who previously worked as a designer and co-founder of a snack company, says the stench of pesticides and herbicides piled high was too strong to ignore.
Meet The Students Behind BlackGen Capital, The First Minority-Owned Investment Fund at Cornell University
After noticing a lack of representation at Cornell University’s top finance clubs, Ermias Tadesse and Cheick Camara, two junior students at the Ivy League school, created a space to help diversify Cornell’s finance community and develop the next generation of Black and brown finance leaders.
Cornell startup awarded $600K to improve food safety
Halomine, a Cornell-based startup developing cutting-edge technologies for the sanitation of food processing equipment, has been awarded $600,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), under Phase II of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
Inspired by his education, alumnus creates fast COVID-19 test
Entrepreneur Greg Galvin, M.S. ’82, Ph.D. ’84, MBA ’93, didn’t factor the pandemic into his business plans for the year. He didn’t expect the shutdowns or the equipment shortages. And he didn’t plan on quickly pivoting his biotechnology company to provide a quick, accurate COVID-19 test that enabled Cayuga Health System to open one of the first drive-through testing sites in the nation.
Women’s entrepreneurship institute set for major expansion
Two years ago, the Bank of America Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Cornell launched their certificate program delivered through eCornell. Demand for the program was so strong that the original goal of providing free online education to 5,000 entrepreneurs quickly increased to 20,000 – thanks to a follow-on grant from Bank of America – and seats in the program were filled as soon as they were added.
Cornellian-Founded Moderna Latest Front-Runner in Vaccine Race
Pharmaceutical company Moderna — cofounded by a Cornell-educated medical pioneer — announced promising results in its development of a coronavirus vaccine on Nov. 16.
Swipe, match, eat: ‘Weet’ pitches better online dating app
The “swipe generation” is ready for more serious relationships and is outgrowing its dating apps, says an undergraduate team proposing an improvement to popular services like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge.
Weill Cornell entrepreneurship symposium touts innovation
Weill Cornell Medicine neuroscientist Li Gan is driving toward one of the most coveted medical breakthroughs: an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
The gift of clean air: Cornellian donates purifiers to Statler
When Phil Yuen ’00 heard Cornell was reopening for in-person learning this fall, he saw an opportunity to partner with the university to help make campus safer. His company, Aurabeat Technology in Hong Kong, has developed an air filtration system that can eliminate 99.9% of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from the air indoors.
Students from across disciplines forge Cornell Blockchain
As the fourth of five children, Joe Ferrara ’19 grew up cooking meals and baking treats for his family. As a teenager, he spent summers slinging pizzas and busing tables, envisioning a day when he would run his own business. “I really loved seeing people smile and providing the best experiences for them,” he says.
Introducing the 2021 eLab Cohort
Student startup accelerator eLab has selected 21 teams of student-entrepreneurs, from a pool of more than 200 applicants, for its 2020-21 cohort.
Undergrads promote children’s learning with rapStudy
Pop singer Ariana Grande could have never imagined that her song “7 Rings” would one day be used to help middle-schoolers learn about the Electoral College.
Engineering startups harness Cornell’s entrepreneurial energy
Growing up in Huntington, West Virginia, Austin Hickman had always envisioned “wheeling and dealing” as a businessperson. As he gravitated toward more concrete subjects in high school, such as math and science, practicality gained the upper hand.
Quarantine hackathon aims to improve student life
Quarantining for two weeks at home in Canada after campus shut down in the spring, Han Wang ’22 found that working on a project made him feel more productive and positive
Startup’s contact tracing tech tracks workplace distancing
A Cornell-based startup has expanded the features of its platform’s technology to fit the times in which we live, ensuring social distancing in the workplace and enabling companies to bring employees back to work safely amid COVID-19.
Top Business Schools That May Best Prepare Grads for a Covid-19 World
With viral and economic prospects up in the air, we rank the business schools that students and alumni say excel in creativity and innovation.
Students swap skills to seek solutions at digital ag hackathon
Students in fields ranging from computer science and engineering to business, agriculture and animal science convened at the second Digital Agriculture Hackathon, Feb. 28-March 1, with a shared purpose: to combine their disparate skills to brainstorm ways to make the world a better place.
Ippolito Testified Before Congress to Support Diverse Innovators
Andrea Ippolito ‘06, M.Eng. ’07, testified in front of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business on January, 15, 2020, and shared six policy recommendations to push for additional support and patents for diverse innovators in America. Ippolito founded and leads the W.E. Cornell (Women Entrepreneurs) program, serves as aCornell eLab instructor, and is a lecturer for Cornell Engineering and Johnson MBA students. Read her testimony (PDF) View the hearing (YouTube)
Programs empower underrepresented student entrepreneurs
When Andrea Ippolito ’06, M.Eng. ’07, returned to Cornell in 2017 as executive director of Cornell’s Engineering Management Program, she made it her mission to engage underrepresented entrepreneurs. Last year, within Cornell’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement, she established a new program for women entrepreneurs, called W.E. Cornell.
22 student entrepreneurs join W.E. Cornell
Cornell’s new entrepreneurship program, W.E. (women entrepreneurs) Cornell, recently announced its first cohort of students for the 2018-19 academic year.
W.E. Cornell program focuses on women in STEM
This fall, Ippolito will launch a new training program called W.E. (women entrepreneurs) Cornell, designed to address persistent underrepresentation of women entrepreneurs in STEM fields.