Winners of 2023 Raymond von Dran iPrize and Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award Announced
Winners of the School of Information Studies’ (iSchool) Raymond von Dran (RvD) Fund for Student Entrepreneurship competition, the Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award, and the Compete CNY regional qualifier for the New York Business Plan Competition (NYBPC) were announced at the student entrepreneurship competition held on March 24, 2023 at Bird Library. The concurrent competitions were coordinated by the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University Libraries (LaunchPad).
The following nine student startup teams each won $2,000 in RvD funding:
- Ben Ford ’23 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Fundwurx
- Adya Parida ’25 and Oliver Raycroft ’25 (College of Engineering and Computer Science), co-Founders of Scale Sense
- Motolani Oladitan ’24 (College of Arts and Sciences), founder of Ta
- Jeremy Shinder ’24 (College of Visual and Performing Arts), founder of Jere Bear Films, LLC
- Travis Ghirdharie G’22 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs), founder of Many Hands
- Sai Krishna Bolla G’23 (School of Information Studies), founder of Cognition X
- Aidan Mickleburgh ’23 G’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science and Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Intervea
- Kai Patricio G’23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts), founder of Farm Loop
- Rob Goldblatt ’23 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), Paul Sausville and Nicole Byrnes (SUNY-ESF), co-founders of Tree-Spun
2023 Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award is given to four students who best exemplify “The Spirit of Entrepreneurship.” Prizes honor the memory of Hunter Brooks Watson, an SU student who died tragically in a distracted driving accident. Winners of $2,500 each are:
- Rabia Razzaq G’23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts), Kai Patricio G’23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts), Priscilla Cruz ’24 (School of Information Studies), and Peyton Sefick, members of Re-mend team
- Motolani Oladitan ’24 (College of Arts and Sciences), founder of Ta
- Jeremy Shinder ’24 (VPA), Founder of Jere Bear Films, LLC
- Ethan Tyo ’17 G’22 (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamic), AlterNative Project and cookbook author
About the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University Libraries:
The Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University Libraries is the University’s innovation hub, connecting the entire campus resource-rich ecosystem with a global network that provides support for aspiring entrepreneurs, inventors, and creators. The program serves faculty, staff, students, and alumni across disciplines who are interested in innovation, invention, entrepreneurship, venture creation, careers, entrepreneurial skills, diversity, equity, inclusion, and taking ideas from concept to commercialization. The program supports a key pillar of Syracuse University’s Academic Strategic Plan to create an innovation ecosystem across the institution that prepares participants to be trailblazers in an entrepreneurial world.