LaunchPad Announces Orange Central Alumni Weekend 2024 Student Showcase Winners
Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad (LaunchPad) hosted its 2024 Student Showcase as part of Orange Central Alumni Weekend on Friday, November 1, 2024 in Bird Library. Alumni were invited to award ‘Cuse Cash’ to student founders showcasing their products, with top winners receiving prizes. In total, $3,500 in prizes were awarded:
- 1st place ($1,500) was awarded to Celes Buffard ’27 (School of Information Studies), founder of Return 2 Reality, an entertainment company focusing on a podcast for entrepreneurs around navigating and getting past the hurdles and challenges throughout the entrepreneurial journey.
- 2nd place ($1,000) was awarded to Olutosin (Tosin) Alabi G’25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Diabetech, a med-tech venture for a diabetic foot ulcer wearable.
- Two 3rd place prizes ($500 each) were awarded to Alie Savane ’25 (College of Arts and Sciences), founder of Bete Kola, a health and wellness venture focusing on kola nut food and beverage products; and Mian Hamid ’26 (School of Information Studies), founder of Chai YEAH, a beverage venture offering authentic Indian chai tea to the US market.
About Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone :
The Blackstone LaunchPad is Syracuse University’s innovation hub, connecting the campus resource-rich ecosystem with a global network that provides support for aspiring entrepreneurs, inventors and creators. The program serves faculty, staff, students and recent alumni across all disciplines who are interested in entrepreneurship, venture creation and innovation careers. The program supports a key pillar of Syracuse University’s academic strategic plan to give students experiential opportunities that help prepare them to be trailblazers in an entrepreneurial world.