Patchwork wins the Founders Cup
Who is the top founder on campus? There’s a winner. The Syracuse University Blackstone LaunchPad hosted the inaugural Founders Cup as part of Orange Central Weekend on Friday, October 29. Twenty-one student teams from various schools and colleges across campus competed in a spirited pitch competition in front of a panel of distinguished alumni judges. Winning the $5,000 grand prize and the Founders Cup trophy was Jackson Ensley ’21 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management) and Paul Hultgren, LaunchPad Innovator in Residence, co-founders of Patchwork, a platform to seamlessly share and have conversations inside of online content.
Venture teams, led by idea champions, who presented during the competition included:
- Ambassadoor, led by Bruno Gonzalez ’21 G’22 (Whitman School of Management)
- Athletify, led by Season Chowdhury ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Raul Chakraborty ’23 (School of Information Studies)
- Candid, led by Mia Hinz ’23 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
- CKit, led by Zhaoxiong Cao ’23 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
- Fitted, led by Damaris Koi Munyua G’22 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
- Fundwurx, led by Ben Ford ’23 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
- Glisten, led by Justin Monaco G’22 (College of Arts and Sciences), Bianca Andrada ’22 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Anh Dao ’23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
- Grater Things, led by Aidan Turner ’25 (School of Architecture)
- Happy Loose Leaf, led by Noah Mechnig-Giordano G’22 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
- Holy Egg! Shakshuka Truck, led by Natasha Brao ’22 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
- MUNCH Jerky, led by Selim Dangoor ‘
- Out2Win Sports, led by Jack Adler ’23 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management) and Sam Holland ’23 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
- Patchwork, led by Jackson Ensley ’22 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management) and Paul Hultgren, LaunchPad Innovator in Residence
- PeoplesPolicy.org, led by Hunter Franklin ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
- Sice-Me, led by Alexander Peter Rolinski ’24 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
- Sweatration, led by Paul Franco ’22 (College of Arts and Sciences), Zach Stahl ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science) and Anthony Mazzacane ’24 (College of Engineering and Computer Science and College of Arts and Sciences)
- SYRAZY, led by Benjamin Delmarsh ’23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
- TEAGO, led by Noah Mechnig-Giordano G’22 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
- Titan, led by Brandon Henry ’24 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
- Urban Coders, led by Mohammed Ali ’22 (School of Information Studies)
- Wo-manly, led by Kelly Davis ’23 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
Advancing to the “Super Six” finals were Sweatration, Glisten, Patchwork, Fundwurx, Ambassadoor and Happy Loose Leaf
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.