Winners of LaunchPad’s 2025 Ideas Fest
by Mariah Brown ’26, Martin J. Whitman School of Management and School of Information Studies
The Blackstone LaunchPad kicked off the Fall 2025 semester with its annual Ideas Fest Pitch Competition, held in Bird Library on September 12, 2025. The event drew more than 60 student entrepreneurs from various colleges at Syracuse University, and they delivered a 90-second ‘elevator’ pitch to a panel of judges. Winners were awarded a total of $4,500 in cash prizes as well as a 30-minute mentoring session with the CEOs of Ami Cole and Overtime Media. These prizes provide student founders with the early stage support they need to jump-start their ventures and cover startup costs.
Here is what a few of the winners had to say about their ventures and about the experience as a whole:
- Gabi Josefson is the founder of XCHKR, a platform designed to support club leaders. Josefson describes her platform as one that will "streamline and organize every aspect of running a club, whether that is dues, membership management or event planning." Her main goal with this venture is to "support the club leaders at different universities and help them build community."
- Maya McDermott is the founder of Fit Friends, a social networking app for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The app allows users to connect with others in their local area who share similar athletic interests, goals and skill levels, making it easier to find a workout partner or teammate. McDermott plans to use the prize money for app development, hoping to create a platform where users can "find and swipe and match with other people" who share their passion for fitness.
- Jack Sipperly is developing a venture focused on creating a supportive brace for individuals with connective tissue disorders. The device is designed to help prevent joint dislocations by detecting muscle weakness and promoting safer movement. Sipperly aims to create a product that will help users "promote more effective and safe movement going forward, ultimately aiding in their physical therapy and improving their quality of life.”
Student winners of 2025 Ideas Fest included:
- Rajdeep Chatterjee G ’26 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
- Luzceleste Delgadillo ’28 (College of Engineering & Computer Science)
- Haley Greene ’26 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
- Gabi Josefson ’28 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
- Ava Lubkemann ’27 (College of Engineering & Computer Science)
- Yasmin Madmoune G’27 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
- Imaad Maqsood ’29 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
- Maya McDermott ’25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
- Jack Sipperly G’26 (College of Engineering & Computer Science)
- Luke Spears G’26 (College of Engineering & Computer Science)
- Kellen Stewart ’27 (School of Information Studies and Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
- Samuel Turin ’27 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
Judges for the 2025 Ideas Fest
This year’s panel of judges included alumni, doctoral candidates, business leaders and staff at Syracuse University:
- Tyrin Fernandes ’21
- Kevin Foresti ’99
- Janice Harvey ’73, G’85
- Frank Marin ’24, G’24
- Phil McKnight ’20
- Damaris (Koi) Munyua G’22
- Thomas P. O'Brien ’25
- Cydavia Patterson, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Ph.D. Student
- Lisa Smith, Broadview Federal Credit Union
- TJ Stewart, Syracuse University Libraries
- Justin Storie, Syracuse University Libraries
- Barnabas Szilagyi, Broadview Federal Credit Union
- Dhwani R. Vora G’25
- George E Wazen, Syracuse University Public Safety Coordinator
- Earl Young, Broadview Federal Credit Union