Adam Buys ’17 pitches Echo App during eWeekend

Almost a month later I still get excited thinking back to Colgate’s Entrepreneur Weekend. From the all star panel, which included the likes of Jessica Alba and Neil Blumenthal, to the demo day that gave students like myself a chance to pitch their businesses in front of hundreds of alumni, eWeekend was an incredible experience. This capstone event marked the end of what was another great year for Colgate’s Thought into Action Entrepreneurship Institute. Since being accepted into the TIA Student Incubator back in September, I have been fortunate enough to get my business off the ground and take part in many of the great opportunities that TIA provides.

My venture is called Echo. Echo is a mobile application that looks at a user’s location and then generates a list of events happening around the user on that day. Since its conception, we have developed the application on multiple platforms, created extensive marketing plans, and have been fortunate enough to secure $15,000 in seed funding from Colgate’s Entrepreneur Fund. I can confidently say however, that none of this would have been possible without TIA. While developing the technology of the app, we were mentored by alums that were founders or cofounders of tech startups themselves. While planning Echo’s business model, we spoke with dozens of TIA mentors who invest in and mentor early stage startups to learn about what often works and what doesn’t. I realized very early on in TIA that a fifteen-minute conversation with someone who has already been in my position can save weeks of time that would otherwise be lost trying to solve a problem that someone else has already encountered and solved.

The unique advantage of TIA compared to entrepreneurship programs at other schools is the level of commitment and success of the mentors who take the time each month to come back to campus and mentor student entrepreneurs. One of the first things I found while starting Echo was that I knew almost nothing about how to build a business. The mentors in TIA have helped bridge the knowledge gap by providing hands on advice for everything from filing legal documents to thinking strategically about how to get the app in front of as many people as possible. I would strongly encourage any Colgate student with an idea for a business or not-for-profit venture to apply to TIA. Don’t let a fear of not knowing the next steps hold you back.

Adam Buys ’17 is a sophomore at Colgate majoring in Mathematics with a minor in either Computer Science or Philosophy. In his free time, Adam is an active member of the Colgate Debate Society. He is currently the president of the team and has won several tournaments including the novice national championship. His business partner is Julian Mazza ’18, a student at the University of Arizona and a Tucson native, also Adam’s hometown.

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Recipients of funding work in the incubator space that occupies a former hardware store in downtown Hamilton.

The TIA team is THRILLED to return with the Colgate Entrepreneurs Fund. The fund was established in 2013 to grow the ventures of Colgate student and alumni entrepreneurs who are solving big problems and have demonstrated an ability to execute. A grant of $15,000 is given to each of the winning teams to help bring their ventures to commercial viability while incubating in Hamilton, NY.

The awards are decided based on the quality of the venture and team. The fund is open to for-profit ventures and must have at least one Colgate member on the founding team.

Over the past two years, eleven teams have been awarded $165,000. Many of these teams have gone on to raise additional rounds of capital, have been part of esteemed programs such as TechStars, and achieved profitability with their ventures.

Ventures are judged by a panel of alumni and parent entrepreneurs on a number of different criteria, including; ability to execute, team, commercial/social impact, impact of problem being solved and solution proposed, viability of bringing the project to fruition, stage of development, etc. We are seeking more than just an idea; prototypes and customers are a plus, as is additional interest and support from outside investors.

More information about eligibility, award benefits, & judging criteria, can be found HERE.

At least one member of the founding team must reside in the village of Hamilton for the full six-week duration of the incubator. Awardees will have access to entrepreneurial mentors in the Colgate community and the regional startup ecosystem in Central New York, and will be introduced to potential investors. Teams maintain all rights to their intellectual property and are provided with office space.

Applications are now open and due by March 20, 2015…but don’t procrastinate. APPLY TODAY!

Awards will be announced on April 11th @ Colgate’s Entrepreneurs Weekend.

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The Chicory team, from left: Joey Petracca, COO; Yuni Sameshima, CEO; Adam Donahue, CTO Chicory

Joey Petracca ’13 and Yuni Sameshima ’13 continue to make strides with the venture they began in the Thought Into Action Student Incubator. Their startup, Chicory, is a site that connects recipe-hunting consumers to on-line grocers. They recently graduated from NYC’s premiere business accelerator program Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator, where they worked with a number of experienced mentors whose advice led them to pivot and make some changes to their original vision for the company.  On Tuesday September 30th, Yuni presented Chicory in front of over 850 investors from NYC and all over the world. At the pitch Chicory announced major partnerships with Time Inc and the Daily Meal to get over 65 million impressions a month on their technology. Both myrecipes.com and thedailymeal.com are installing Chicory’s “get ingredients” button and testing out Chicory’s technology that links recipe content to online grocers. Read the full article in Wired.

Read more about Chicory and the Thought Into Action Entrepreneurship Institute

• Chicory founders named Entrepreneurs of the Week by Launch NY
• TIA blog series: Yuni Sameshima on Recipe into Reality, TIA, and ENY
• Entrepreneurs of New York Fund Award Winners – 2013
• Recipe Into Reality, Yuni Sameshima ’12, Joey Petracca ’12, Peter Williams ’13

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With his new company, Vern Clothing, Viktor Mak ‘15 builds for stability in the Guatemalan highlands

Viktor Mak ’15

In 2013, Viktor spent the summer in the highlands of Guatemala and fell in love. He fell in love with the incredible Santiaguito and Santa Maria volcanoes, the colorful open-air markets, the picturesque Lake Atitlan, and the vibrant culture. But most of all, he fell in love with weaving – the handmade textiles, the backstrap loom, and the story each piece told.

But among the beauty, Viktor also became acutely aware of the harsh realities and challenges of Guatemalan life. These weavers were hard workers, putting in countless hours at their trade; but even so, they still face extreme economic uncertainty, discrimination, and underdevelopment.

That’s why Viktor decided to found Vern Clothing, a socially responsible apparel company that partners with Guatemalan weaving cooperatives to provide fair wages and economic stability in their communities.

“We were touched by the story of the Mayan weavers. After the Guatemalan civil war took the lives of many indigenous men, the women turned to weaving beautiful and elaborate textiles to support their families. Our mission is to share their talents with shoppers in America while providing opportunities for indigenous weavers,” said Viktor.

This July, the apparel startup caught the attention of the Colgate Entrepreneurs Fund. The venture capital fund awarded Viktor a $15,000 grant and summer office space in Hamilton to grow his company. With the support of the CE Fund, Vern made huge strides in marketing strategy and production.

But more than just growing the company, Vern founders were careful that the money circled back to what was really important: the people in Guatemala.

“When we got the grant, we were excited to make some huge leaps in the functioning and scope of Vern, but what was most important was how we could grow that money to send even more back to our communities. Thanks to the push we got from Colgate Entrepreneurs Fund we are not only economically empowering our workers, but also directly investing in two community projects, the Clean Stove Building Project and the Education Fund,” said Viktor.

This July, Vern was spurred to action by the border crisis – thousands of child refugees from Latin American countries fleeing violence at the U.S. border. The company held an official launch, but also paired it with a fundraiser and sale in hopes of sending even more back to Guatemala, the country of origin for over a third of the children.

“That day was probably the craziest we have had. But when we closed up shop that night and were going over numbers, I remember having my jaw drop when I realized that, on top of all of the money we were sending back to the workers, we were also going to be able to send 5 kids to school through the Education Fund,” Viktor commented. “So much work still needs to be done, and we are heartbroken by the current immigration crisis, but with our partnerships and contributions we hope to provide Guatemalans with economic and educational opportunities, which will hopefully incentivize them to stay,” he added.

Vern sells their apparel downtown at 20 Utica Street and online at http://www.vernclothing.com.

Viktor Mak ’15 is a student of Global Studies and Philosophy at Colgate.  He started Vern last year in the TIA Student Incubator with his business partner and high school friend, Matthew Kordonowy, a student at Washington and Lee University. In addition to TIA, Viktor is involved with  SGA, Konosioni, the Benton Scholars, and the Open Society. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, learning, and leaving a place just a little better than he found it.

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Congratulations to the five winners of the Colgate Entrepreneurs Fund announced this past Saturday at Entrepreneurs Weekend. The fund was established in 2013 to grow and advance the ventures of Colgate student and alumni entrepreneurs who are solving problems and demonstrating an ability to execute. The winners are:

HUGS (Hamilton United Gift Shop)
Connecting the Hamilton business community to the global Colgate community, one “hug” at a time.
Max Stein ’17

Late Date
The best place to find the perfect date for your next event!
Katie Rydell ’14 and Amara Wilson ’14

Prettier Please
Professional hair and makeup services delivered to you at home.
Olivia Cranin ’07 and Rachel McLaughlin

Sapling Advisory
Like eHarmony* for financial advisors and prospective clients.
Josh Lasker ’14 and Daniel Swiecki ’14

Vern Clothing
A socially responsible apparel brand that works with artisans in Guatemala to produce handmade fashion accessories.
Viktor Mak ’14 and Matthew Kordonowy ’14 (Washington and Lee University)

Each team was awarded a grant of $15,000 in start-up funds, incubator space for the summer in Hamilton, and intellectual resources from within the Colgate community.  The fund was created and initially funded by Dan Rosensweig P’15, ’17.

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The TIA team is thrilled to return with the Colgate Entrepreneurs Fund.

The fund was established to grow and advance the ventures of Colgate student and alumni entrepreneurs who are solving big problems and demonstrating an ability to execute. Last year six teams were selected from a highly competitive pool of over 40 student and alumni ventures. Three of the teams have gone on to raise additional capital and another team is currently in the process.

A grant of $15,000 will be given to each of the winning teams to help bring their ventures to commercial viability while incubating in Hamilton, New York. The number of awardees will be decided based on the quality of the venture and team, not based on a quota. The fund is open to for-profit and not-for-profit ventures with at least one Colgate member on the founding team.

Applications are now open and due by March 18, 2014…but don’t procrastinate. To learn more about Eligibility, Award Benefits, & Judging Criteria click HERE. APPLY TODAY!

Please share this message with ANY Colgate students and alumni that you know who are out there taking big risks and creating new ventures.

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The Colgate news page recently featured an update on the ENY Fund winners on their website. It gave an update on the six businesses that spent six weeks in the Thought Into Action Entrepreneurship Institute at Colgate University this past summer. Link here to the full article.

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Yuni Sameshima ’13

Life at Colgate has the tendency of making students feel as if they are in a bubble, isolated from the “real world”. Students identify themselves as being “students” and nothing more. Have fun, make friends and get good grades are some of the things at the top of their priorities list.

My good friend, Joey Petracca, and I were same way until our senior year. During the summer of 2012 we came up with the idea for starting a technology company called Recipe into Reality. We decided that we were tired of just reading textbooks, writing essays, and taking exams; we were ready to create a change in the real world.

Enter Colgate’s new entrepreneurship initiatives.

The Thought into Action Institute (or TIA for short) connects student entrepreneurs with successful alumni from all different backgrounds. Mentors range from artists to investment bankers to seasoned entrepreneurs, and the best part is that they are all passionate about helping students grow and succeed.

We walked into our first TIA session in the fall of 2012 and our lives have never been the same.

Over the next 12 months, we have accomplished more than I could have ever thought was capable for mere “students”. We raised our first round of financing, were finalists at the New York State Business Plan Competition, talked with executives at dozens of major grocery chains and publishing companies, and were awarded the Entrepreneurs of New York (ENY) Fund from Colgate.

The ENY Fund was an incubator program that provided 6 teams, including us, free office space in Hamilton, a $15,000 cash grant, access to alumni mentors and the chance to pitch at General Catalyst, one of the leading VC firms in the country.

It was an incredible program. The 6 teams were always present in the office space from 9am-12 midnight and we had roundtable discussions every week to help one another solve problems. And to top it all off, we all pitched our companies to associates at a top VC firm.

By far the most helpful aspect of these programs has been the network of mentors. As young entrepreneurs, we lack the business experience, critical in creating a successful company. To compensate, we have surrounded ourselves with over a dozen Colgate mentors that we are constantly in touch with that not only help grow our business, but help us to grow as entrepreneurs and as people.

Yuni Sameshima ’13 started Recipe into Reality with fellow Colgate alum Joey Petracca ’13 during their senior year at Colgate. Yuni and Joey participated in Thought Into Action where they brought their venture to fruition and in the spring applied for and were awarded an Entrepreneurs of New York (ENY) Fund grant to continue work on their startup. Yuni serves as the CEO while Joey is the COO. Through the ENY funding, they were able to hire Michael Francis, CTO, to further develop the technology of their website. The three continue to work out of the ENY/TIA incubator in the village of Hamilton.

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The Entrepreneurs of New York (ENY) Fund was established to grow and advance the ventures of Colgate student and alumni entrepreneurs who are solving big problems and demonstrating an ability to execute. For the inaugural year there were 36 final applications – 24 from alumni and 12 from students, 10 of which were Thought Into Action students. Nine extremely successful alumni and/or parent entrepreneurs acted as judges and narrowed the applications down to a “top 10” list, from which six final ventures were selected. The winners – four alumni and two student ventures – were announced during Entrepreneurs Weekend on April 6. Each team was awarded a grant of $15,000 in start-up funds and committed to working in Hamilton for six weeks from May 20 through June 28 on their businesses. The winners are:

ProtoExchange
Proto Exchange aims to connect 3-D modelers and owners of 3-D printers to people who need finished 3-D products.
James Placa ’07 and his brother Jonathan think 3-D printing has arrived.

Good Nature Brewing
Handcrafted, all natural ales brewed with local ingredients.
Carrie Blackmore ’08 and her husband Matt Whalen opened a new storefront in the village of Hamilton.

Recipe Into Reality
From recipe discovery to ingredient delivery, RIR connects the popular content of recipe websites and blogs with the online grocery.
Yuni Sameshima ’13 and Joey Petracca ’13 stayed in Hamilton after graduation to launch Recipe Into Reality.

Shindig
A fun, free way to discover new beers, wines and spirits.
Harry Raymond ’11. ENY has helped propel his iPhone app, Shindig-Drink Explorers Club, onto a list of top 300 food and drink apps on the iTunes store.

GateSwap
A safe, social, and sustainable way to exchange goods and services on college campuses.
Rob Carroll ’15 and Gabe Zetter ’15. Still full-time Colgate students, Zetter and Carroll attend the TIA program where alumni mentors are helping to shape Gateswap’s future.

Real Abroad
The world’s first student-only travel website.
Jack Henley ’12, a graduate of the TIA program.

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