Alumni Entrepreneurs Pitch Startups to Impact the World – Princeton Alumni Weekly

Participants at the 2022 Tiger Entrepreneurs Conference and Pitch Competition: (from left) Tom Meyer 87, Cornelia Huellstrunk, Mayra Ceja 03, Joyce Zhang Gray *15, Eli Kalfaian 22, Julia Macalaster 12, Bayo Okusanya 20.

Wright Seneres

Participants at the 2022 conference had ideas for curbing noise pollution, harnessing fusion for zero-emission energy, and more

Before the blast of fireworks displays and Abba cover bands at Reunions, a group of alumni shared their startup dreams at the 2022 Tiger Entrepreneurs Conference and Pitch Competition.

Organized by the Princeton Entrepreneurship Counciland thePrinceton Entrepreneurs Network, the conference consisted of panel discussions, fireside chats, and networking opportunities, all of which culminated in a pitch competition adjudicated by conference attendees and a panel of investors.

Anne-Marie Maman 84, executive director of the Princeton Entrepreneurship Council, set the tone for the day during the opening panel.

We dont care if youre from the arts or the sciences, if youre for-profit or nonprofit, if youre business-to-business or business-to-consumer, Maman said, referring to the councils mission. What we care about is impact, the potential for your idea to make change.

The showcase floor displayed a strong sense of this impact-driven motivation, with startups that includedGetNoisy, which seeks seeking to curb noise pollution caused by aircraft traffic;Nucleos, an online learning platform designed to educate those in the carceral system; andPrinceton Stellarators Inc., which aims to use seeks to use fusion to create sustainable, zero-emission energy.

While individual startups were diverse in focus, each entrepreneur had strong, often personal motivation for getting their idea off the ground.

ConsiderConcarlo Therapeutics, which seeks to provide transformative therapies for drug-resistant cancers. The founder, Stacy Blain 89, said she decided to name the company by combining the names of her three kids, Connor, Carly, and Logan.

I do what I do because I want to make the world a better place for the next generation, Blain explained. Being reminded that Im doing this for the world that [my kids] are going to live in, thats what keeps me going.

Many of the founders were far removed from the business world while studying at Princeton. A majority of their paths to entrepreneurship are rooted in other interests microbiology, politics, computer tech, food science. Instead of being drawn to entrepreneurship for its own sake, these founders motivations are anchored by the conviction that they have something that the world needs, something that can drive positive change.

When we were first starting up, we called up 10 friends who we thought would be interested, Lauren Imparato 02, founder of health and wellness companyI.AM.YOU., recalled. The first thing they said was, What? Werent you SPIA [School of Public and International Affairs]?

Of the 16 varied startups on the showcase floor, three reached the final round:Alariss Global, an international business development service;Piggyback Network Inc., a carpooling app for families; andExpressCells, a genetic engineering company.

After a final pitch round and Q&A, ExpressCells was chosen as the competitions winner. ExpressCells promises to provide genetically edited cell lines months faster, which can help speed up scientific research and discovery. Matthew Handel 87, the companys CEO, accepted the $5,000 prize and will be given the opportunity to pitch ExpressCells to a variety of investors.

Read the original post:
Alumni Entrepreneurs Pitch Startups to Impact the World - Princeton Alumni Weekly