Grand ideas and entrepreneurial energy were on full display at LaunchpadOSU, a student-led startup weekend designed to spark innovation, foster team building, and support the creation of new ventures across The Ohio State University.
Over the course of two days, students from various disciplines gathered to share concepts, form teams, and pitch new business ideas. Participants received guidance on writing problem statements, identifying customer segments, and developing a clear value proposition. Mentors and local business leaders provided feedback and support, ensuring that even those without prior entrepreneurial experience could engage fully.
When the final presentations concluded, three teams stood out. Grandportation, composed of Elysia Lee, Danielle Conklin, Megan Terveer, Ian Kramer, Jerry Liu, Christiano Silvio and Keerti Gudla, took first place. TRIBE — Vamshi Somapalli, Alauren Lane, Annie Zhang, Giada Hess, Bridget Mathias and Grayson Campbell — earned second place. ORIGO, led by second-year computer science and engineering student Hannah Myers, secured third place. In addition to team awards, individual recognitions celebrated qualities of curiosity, openness and boldness: Rome Santoro was named “Most Curious,” Spencer Lay earned “Most Open,” and Waasia Mohammed received “Most Bold.”
For Myers, LaunchpadOSU offered a chance to bring to life an idea she’s nurtured since high school. Her venture, ORIGO Academy, aims to tackle the twin challenges of electronic waste and access to hands-on STEM education. “My goal is to collect electronics — old computers, monitors, or phones that are just sitting around — and redistribute them to students who can learn by taking them apart in workshops,” Myers explained. “Instead of going into a landfill, those parts can be used for teaching and even resold. It’s about reducing e-waste while creating learning opportunities.” The idea came from an experience in high school, when Myers participated in an e-waste drive. Students collected broken devices, then disassembled them as part of class. That hands-on experience sparked her passion for rethinking what could be done with unused electronics.
According to the Global E-waste Monitor 2024, the world generated 62 million metric tons of e-waste in 2022, and that number is projected to rise to 82 million metric tons by 2030. “E-waste is the fastest-growing stream of solid waste,” Myers said. “If we don’t find creative ways to reuse components, we’re losing materials — not just metals like copper and gold, but also the opportunity for students to learn from real systems. ORIGO is my effort to address that gap.”
She also noted the inefficiency of current recycling systems. “Less than a quarter of e-waste is properly collected and recycled,” she said. “There’s a huge untapped resource sitting in homes, labs, and offices — devices that could be put back into use rather than sitting unused or ending up in landfills.”
At LaunchpadOSU, Myers used the weekend to refine her pitch and to connect with others who might help bring ORIGO forward. While she didn’t originally set out to win, she appreciated that the event gave her both feedback and momentum. “It’s kind of like a hackathon, but for business — and that makes it a lot of fun,” she said.
LaunchpadOSU’s organizers aim for exactly those kinds of moments: when students step beyond familiar territory, experiment with bold ideas, and find support to keep building. Cheryl Turnbull, senior director of the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship, emphasized the long-term impact.
“LaunchpadOSU is about helping students discover what they’re capable of, connecting them with mentors and resources, and giving them the confidence to keep building,” Turnbull said. “That spark of entrepreneurship is what will carry them forward long after the weekend ends.”