2024: A Year of Growth and Innovation for the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship
The Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship at The Ohio State University closed 2024 with remarkable achievements that underscored its mission to foster innovation and support entrepreneurial growth. From expanding programs to launching new resources, the center has strengthened its role as a leader in empowering students and researchers to tackle real-world challenges.
“We are focused on creating opportunities that empower Ohio State students and faculty to develop transformative solutions,” said Cheryl Turnbull, senior director of the Keenan Center. “Our amazing team and students are examples of creativity, meaningful innovation and long-term impact.”
This year, Ohio State unveiled the Student Entrepreneurs’ Center, a dynamic campus hub designed to foster the university’s thriving entrepreneurial community. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and flexible workspaces, the center provides students with resources, mentorship, and a collaborative environment to bring their business ideas to life. Created by students and supported by Ohio State’s Department of Design, the center embodies a commitment to empowering young innovators and enhancing the university’s reputation as a leader in entrepreneurship.
The President’s Buckeye Accelerator continued to be a highlight of the Keenan Center’s initiatives, providing funding, mentorship, and workshops to student entrepreneurs. Participants gained a deeper understanding of how regulatory frameworks intersect with business innovation during a summer trip to Washington, D.C., where they met with policymakers, industry leaders, and alumni in leadership roles. These experiences helped students prepare their ventures for broader societal and market applications.
In September, the Keenan Center celebrated the launch of the Boss Space Ventures Competition. Brothers Ian Harris, a senior studying aerospace engineering, astrophysics, astronomy, and physics, and Nikolas Harris, a freshman majoring in business, won the grand prize with their startup, SPAERO Systems. Their innovative product, SWAN (Sterilizing Wand for Antimicrobial Neutralization), uses plasma technology to sanitize surfaces by targeting harmful microbes, a solution with dual uses in space missions and on Earth.
“Our journey began with the dream of building an ion thruster, but as we researched, we saw a bigger opportunity to address health concerns in space," said Ian Harris. "We wanted to use plasma technology to create a safer environment for astronauts, preventing issues like respiratory problems caused by microbial contamination.
The Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship also hosted the Best of Student Startups (BOSS) Finale, awarding $50,000 in funding to Ohio State’s top student ventures. The $20,000 top prize went to Phoenix Battery Company, founded by Jonah Mikesell, a fourth-year electrical engineering student in the College of Engineering. His venture repurposes decommissioned electric vehicle batteries into portable chargers, power stations, and residential energy storage solutions.
“This idea started during my freshman year when I repurposed a broken electric skateboard battery into a power bank using an Altoids tin,” Mikesell said. This support from the Keenan Center is pivotal in helping us bring our solutions to market.”
In addition to these initiatives, the Keenan Center expanded its programming by launching Ohio State’s participation in the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corps) program. This national initiative equips researchers with entrepreneurial training and mentorship to commercialize their innovations and bring university-developed technologies to market. The program builds on the university’s strengths in research and innovation, positioning Ohio State as a leader in creating solutions that address pressing global challenges.
“Ohio State is not just nurturing entrepreneurs; it’s shaping the next generation of leaders and problem-solvers,” said, Tim Keenan. “The strides we’ve made this year highlight the incredible potential of our students and faculty to create meaningful, lasting change.”