Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship

Keenan Center hosts President's Buckeye Accelerator finale

By Malik Perkins
May 7, 2024

 

The Ohio State University’s Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship hosted the President’s Buckeye Accelerator Finale. Eleven student-led startups competed for six spots in the year-long accelerator and $50,000 each to support their ventures.   PBA aids student founders in preparing their startups for launch by offering a comprehensive support system.  

Eighty-five student teams enrolled in the pre-accelerator Boost Camp. This intensive seven-week program prepares the student venture for the final pitch.  From this cohort, eleven ventures were selected to pitch and six student ventures were chosen to proceed to the year-long accelerator program:

  CorrSuite-  Sean Schnautz, mechanical engineering) , and Kush Daal, specializing (computer science).  

 Apiary- Tyler Fenstermaker (mechanical engineering), Daniel Tcheurekdijan (mathematics), Ritvik Rae (mechanical engineering), and Tim Cooney (aerospace engineering). 

 Almara-   Kappa Subramamian (molecular genetics) and Hari Kasi (biomedical engineering. 

 Forged- Andy Huntley (MBA).  

 Biobuddy- Chris Egasti (MBA), Jason Abady (MBA), and Malak Oskar (biomedical engineering 

 Youth4STEM Equity- Lucky Dhir (economics and neuroscience), Anurag Kejriwal (computer science & engineering), and Sneha Probe (neuroscience). 

 

 "The Buckeye Accelerator Finale shines a spotlight on the innovative spirit and entrepreneurial zeal of our students,” said Cheryl Turnbull, senior director of the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship. “Each of these ventures seeks to solve a significant problem in the world.  We are delighted to be able to support these incredible student  innovators that exemplify Ohio State University's dedication to  creativity and excellence across various fields." 

 Lucky Dhir, co-founder of Youth4Stem Equity alongside Anurag Kejriwal, discovered PBA through a friend's involvement in the program. Their inspiration for launching their venture stemmed from a shared desire to expand access to quality STEM education for children. 

 “I was a Title 1 student growing up in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The education that I received there was much more haphazard and unfocused, unlike that of my schooling in Ohio,” Dhir said. “This drastic change opened my eyes to the untapped potential of novel hands-on STEM education and how many individuals can go through their lifetime without finding the moment to spark and sustain their curiosity over time.“ 

 Youth4SSTEM Equity plans to use the funds they were awarded in several ways to improve their startup: 

  • Improving STEMscapes (STEM Escape Rooms) to enhance their standardization and optimization. 
  • Increasing market adoption through outreach and advertising efforts. 
  • Conducting an ethical research study to measure the impact of STEMscapes compared to existing methods. 
  • Expanding geographically and establishing a broader base. 
  • Developing training programs for teachers and facilitators involved in running STEMscape 

 One of the standouts of the experience was the connection with seasoned professionals who have achieved entrepreneurial success. Dhir says it played pivotal role in offering direction and encouragement, as well as in assisting them in refining their startup for success. 

 “One of the most rewarding parts of the program was to see our business idea come to life,” Dhir said. “PBA legitimized our ideas and gave credibility that helped boost employee drive and productivity. It also provided us with unparalleled connections and mentorship from a talented group of individuals. “