This Week in Photos: March 11</h1> <article> <h1>This Week in Photos: March 11</h1> <p>ygay — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 21:17:23 +0000</p> <span>This Week in Photos: March 11</span> <span><span>ygay</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-03-11T17:17:23-04:00" title="Wednesday, March 11, 2020 - 17:17">Wed, 03/11/2020 - 17:17</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p> </p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>LaunchU, a venture incubator for �鶹��Ƶ College students and alumni entrepreneurs, holds a final pitch competition in the Birenbaum Innovation and Performance Space. Participants in this round <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLT5Ro5" target="_blank">pitch business ideas</a> to judges for a chance to win monetary prizes that can aid in the success of their ventures. Photo credit: Jack Lichtenstein ’23 </figcaption> </figure> <p> </p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Alex Blumberg ’89 <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLPqPKQ" target="_blank">reflects on the</a> �鶹��Ƶ entrepreneurial spirit, his experience with storytelling and podcasting, and the recent acquisition of his company by Spotify for more than $200 million. Photo credit: Yvonne Gay</figcaption> </figure> <p> </p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>The 100th anniversary of <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLUUyw7" target="_blank">women’s suffrage is recognized </a>in Hallock Auditorium. Panelists explore the history of the suffrage movement and divisions within it, the exclusion of African American suffragists from the broader movement, and the position of anti-suffragists who were critical of the movement to allow women to vote. Photo credit: Yvonne Gay</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p> </p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>An exquisite electrophonics concert is held in Fairchild Chapel in conjunction with TIMARA’s 50th anniversary. The concert celebrated student works in diverse media, including electroacoustic composition, live electronics, video, sound art, and custom instruments for performance. Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko</figcaption> </figure> <p> </p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>The 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth has inspired individuals and organizations worldwide to join in the celebration throughout 2020. �鶹��Ƶ <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLTWzma" target="_blank">student quartets performed </a>in Kulas Recital Hall. Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko</figcaption> </figure> <p> </p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Students learn <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLU2tNX" target="_blank">hand-sewing techniques</a> on a Saturday afternoon. Photo credit: Lucie Maria Weismueller </figcaption> </figure> <p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-03-11T12:00:00Z">Wed, 03/11/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2379">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2395">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3238">LaunchU</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25381">History</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/history" hreflang="und">History</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">The �鶹��Ƶ College Arts and Sciences Orchestra performs in Finney Chapel under the direction of Tiffany Chang ’09.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yevhen Gulenko</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>LaunchU Team Earns Top Honors in Northeast Ohio</h1> <p>hhempste — Wed, 22 May 2019 18:48:15 +0000</p> <span>LaunchU Team Earns Top Honors in Northeast Ohio</span> <span><span>hhempste</span></span> <span><time datetime="2019-05-22T14:48:15-04:00" title="Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - 14:48">Wed, 05/22/2019 - 14:48</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Ryan Gleeson ’19 and Andrew Sugarman ’19, founders of PWR Technology, won first place in the Northeast Ohio Regional LaunchTown competition held on April 15 at Baldwin Wallace Center for Innovation and Growth. The pair bested teams from Case Western Reserve University, Kent State University, Baldwin Wallace University, and University of Akron.<br> <br> Their product, a hands-free urinary test system for seniors, received the grand prize of $2,000. Gleeson and Sugarman plan to use the funds to both develop a prototype for their product and assist in forming their company.</p> <p>PWR Technology was one of the eight semifinalists in the March 2019 LaunchU final pitch competition.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2019-05-22T12:00:00Z">Wed, 05/22/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3238">LaunchU</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2395">Entrepreneurship</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Ryan Gleeson '19 and Andrew Sugarman '19.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>LaunchU Awards Three Ventures a Total of $45,000</h1> <p>hhempste — Mon, 01 May 2017 14:53:18 +0000</p> <span>LaunchU Awards Three Ventures a Total of $45,000</span> <span><span>hhempste</span></span> <span><time datetime="2017-05-01T10:53:18-04:00" title="Monday, May 1, 2017 - 10:53">Mon, 05/01/2017 - 10:53</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Three teams of entrepreneurs were awarded a total of $45,000 during the LaunchU pitch competition on Saturday, March 4. Now in its fifth year, the LaunchU program stewards �鶹��Ƶ students, alumni, faculty, and staff entrepreneurs through business-model innovation curriculum and prepares them to launch a venture.</p> <p>Selected from a record-high number of accepted teams, nine ventures presented their cases to a panel of judges during the weekend pitch competition. Of these, just three groups were awarded seed capital.</p> <p>Kelsey Scult '14 and Mary Okoth '14 received $20,000 for Bar None, a multidisciplinary art space for formerly incarcerated people in New Orleans. Helen Fleischer '18 was awarded $15,000 for IntimaQ, an intimate apparel company for customers "outside of the binary organization system." Sophie Mvurya '16, who pitched From the Block to the Booth, a state-of-the-art mobile recording studio service, was awarded $10,000.</p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Kelsey Scult ’14 and Mary Okoth ’14 received $20,000 for Bar None, a multidisciplinary art space for formerly incarcerated people in New Orleans. Image by Yevhen Gulenko.</figcaption> </figure> <p>Bar None founders Scult and Okoth will create a space for formerly incarcerated people to take art classes, exhibit and sell their art, have access to art supplies and resources, host community art events, and collaborate with artists in residence. For the pair, the impetus to participate in LaunchU came from the realization that, in order to successfully execute their ideas and to better serve their community, they would need to hone their business skills. “We knew that, if given the opportunity to participate, the LaunchU competition would provide us with an invaluable professional development experience,” says Scult. “From creating a business model to refining our 30-second elevator pitch, we received an incredible introduction to the entrepreneurship essentials critical to the success of any start-up.”</p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Helen Fleischer ’18 was awarded $15,000 for Intimal, an intimate apparel company "outside of the binary system." Image by Yevhen Gulenko.</figcaption> </figure> <p>Fleischer, whose company IntimaQ aims to provide comfortable and affordable dailywear underwear for trans and gender nonconforming people, as well as anyone who wants underwear outside of a binary organizational system, emphasized the transformative nature of the LaunchU program. “I went into it with this out-there idea and came out of the program with a fully formed company,” says Fleischer. While her company was in its nascent stages when she entered the program, it has now progressed to the early prototype stage. “Since day one, everyone involved was so incredibly supportive that IntimaQ just picked up steam quickly,” says Fleischer.</p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption><br> Sophie Mvurya '16, who pitched From the Block to the Booth, a state-of-the-art mobile recording studio service, was awarded $10,000. Image by Yevhen Gulenko.</figcaption> </figure> <p>Block to the Booth’s Mvurya and her co-founder, artist Tyrell Carter, describe their venture as “the Uber for recording studios.” Through it, they will provide clients with cutting-edge sound equipment in an environment that inspires and nurtures their creativity. The two found that participating in LaunchU bolstered the belief that their product could succeed. “The experience added to our confidence that this venture is possible,” says Mvurya. “It has further validated our strengths, talents, and ideas, giving both my co-founder and me the extra push to chase our dreams and goals.”</p> <p>LaunchU is organized through the office of Creativity & Leadership at �鶹��Ƶ. For information about LaunchU, including more about the 2017 pitch competition, visit <a href="/innovation-and-impact/launchu">the LaunchU page</a>.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2017-03-24T12:00:00Z">Fri, 03/24/2017 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Hillary Hempstead</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2406">Innovation and Impact</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2395">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3238">LaunchU</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">This year’s LaunchU pitch competition winners were awarded a total of $45,000 in seed capital. L-R: Helen Fleischer of IntimaQ, Sophie Mvurya of From the Block to the Booth, and Mary Okoth and Kelsey Scult of Bar None.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yevhen Gulenko</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Five Ventures Take Home LaunchU Prizes</h1> <p>Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:21:26 +0000</p> <span>Five Ventures Take Home LaunchU Prizes</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:21:26-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:21">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:21</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Five groups of entrepreneurs won Venture Development Awards at the inaugural LaunchU Accelerator Pitch Competition on January 26. Four ventures received $4,000 in support of their business development: BinStored, Bookalokal, CnXn, and Compology. A fifth team, Kenya Reads, was recognized with an honorable mention award of $1,000.</p> <p>The pitch competition was the culmination of LaunchU, a program of the Creativity & Leadership Project, in which alumni and current student entrepreneurs spent three weeks developing their ideas and business plans. The program included intensive workshops focused on such issues as business model innovation; early-stage financial matters; legal issues; branding, positioning, and marketing; and presentation skills. And perhaps most importantly, LaunchU offered participants the opportunity to connect with and get feedback from a team of distinguished mentors from northeast Ohio and the �鶹��Ƶ network.</p> <p>During the competition, an adjudication panel of five investors entertained pitches from the 28 current students and alumni behind LaunchU’s 15 ventures. The pitches were made before a public audience in Clonick Hall. Members of the investor panel were Charles Birenbaum ’79, a labor and employment partner and managing partner of the San Francisco office of Winston & Strawn, LLP; Eugene Carr ’82, founder and president of Patron Technology; Edward Fishman ’73, managing director at Cain Brothers & Company, LLC; Jeff Hanson ’80, president of Hanson Advisors Corp.; Andrew Klingenstein, cofounder of Fairfax Partners LLC; and Joseph Rubin, founder and senior partner of Rubin & Bailin LLP and director of Executive Training International, LLC.</p> <p>The event also featured a keynote address by Tom Kelley ’77. General manager of IDEO, the design and innovation firm he cofounded with his brother, Kelley spoke on how to nurture a culture of innovation, a topic on which he is known as an expert world wide. He has written two best-selling books, <a href="http://www.ideo.com/by-ideo/the-art-of-innovation"><em>The Art of Innovation</em></a> (2001) and <a href="http://www.ideo.com/by-ideo/the-ten-faces-of-innovation"><em>The Ten Faces of Innovation</em></a> (2005).</p> <p>More details about LaunchU and the Creativity & Leadership Program are available on their websites, <strong>www.oberlin.edu/launchU</strong> and <strong>www.oberlin.edu/creativity</strong>.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2013-01-30T12:00:00Z">Wed, 01/30/2013 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2395">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3238">LaunchU</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="photo-gallery__slides"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Alumnus Tom Kelley ’77 gave the keynote address during the LaunchU pitch competition. Globally recognized as an expert on innovation, design thinking, organization design, and related business topics, Kelley spoke about nurturing a culture of innovation.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of Nadya Primak</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Venture Development Awardee BinStored. Started by James Foust ’13 and Dean Ginsberg ’12, BinStored saves liberal arts college students the hassle of renting a storage unit and transporting their items off campus for summer storage. Instead, students take their items to an on-campus storage station, and BinStored takes them to a nearby storage facility and returns them in the fall. Left to right: John Knific, Creativity & Leadership associate and mentor; Dean Ginsburg, James Foust, and Eugene Carr ’82, chair of the President's Advisory Council's working group on entrepreneurship.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of Yvette Chen ’16</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Venture Development Awardee Bookalokal. An online marketplace developed by Evenlyne White ’04 and Shane Boris ’04, Bookalocal enables “guests” seeking a local and social food experience to search for, connect with, and dine with local people. “Hosts” offer a variety of local food experiences while earning extra money doing what they love: cooking, hosting, and sharing a piece of where they live. Left to right: John Knific, Creativity & Leadership associate and mentor; Shane Boris, Evenlyne White, and Eugene Carr ’82, chair of the President's Advisory Council's working group on entrepreneurship.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of Yvette Chen ’16</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Venture Development Awardee CnXn. A venture by Brian Verne ‘09, Jack Dunn ‘10, and Michael Eppich, CnXn aims to become the sole digital destination for the modern global athletic community—Linkedin for the athletic résumé and Amazon for the athletic marketplace. A digital “baseball card” to show off, complete with a profile of personal footage and achievement and a timeline of athletic development. Left to right: John Knific, Creativity & Leadership associate and mentor; Jack Dunn; Brian Verne; Eugene Carr ’82, chair of the President's Advisory Council's working group on entrepreneurship; and Michael Eppich.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of Yvette Chen ’16</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Venture Development Awardee Compology. A venture by Jason Gates and Ben Chehebar, Compology aims to increase food-waste recycling rates, which remain low because of the inefficient collection infrastructure. Compology is building a low-cost “Smart Dumpster” for food waste that integrates fermentation and sensing technologies to improve disposal-process hygiene and optimize waste-hauling routes. Left to right: John Knific, Creativity & Leadership associate and mentor; Ben Chehebar, Jason Gates, and Eugene Carr ’82, chair of the President's Advisory Council's working group on entrepreneurship.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of Yvette Chen ’16</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">LaunchU Honorable Mention Kenya Reads. An initiative of Peterson K. Njamunge ’14, Shauna Godfrey ’14, and Ty Diringer ’14, Kenya Reads is promoting literacy in rural Kenya by providing students from poor backgrounds with access to educational resources. In the initial phase, they established two school-based libraries. Their next project is to establish a community center. Left to right: John Knific, Creativity & Leadership associate and mentor; Peterson K. Njamunge; Shauna Godfrey; Ty Diringer; and Eugene Carr ’82, chair of the President's Advisory Council's working group on entrepreneurship.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of Yvette Chen ’16</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__navbar"> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Campus Alive with Entrepreneurial Spirit</h1> <p>Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:21:26 +0000</p> <span>Campus Alive with Entrepreneurial Spirit</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:21:26-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:21">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:21</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>During January, �鶹��Ƶ’s Creativity & Leadership Project has been hosting its first annual LaunchU program, three intensive weeks designed to encourage and accelerate the development and launch of �鶹��Ƶ entrepreneurs.</p> <p>Featuring 15 ventures from both current students and alumni, the program began January 7 with two weeks of LaunchU Bootcamp, which focused on idea and organizational development. This week (January 22 to 24), the participants are engaging in the program’s Accelerator phase, a period of intensive pitch development. The program culminates with the LaunchU Pitch Competition on Saturday, January 26.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Tom Kelley</figcaption> </figure> <p>During the Pitch Competition, participants will present their business plans to real-world investors with the opportunity of earning up to $10,000 in venture-development prizes. The pitch competition features a keynote address by IDEO general manager Tom Kelley ’77. More than the opportunity to earn money for their venture, LaunchU offers student and alumni entrepreneurs the opportunity to connect with and get feedback from a team of distinguished mentors from northeast Ohio and the �鶹��Ƶ network. All of the day’s events are open to the public; a full schedule is available on the <a href="/launchu">LaunchU website</a>.</p> <p>“LaunchU is an intensification of the programming that Creativity & Leadership has done over the past five years,” says Andrea Kalyn, the project’s director. “Our goal is to create a forum for current students to come together with our alumni in establishing a really strong network in support of entrepreneurship at �鶹��Ƶ.”</p> <p>Since its conception in 2007, the Creativity & Leadership Project has distributed more than $350,000 in grants and awards to �鶹��Ƶ student ventures.</p> <p>“�鶹��Ƶ is highly entrepreneurial in its nature,” says Kalyn. “We have a rich history of a spirit of activism, setting new paradigms, and pushing boundaries. LaunchU is a way of challenging how this education lives on in the real world.”</p> <p>The final participating ventures include eight led by �鶹��Ƶ alumni and seven by current students. Their business plans include plans for building electric solar power systems, expanding an online literary magazine, providing textbooks and mentorship programs for youth in rural Kenya, and providing affordable summer storage options for �鶹��Ƶ students.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2013-01-22T12:00:00Z">Tue, 01/22/2013 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Liv Combe</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2395">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2406">Innovation and Impact</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3238">LaunchU</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>