Emboldened by a campus culture of exploring 麻豆精品 S渨hat if? 麻豆精品 S� and the university 麻豆精品 S檚 support system of expertise and resources to back them, five Knights who started their companies while they were still students are making undeniable noise in their respective industries 麻豆精品 S� so much so that Forbes just honored them on its annual 30 Under 30 list.

The UCF engineering grads are recognized among peers from the likes of Stanford, UC Berkeley, MIT, Yale, Princeton and Columbia.

Joe Sleppy 麻豆精品 S�18 serves as CEO of Capacitech Energy, which is making supercapacitor technology practical by delivering plug-and-play, modular systems that eliminate power quality issues in data centers and microgrids responsible for downtime and equipment damage.

麻豆精品 S淯CF encouraged me to think outside of the box, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淯CF is an innovative university because they 麻豆精品 S檒l ask, 麻豆精品 S榃hy not? 麻豆精品 S� I think I share the same philosophy with running Capacitech. Let 麻豆精品 S檚 try it. The world is watching. Let 麻豆精品 S檚 use innovation and entrepreneurship to make it better. 麻豆精品 S�

Mason Mincey 麻豆精品 S�23, Derek Saltzman 麻豆精品 S�23, Matthew Jaeger 麻豆精品 S�22 and Patrick Michel are co-founders of Soarce, which takes underutilized plant resources like hemp, seaweed and grass and transforms them into nanomaterials eight times stronger than steel. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e on pace to build what we feel is going to be the largest global nanocellulose production facility in the world, 麻豆精品 S� Saltzman says. 麻豆精品 S淎nd we are not afraid to say that and stand behind it. That 麻豆精品 S檚 a big dream, but that 麻豆精品 S檚 kind of what we 麻豆精品 S檙e here to do 麻豆精品 S� make big changes. 麻豆精品 S�

These grads all credit their rise in large part to the immense support and knowledge they gained from UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 and . UCF invested $10-20,000 of alumni-funded awards from the annual competition and UpStarts program to support their venture development.

麻豆精品 S淐apacitech and Soarce illustrate how investments in technology development and entrepreneurship education can work together to increase innovation diffusion and societal impact, 麻豆精品 S� says Cameron Ford, William and Susan Crouse Endowed Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Blackstone LaunchPad at UCF. 麻豆精品 S淭hey also illustrate the arduous, fraught, years-long paths that entrepreneurs commonly travel when no one is watching to achieve 麻豆精品 S榦vernight 麻豆精品 S� success. We are immensely proud of the example they are setting for current and future Knights by combining their disciplinary expertise with entrepreneurial knowhow to positively impact others. 麻豆精品 S�

To learn more about how these Knights are putting in the work today that is shaping the future around us, check out their stories (with video) on UCF Today:

• Forbes 2026 30 Under 30 Winner: Capacitech
• Forbes 2026 30 Under 30 Winner: Soarce

麻豆精品 S淔rom the moment I heard about cities being smart, it has always been on my mind, 麻豆精品 S� Agarwal says. The concept resonates for this engineering visionary because he was raised in a small town in India with unstable transportation, electric, water and drainage systems. 麻豆精品 S淚 had a strong feeling that a 麻豆精品 S榮mart city 麻豆精品 S� would benefit everyone living in it, for generations. 麻豆精品 S�

Little did Agarwal know at the time that in 2024 he would be in Orlando, The City Beautiful, as founding director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Urban Intelligence and Smart City Lab and coordinator of its innovative Smart Cities master 麻豆精品 S檚 program. He could have continued his blossoming career in any major city with a reputable university, but he came to Central Florida because he saw something fresh: under the umbrella of the Future City Initiative, researchers and students from a variety of departments who would soon be working with industry and city leaders toward a singular goal.

麻豆精品 S淪martness, 麻豆精品 S� says Agarwal, an associate professor in civil environmental and construction engineering.

Let 麻豆精品 S檚 just pause for a moment and address a basic question: What exactly is a smart city? The Orlando area has smart people with smart ideas. We have a university with world-renown instructors and a history of groundbreaking tech research in AR, VR, digital twinning, modeling and simulation. Yet with all of these smarts, we still live on a finite piece of land with a finite supply of water, all shared by a rapidly growing population. It doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 take long for such a city to become less beautiful.

Unless it 麻豆精品 S檚 truly smart.

麻豆精品 S淭he concept of a smart city is broad, but in general it means you integrate technology to remove the negatives of daily life, 麻豆精品 S� says Cameron Ford, founding director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and executive director of the Blackstone LaunchPad. 麻豆精品 S淣o congestion. No sanitation issues. No excess air pollutants. No problems with reliable power or water. A smart city uses foresight to improve livability, sustainability and resilience so residents can enjoy today while preparing for the uncertainties of tomorrow.”

For an example, Agarwal 麻豆精品 S檚 latest research provides a moving picture of what mobility within a smart city might look like: Traffic moving with the harmonious speed and efficiency of a school of fish (as opposed to the stop-and-go crawl of a caterpillar). In this city, autonomous vehicles would use sensors to transmit messages to each other and to the infrastructure. Road travel becomes cooperative and quick. It 麻豆精品 S檚 stress-free, and yes, friendly.

麻豆精品 S淭echnology is the connective tissue between every project in a smart city, 麻豆精品 S� Agarwal says, 麻豆精品 S渁nd it requires a lot of small projects connected together. They become the digital infrastructure. You can 麻豆精品 S檛 necessarily see them, but they make the quality of daily life better. 麻豆精品 S�

Carol Ann Logue is director of programs and operations for UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Innovation Districts and Business Incubation Program. She and Ford are involved in smart city initiatives because at some point every tech-centered project, visible or invisible, comes down to business. Without investment even the smartest idea will never see the light of day.

麻豆精品 S淭he cities that can pull this off have experts from every important sector intertwined into a singular ecosystem, 麻豆精品 S� Logue says. 麻豆精品 S淔or Orlando, it 麻豆精品 S檚 healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, engineering and business. We have a pipeline of young talent, intellectual property, forward-thinking research 麻豆精品 S� everything is here, due in large part to UCF, to be become fully integrated, and smarter. 麻豆精品 S�

Until recently, however, something crucial had been missing.

麻豆精品 S淔or as long as I 麻豆精品 S檝e been in Orlando, there have been frustrations that the rest of the world didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know about the tech capabilities here, which made it challenging to attract outside investors, 麻豆精品 S� Logue says. 麻豆精品 S淏ut that 麻豆精品 S檚 changing quickly. 麻豆精品 S�

Logue is referring to the presence of Plug and Play, a global startup accelerator with a deep network of investors and companies able to supercharge emerging tech markets like central Florida. Plug and Play opened an Orlando office earlier in 2024 as part of a partnership with UCF, the city, Orange County, Duke Energy and Tavistock, with the goal of advancing Orlando as a smart city.

麻豆精品 S淭his region 麻豆精品 S檚 identity as a tech market is unique, 麻豆精品 S� Ford says. 麻豆精品 S淲e don 麻豆精品 S檛 have major corporate headquarters spinning out talent, like they have in Silicon Valley. However, we do have talented, ambitious students and researchers coming up with new ideas to improve urban life. They 麻豆精品 S檙e developing expertise learning how to turn that expertise into viable business. Plug and Play fills a critical gap by attracting corporate partners and risk capital so those tech startups can flourish. 麻豆精品 S�

Logue says she 麻豆精品 S檇 been aware of Plug and Play for years because she 麻豆精品 S檚 in the world of business incubation. 麻豆精品 S淭hey don 麻豆精品 S檛 just go anywhere. There has to be a culture of innovative technology for them to nurture into a smart-city ecosystem. That 麻豆精品 S檚 exactly what we have here. 麻豆精品 S�

Plug and Play developed its first smart city cohort for Orlando in April. They invited more than two dozen companies to pitch the innovation they would bring to the smart city initiative. Of the 14 companies chosen for the cohort 麻豆精品 S� some local and some from outside the area 麻豆精品 S� four were founded by students, graduates and researchers from UCF: CapaciTech, which builds flexible and high-energy storage solutions; the smart mobility company ConnectedWise; Precision Periodic, which uses nanobeads for water treatment; and Fluix, an energy-saving AI-based autopilot.

麻豆精品 S淢any of the companies from outside the area that pitched said, 麻豆精品 S榃e 麻豆精品 S檝e been interested in moving to Florida, but didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know about the tech capabilities here until Plug and Play came along, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Logue says. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 been a 麻豆精品 S榳ow 麻豆精品 S� for a lot of people. 麻豆精品 S�

They 麻豆精品 S檝e been wowed to find out about UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 aforementioned Smart Cities master 麻豆精品 S檚 program, the only such program that fuses technology with disciplines focused on water and air quality, transportation and land development and public policy. They 麻豆精品 S檝e been wowed to discover UCF working on a $26 million NSF-funded Engineering Research Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3), and a transportation science and tech program ranked among the world 麻豆精品 S檚 best.

麻豆精品 S淭hey 麻豆精品 S檙e also impressed with the collaboration between experts in different fields, 麻豆精品 S� Logue says, 麻豆精品 S渂ecause everyone knows collaboration is the best way to make real progress. 麻豆精品 S�

Less than 10 years ago, Agarwal heard 麻豆精品 S渟mart city 麻豆精品 S� for the first time. Today he 麻豆精品 S檚 helping one come together. Many students in the Smart Cities master 麻豆精品 S檚 program are professionals who are reskilling themselves. One is developing a smart parking system. Another is coming up with a method to ensure healthy water quality in pools. Yet another is researching a way to locate lead pipes underground so they can be removed without tearing up the landscape.

麻豆精品 S淭hese people have always had ideas, 麻豆精品 S� Agarwal says, 麻豆精品 S渁nd now their ideas have the potential to be grown into start-ups, then incubated, and perhaps supported through Plug and Play 麻豆精品 S檚 network. It 麻豆精品 S檚 still early, but that 麻豆精品 S檚 what makes this an exciting time. We 麻豆精品 S檙e just getting started. 麻豆精品 S�

To further tap into the hidden gems of research produced by faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, UCF is initiating a new program backed by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) with mentoring from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The $6 million, NSF-funded interdisciplinary project, led by Ivan Garibay, an associate professor in the will create a UCF Venture Lab that supports budding entrepreneurs through the commercialization process and establishes a newly organized research umbrella at the university.

The funding for the UCF Venture Lab is provided through NSF 麻豆精品 S檚 Accelerating Research Translation (ART) program, housed in the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. UCF is one of 18 U.S. universities to receive funding through this newly established program.

“NSF endeavors to empower academic institutions to build the pathways and structures needed to speed and scale their research into products and services that benefit the nation,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan in a release. “The Accelerating Research Translation program in NSF 麻豆精品 S檚 new Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate identifies, and champions institutions positioned to expand their research translation capacity by investing in activities essential to move results to practice.”

The UCF Venture Lab will train and enable faculty, graduate students and postdocs to identify and launch viable businesses based on their novel research. It will provide guidelines on business development, match UCF researchers with relevant industry partners and, for a select few, provide funding through the NSF ART grant. The entity will be modeled after the business startup program at Georgia Tech, which will provide mentorship during the development phase.

麻豆精品 S淯CF 麻豆精品 S檚 world-class faculty are preparing students to work and lead in the industries of tomorrow, and we are grateful to the NSF for their support in enabling us to speed up research, discovery, and entrepreneurship, 麻豆精品 S� says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. 麻豆精品 S淲orking with Georgia Institute of Technology, which will serve as a mentoring institution, we look forward to expanding pathways for ideas, products, and programs that make positive impacts on society and keep pace with the speed of innovation. 麻豆精品 S�

Garibay says after comparing notes with Georgia Tech, the project team realized they would benefit from a Venture Lab dedicated to the commercialization of UCF research.

麻豆精品 S淲e plan to create that infrastructure here at UCF and hope to accelerate the growth of these businesses, 麻豆精品 S� Garibay says.

Community and Societal Impact

Georgia Tech will serve as a mentoring partner for UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Venture Lab development. Keith McGregor, the founder of the Georgia Tech VentureLab, will serve as one of the mentors to the UCF team, which includes co-principal investigators Carolina Cruz-Neira, a professor in the ; Cameron Ford, an associate professor in the , Svetlana Shtrom, the director of the ; and Winston Schoenfeld, interim vice president for research and innovation. The University of Florida will also collaborate on the project, providing input that will help UCF adapt Georgia Tech 麻豆精品 S檚 model to the Florida ecosystem.

Locally, the program is expected to have a positive impact on the Orlando area.

麻豆精品 S淐entral Florida is mostly a service-based economy, 麻豆精品 S� Garibay says. 麻豆精品 S淥ur median salary is below the nationwide average. The UCF Venture Lab will foster creation of technology companies, which will generate high-paying jobs and will attract a lot of growth to this area. 麻豆精品 S�

The program will also provide pathways for local industry to partner with UCF researchers. Organizations such as DeepWork Capital, the Entrepreneurs Alliance of Orlando and the National Security Innovation Network have already agreed to mentor the UCF entrepreneurs and to participate in the ART project advisory board.

ART Seed Translational Research Projects

Multiple seed translational research projects will be selected for funding through the ART program. The first project, led by Professor Guifang Li of the College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL), will establish a prototype receiver capable of high-speed space-to-ground laser communication that resists atmospheric turbulence. Once the prototype is developed, Li and his team plan to test the project at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Potential clients for the receiver include Blue Origin, OneWeb Technologies and SpaceX.

The second project is led by Center for Research in Computer Vision Assistant Professor Yogesh Rawat. He plans to develop a prototype software that can detect human activities shown in live video streams while ensuring that private information isn 麻豆精品 S檛 exposed. The software would be used in surveillance systems to identify emergency situations or potential threats to public safety so that law enforcement or first responders could act quickly to prevent harm.

Other seed translational research projects will be selected through a university competition that will commence next August. UCF researchers from all disciplines will be encouraged to apply.

Education Through Action

UCF graduates like Wolfe, Drake and countless others were able to launch their businesses with the aid of the skills they developed at UCF as well as the encouragement they received from UCF researchers and business development programs. To keep the pipeline of Knight-trepreneurs flowing, the NSF ART grant will enhance UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 educational offerings in entrepreneurship.

The College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Business Administration courses already offered in this topic would expand to allow graduate students and postdocs to take the courses, allowing for a greater diversity of knowledge, skill and perspective in the classroom.

The goal is to instill an entrepreneurial skillset in the next generation so they can better qualify for jobs in changing industries or launch and grow their own business ventures, says Ford, who is also the executive director of the Blackstone LaunchPad and the director for the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

麻豆精品 S淭he careers that our students are going into are dynamic, 麻豆精品 S� Ford says. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e seeing a lot of changes and disruptions to the industries they work in, so our students need to be adaptable and resilient. They can add value to the companies they work for if they can learn to solve novel problems and execute initiatives. It 麻豆精品 S檚 not enough to innovate solutions 麻豆精品 S� the goal is to deliver innovations to those who need them, improving social and economic wellbeing in the process. 麻豆精品 S�

Garibay says that, for engineering students in particular, learning about entrepreneurship can change their whole mindset.

麻豆精品 S淚 think it 麻豆精品 S檚 life-changing, 麻豆精品 S� Garibay says. 麻豆精品 S淓ntrepreneurship is something we 麻豆精品 S檝e done for a long time and the feedback that I get back from students is that it 麻豆精品 S檚 transformative. 麻豆精品 S�

UCF Innovate

The NSF ART program doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 just allow UCF to create a business hub and enhance graduate education 麻豆精品 S� it also establishes a new research umbrella for the university called UCF Innovate. This enhanced infrastructure will bring together the Office of Technology Transfer, the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and the Business Incubation Program along with the developing Venture Lab. UCF Innovate will be overseen by Schoenfeld, who leads the Office of Research.

麻豆精品 S淯CF has been consistently ranked as a leading technology-generating institution with a strong entrepreneurial spirit among faculty and students, 麻豆精品 S� Schoenfeld says. 麻豆精品 S淭he NSF ART program leverages this to drive new levels of technology translation that ensures strong societal benefit from the innovation across UCF. 麻豆精品 S�

Shtrom says that through the ART program, the Office of Technology Transfer will strengthen and enhance the university 麻豆精品 S檚 commercialization infrastructure to transform promising research results into products that solve pressing problems and improve people 麻豆精品 S檚 lives.

麻豆精品 S淭he NSF funding will allow us to dedicate resources toward cultivating the entrepreneurial mindset and culture at UCF, increasing the number of startup companies launched to commercialize university technologies, and growing funding and licensing revenue to support and expand the research enterprise, 麻豆精品 S� Shtrom says. 麻豆精品 S淯CF is committed to nurturing and sustaining this virtuous cycle of research and innovation to maximize impact for UCF, Central Florida, and the nation. 麻豆精品 S�

The first-of-its kind听certificate lets听students work hand-in-hand with industry professionals, such as Fat Joe, DJ Khaled, Jordan Brand 麻豆精品 S檚听Reggie Saunders and Def Jam founding Director听of Publicity Bill Adler.听Assignments include everything from writing educational raps to analyzing music videos with theory and data. This semester听MC Serch听will join a听class to break down听the music video for the 1989 3rd Bass single 麻豆精品 S淭he Gas Face, 麻豆精品 S� a provocative take on the business crossover of hip-hop.

C. Keith 麻豆精品 S淒oc 麻豆精品 S� Harrison, who is the founding director of the certificate program and one of its professors, designed its four courses to bridge topics ranging from the innovation and evolution of hip-hop to sport business management and entrepreneurship. His goal is to generate an elite group of business-savvy students who think differently, think globally and hustle forward.听

While the courses focus on hip-hop, the goal of the certificate isn 麻豆精品 S檛 necessarily to provide students with a path to working in the music, entertainment or sports industries. It aims to challenge the way they think and approach situations and encourage thinking on a global scale. The certificate flips the script of hip-hop 麻豆精品 S檚 typical use in academia as a vehicle for religious, sociological, humanities or liberal arts learning by complementing these academic disciplines. The certificate program focuses on the business side of an industry that has been around since the 1970s and the impact it has had across music, entertainment and sports.

麻豆精品 S淥ur goal is to make the certificate completion very, very selective, 麻豆精品 S澨齭ays Harrison, who serves as a Nasir Jones Hiphop Fellow at Harvard University 麻豆精品 S檚 Hutchins Center for African & African American Research. 麻豆精品 S淭he four courses are quite rigorous, so our approach since the launch is to keep the finish line for only an elite group. We want it to be like becoming a pro athlete or artist (e.g. ballers) 麻豆精品 S� top 1% to 5%. 麻豆精品 S�

The Ballers

By this end of the Spring 2023 semester, four students will have finished the certificate program. Since its inception, the certificate 麻豆精品 S檚 marquee course, SPB4023 麻豆精品 S� Business of HipHop Innovation and Entrepreneurship, has filled up each semester as students continue to show a growing interest in the certificate 麻豆精品 S檚 offerings.

One of the first to complete the certificate is Denis Perez, who says the program has made him appreciate music even more and gives him an advantage for the future.

麻豆精品 S淭he certificate has opened my perspective on how the business of hip-hop came to be, 麻豆精品 S� Perez says. 麻豆精品 S淕etting to learn about the beginnings of hip-hop and the major impacts it made have made me appreciate it even more. This is such a unique opportunity. It is a great opportunity to diversify your portfolio and make you stand out to employers when looking for post-graduate opportunities. 麻豆精品 S�

Harrison incorporates industry professionals to show students how hip-hop and business connect.

Last semester,听Grandmaster Caz, who has influenced artists such as听Jay-Z,听LL Cool J听and听Will Smith, spoke to UCF students for the third time. Most recently, his visit focused on the role of innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity in his career, as well as a rap tutorial for those in attendance.

This August hip-hop celebrates its 50^th听anniversary. In preparation, Harrison听is planning a number of special guests and moments for students to celebrate the last half-century at the intersection of music and business. Grandmaster Caz, Fat Joe, DJ Khaled, MC Serch, Adler and Saunders have all been invited back to听speak. Photographer听Johnny Nunezwill听talk with听students about his career shooting some of the industry 麻豆精品 S檚 biggest names, including Jay-Z,听NAS,听Queen Latifah,听MC Lyte,听Beyonce,听Drake,听Justin Bieber听and听LeBron James.

The Faculty

UCF faculty members听Scott Bukstein, associate lecturer in the undergraduate sport business management program, and听Cameron Ford, associate professor of management and founding director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, lend their talents to the curriculum as well as lecturers from African and African American Studies, who contribute to a course on the evolution of hip-hop. Harrison has also enlisted help from outside the university from Adler,听Brandon Martin,听Tuma Basa听and Saunders, who all work in and around the entertainment industry. Martin serves as the athletic director of University of Missouri-Kansas City; Basa is the director of Black Music & Culture at YouTube. Basa was also the certificate 麻豆精品 S檚 first guest lecturer back in 2019.

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Center for Research and Education in Arts, Technology and Entertainment (CREATE)听also has been听an integral part of the certificate, providing both students and faculty.听CREATE director听Stella Sung and adjunct research animation instructor听Ronald Hargrove听helped Harrison create visual content for the certificate.

麻豆精品 S楾he Napkin 麻豆精品 S�

This summer听Harrison will release听The Napkin: An Annual Report on HipHop Academic Programs听online on Aug. 11. Started by Harrison,听The Napkin听will focus on content that highlights positive world news听in hip-hop听and higher education curriculum related to the genre. Contributors to听The Napkin听include recent UCF grad and ESPN+ sideline reporter听Hannah Jo Groves 麻豆精品 S�22, current radio/television student听Joshua Hammer听and Adler. Groves graduated from UCF in 2022 with a journalism major and sport business management minor.

Thanks to the forward-thinking professors, guest lecturers and students, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Business of HipHop and Creative Industries certificate is primed to stick around as long as hip-hop has with the culture 麻豆精品 S檚 tradition of innovation and reinvention. As Caz said, 麻豆精品 S淗ip-hop didn 麻豆精品 S檛 invent anything, it reinvented everything. 麻豆精品 S�

The collaboration involves , a direct support organization at UCF, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 (MVS2) and UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 (CEL). Together, they will focus on increasing access to internship opportunities located at UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 main campus, providing better access to training opportunities for advanced manufacturing equipment, and augmenting support for the entrepreneurial aspirations for students with a veteran status.

At UCF, the student-veteran and military-affiliated student population is estimated to be 1,900 strong on campus. Additionally, UCF received a military friendly silver award for the 2022-23 school year, recognizing the university’s ability to help veterans succeed in the classroom and the real world.

“Advanced manufacturing continues to grow at a rapid pace throughout Central Florida, 麻豆精品 S� says MVS2 Director Michael Kepner 麻豆精品 S�19MA. 麻豆精品 S淭his collaboration is the perfect next step in developing a talent-pipeline of student veterans to meet the workforce needs of our partners. This partnership with Limbitless provides our student veterans with the technical skills they need to unleash their potential and fill this critical requirement. 麻豆精品 S�

Kepner is an U.S. Army retiree and joined UCF in July 2022.

Limbitless Solutions has partnerships with key industry partners for advanced manufacturing 麻豆精品 S� including Autodesk (design software) and Stratasys (3D printer manufacturing) and Tormach (CNC machinery manufacturer).

Last year, Limbitless Solutions opened a new research facility dedicated to bionics research, advanced manufacturing and undergraduate student research development in Research Park. The facility has more than 5,000-square-feet of space near UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 main campus, making it accessible for students by the Pegasus Express campus shuttle.

The machinery at the advanced manufacturing facilities includes computer numerical control (CNC) milling and lathe machines, large 3D printers, laser cutters, vacuum thermoforming, and a full range of automotive painting equipment.

麻豆精品 S淟imbitless Solutions is excited to announce this new collaborative effort with MVS2 and CEL to provide opportunities for advanced manufacturing and entrepreneurship for student veterans, 麻豆精品 S� says Limbitless Solutions Executive Director Albert Manero 麻豆精品 S�12 麻豆精品 S�14MS 麻豆精品 S�16PhD. 麻豆精品 S淣ot only will this support advancing our work for pediatric and adult focused bionic arms, but it will also provide opportunities that can unleash the potential of our students. 麻豆精品 S�

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Blackstone LaunchPad program, an initiative offered by UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, is transforming students from all backgrounds and majors into entrepreneurial leaders who understand how to create and deliver new solutions to important problems.

Students who are interested in pursuing any venture 麻豆精品 S� social or otherwise 麻豆精品 S� are encouraged to visit the Blackstone LaunchPad on the first floor of the Student Union to get free, confidential, one-on-one coaching from an expert startup mentor.

“We support students from all majors who are freelancers, side-hustlers, innovators or future founders, and we are excited about supporting student veterans who are interested in creating their own economic opportunities, 麻豆精品 S� says Cameron Ford, founding director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

An estimated 500 to 600 students have met with startup mentors in the Blackstone LaunchPad annually since it opened in 2013. Volunteers from the business community help students learn how to create opportunities, design solutions, develop business models, and launch startup ventures.

For more information on how to access these resources, visit and .

The organic worm tea fertilizer is made by soaking worm-accelerated compost in fresh water to absorb valuable nutrients.

麻豆精品 S淐ontaining all the vital nutrients for your garden, the resulting leachate is highly effective at encouraging plant growth, 麻豆精品 S� Baker said during his proposal. 麻豆精品 S淯sing Wriggle Brew in your garden will guarantee that your plants are endowed with all the necessary macro and micronutrients that may have depleted from your soil. Just a capful of undiluted Wiggle Brew added per plant can rapidly speed plant growth and boost the young immune system. 麻豆精品 S�

What makes this fertilizer so unique? It also doubles as a pesticide.

Baker led Wriggle Brew to the top prize at the Joust New Venture Competition, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 version of Shark Tank. Wriggle Brew beat out three other student businesses April 7 to take home a $15,000 check and over $50,000 in essential business services.

麻豆精品 S淭he struggle that went into getting here is years 麻豆精品 S� worth, 麻豆精品 S� shared Baker, just moments after his win. 麻豆精品 S淭his means everything to me right now. 麻豆精品 S�

In a similar fashion to NBC 麻豆精品 S檚 hit show Shark Tank, Baker pitched Wriggle Brew to a panel of judges representing companies such as Echelon Fitness Multimedia, Addition Financial, Voloridge Investment Management, VMD Ventures and VMD Global Health, and ICI Homes.

Baker advanced Wriggle Brew to first place out of 16 semifinalists. His team plans to use the competition winnings to get in front of as many businesses as they can to develop their product further.

麻豆精品 S淣ext steps for me from here will be, first and foremost, a little bit of rest. Then my teammates and I are going to hit the ground running, 麻豆精品 S� Baker says. 麻豆精品 S淢y goal is to try to get into as many business opportunities as I can with this win, and hopefully do well with the expectations that have been placed on me. 麻豆精品 S�

The Joust is UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 premier startup showcase event, hosted by the UCF College of Business 麻豆精品 S� Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and features students of all majors. Competitors present their models for a viable business venture and compete to win money and other resources to pursue their venture. This event celebrates student entrepreneurs, introduces them to community leaders and provides key resources to help launch their ventures.

Before the winner was announced, John Santo ` 麻豆精品 S�01, co-founder and CPO of Echelon Fitness Multimedia shared a message with all four contestants.

麻豆精品 S淚f you believe in your product and what you 麻豆精品 S檙e doing, don 麻豆精品 S檛 let 麻豆精品 S榥o 麻豆精品 S� stop you, 麻豆精品 S� Santo says. 麻豆精品 S淏e relentless in what you do. No matter what happens today or tomorrow, that doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 determine the success of your business. 麻豆精品 S�

All four finalists in this year 麻豆精品 S檚 competition included elements of a social venture 麻豆精品 S� a business idea that aims to incorporate business skills and techniques to solve societal problems. Cameron Ford, director of the UCF Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, called this year 麻豆精品 S檚 Joust an incredibly close competition.

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 very excited by the strength of each of our competitors 麻豆精品 S� presentations, 麻豆精品 S� Ford says. 麻豆精品 S淚 have never been as proud of a group of students as I am for this year 麻豆精品 S檚 Joust competitors. 麻豆精品 S�

The Joust runners-up were Daniel Trimble, Michael Troisi and Ryan Carnovsly with Trosk, a company that aims to provide a range of education on cybersecurity and related topics. They took home $7,500.

Shelsee Joseph earned third place and $5,000 for her company, Curethco, a wellness tea company that aims to inspire consumers to take care of their health with accessible and effective teas.

ToolCharm and the team of Mark Rbuckert and Owen Burns earned $2,500 for their fourth-place finish and their idea to empower support teams to accomplish daily administrative tasks without software development teams.

The students 麻豆精品 S� venture proposals were assessed by a panel of business executives representing a wide range of corporate partners, local businesses and alumni.

This year 麻豆精品 S檚 judges were Linh Dang 麻豆精品 S�93, chief development officer at Addition Financial, Sean Hayes 麻豆精品 S�95, Chief Marketing Officer at Voloridge Investment Management, Forough Hosseni 麻豆精品 S�98, EVP of Information Systems at ICI Homes, Harold Mills 麻豆精品 S�98, CEO of VMD Ventures and VMD Global Health and Santo, co-founder and CPO of Echelon Fitness Multimedia.

The 2022 Joust New Venture Competition was presented by Echelon Fitness Multimedia. Supporting sponsors included 321 The Agency, BDO, Blezoo, Legal Shield, Insurance Office of America (IOA) and Nperspective LLC.

麻豆精品 S淲hat we 麻豆精品 S檙e doing in here is what you 麻豆精品 S檇 find Ph.D.s doing in expensive labs, 麻豆精品 S� Mincey says about his three business partners and himself. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檝e learned to work with whatever resources we have available. 麻豆精品 S�

Mincey, who 麻豆精品 S檚 on track to graduate from UCF in 2023, studies plant-based fibers at the nanoscale on one side of the garage. On the other side, the fibers are used for the research and development of high-performance athletic clothing. That 麻豆精品 S檚 the differentiator for Mincey and his co-founders of Soarce USA: Their shirts, socks, underwear, and headbands will be derived from plant materials.

麻豆精品 S淲ith our research, 麻豆精品 S� he says, 麻豆精品 S渨e can make high-quality performance-wear and feel good about protecting the environment. 麻豆精品 S�

Mincey enrolled at UCF as an aspiring aerospace engineer. During his freshman year, he discovered the university 麻豆精品 S檚 Blackstone LaunchPad program and a path to entrepreneurship.

麻豆精品 S淢ason exemplifies the kind of student who comes into the program, 麻豆精品 S� says Cameron Ford, founding director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. 麻豆精品 S淏lackstone is the investment company behind our LaunchPad. They share my belief that people who develop an entrepreneurial mindset will be better prepared to take risks and adapt, no matter what they do for a career.

麻豆精品 S淭hink about it. One student takes classes, graduates, and interviews for a job. Another student takes the same classes, but also had an idea for lip balm, developed a prototype and a website, and tried to market the product. If I 麻豆精品 S檓 an employer, that second candidate has me spellbound, whether they succeeded or not. 麻豆精品 S�

Ford has seen 500-600 students in the LaunchPad center every year since it opened in 2013. Volunteers from the business community mentor students in skills like accounting, marketing, and how to apply for patents.

麻豆精品 S淭his is real-world business development, 麻豆精品 S� says Ford, 麻豆精品 S渂ut it isn 麻豆精品 S檛 just for business students. You can see that from the alumni who have used the LaunchPad. 麻豆精品 S�

Chemistry alum David Nash 麻豆精品 S�11 麻豆精品 S�14MS 麻豆精品 S�17PhD helped launch IDem Systems in 2015 to help law enforcement agencies quickly detect the presence of illegal drugs. Health sciences grad Victoria Weiss 麻豆精品 S�16 co-founded Rope Lace Supply in her dorm room with industrial engineering grad Eric Delgado 麻豆精品 S�16 and sold $250,000 of shoelaces online in their first year. Managementalum Jesse Wolfe 麻豆精品 S�15 created O 麻豆精品 S檇ang Hummus, received mentoring in the LaunchPad, pitched his product on Shark Tank, and is one of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 most recognized entrepreneurs.

麻豆精品 S淎nd now, 麻豆精品 S� says Ford, 麻豆精品 S渉e comes into the LaunchPad to mentor other students. 麻豆精品 S�

Like Mason Mincey.

Mason Mincey, co-founder Soarce

Soarce is the fourth idea that Mincey and his partners hatched. They learned valuable lessons from each swing and miss. As freshmen, they developed a drone to help farmers locate patches of dying crops in massive fields, and even took it into the semifinals of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Joust competition.

麻豆精品 S淥ur pitch didn 麻豆精品 S檛 go well, 麻豆精品 S� says Mincey. 麻豆精品 S淲e went back to LaunchPad and began to understand that creativity and drive aren 麻豆精品 S檛 enough to build an actual business. 麻豆精品 S�

Next, they built a 13-foot rocket as vehicle for organizations without NASA-size budgets to collect scientific data. At a demonstration in Alabama, the rocket blew up at takeoff. Small portions of their own carbon fiber stayed intact, however, and would inspire number-three: a racing drone.

麻豆精品 S淲e had fun and sold some drones, but there wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 a big market, 麻豆精品 S� Mincey says. 麻豆精品 S淧lus, it was a toy. I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 see it as a business that would make a positive impact. 麻豆精品 S�

In the LaunchPad, Wolfe shared some entrepreneurial wisdom from his trials and errors during the early days of O 麻豆精品 S檇ang. For example, you can 麻豆精品 S檛 build a business on passion alone.

麻豆精品 S淗e said, 麻豆精品 S榊ou need to think from the customer perspective, a product perspective, and a business perspective. That 麻豆精品 S檚 the three-legged stool. And you need to be willing to adjust your original idea, 麻豆精品 S� Mincey says.

Mincey says without those lessons, and without pro bono help from attorneys, designers, and marketing specialists, Soarce wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 have made it past three months, and he wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 be wearing booties in his garage or using plants to perfect textile fibers a million times smaller than a human hair.

麻豆精品 S淟aunchPad got us on the right track, 麻豆精品 S� he says, 麻豆精品 S渁nd now we 麻豆精品 S檙e onto something cool. 麻豆精品 S�

Brandon Naids 麻豆精品 S�14 麻豆精品 S�16MS , co-founder Talon Simulations

It 麻豆精品 S檚 been said that the Blackstone LaunchPad is a great program for UCF students who have always dreamed of starting a business or those who never could have imagined it.

Brandon Naids 麻豆精品 S�14 麻豆精品 S�16MS is among the latter group.

麻豆精品 S淚 was just a na茂ve engineering student trying to come up with something interesting for my senior project, 麻豆精品 S� he says of the virtual reality flight simulator he and four other UCF students created. 麻豆精品 S淎nd I thought it would look good on my resume. 麻豆精品 S�

At the Senior Design Showcase in April 2014, local industry leaders and UCF faculty saw the compact nature of the simulator and heard about the lower cost to make it. Their feedback sparked a fire that changed Naids 麻豆精品 S� career path before he 麻豆精品 S檇 taken his first step on it.

麻豆精品 S淓very person at the showcase told us to check out the LaunchPad, 麻豆精品 S� Naids says. 麻豆精品 S淚 planned to look for an engineering job, but once we met with an advisor at LaunchPad and heard about the help available to turn our project into a product, we thought, 麻豆精品 S榃ow, we 麻豆精品 S檙e really doing this. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

Instead of pursuing job interviews, Naids pursued his master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree while shifting from an engineering mindset to an entrepreneurial ethos.

麻豆精品 S淲e learned that as business owners you can 麻豆精品 S檛 just submit plans and wait for results, 麻豆精品 S� Naids says. 麻豆精品 S淵ou have to set goals and then be accountable to meet each one of them. A mentor also told us that passion alone isn 麻豆精品 S檛 enough to build a business, but it will help you through the tough times 麻豆精品 S� because those time will come. 麻豆精品 S�

During those times, Naids would nervously sit in parking lots for up to an hour before meeting with prospective clients of Talon Simulations. Now, with a real business sitting firmly on a three-legged stool, he sees his team 麻豆精品 S檚 simulators used in arcades, malls, 150 Dave and Busters locations, and for U.S. Army recruiting events.

麻豆精品 S淚 never imagined this until we went to UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 LaunchPad, 麻豆精品 S� Naids says. 麻豆精品 S淯ntil then, I thought I 麻豆精品 S檇 be doing 3-D modeling behind someone else 麻豆精品 S檚 desk. I 麻豆精品 S檓 grateful everything turned out this way instead. 麻豆精品 S�

Senior photonic science and engineering major Rafaela Frota beat out six other finalist companies with her concept for Wawwe (We Are What We Eat.) The mobile app uses data and algorithms to help people decide whether they should eat something based on their personal dietary needs.

The competition rewards students who develop solutions intended to impact society 麻豆精品 S檚 biggest problems.

In under seven minutes, finalists had to present the problem they intended to solve, the solution they planned to offer, and a sustainable and scalable business model that could deliver the solution. Then they had up to three minutes to answer questions from a panel of three judges, who selected winners based on criterion such as concept, social impact, context, performance measures and presentation.

麻豆精品 S淭he inspiration for Wawwe came from my desire to help give confidence and support to people diagnosed with a diet restrictive illness and were feeling lost and overwhelmed, 麻豆精品 S� says Frota, who came up with the idea at 14 after watching food documentaries such as Food Inc. 麻豆精品 S淢y dream is to work with hospitals across the nation to bring Wawwe to as many patients as possible and increase their health through easy access, easy to understand personalized nutrition. 麻豆精品 S�

Frota was awarded a $2,500 scholarship from State Farm Insurance, which sponsors the contest. Second-place finishers took home $1,250 and third-placed earned $500 in scholarship funding.

About the Competition

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Social Venture Competition differs from other business contests because at the core of each business is a greater purpose to serve individuals or a community. Cameron Ford, director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Blackstone LaunchPad, created the competition in 2015 to provide a platform for students to learn how to utilize entrepreneurship to address complex, social problems.

麻豆精品 S淥ne of the challenges with social ventures or enterprises is evaluating their success,” Ford says. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 a little bit different from a standard corporate [measurement,] like sales, revenue, number of customers and stuff like that. Here you 麻豆精品 S檙e looking at things a little more broadly, like impact, which can be pretty difficult to measure. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淯CF has really paved the way for us to have access to so many more opportunities … and we 麻豆精品 S檙e incredibly grateful for that. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S撎�David Thomas Moran 麻豆精品 S�14MFA

Last year, texts and technology doctoral student听David Thomas Moran 麻豆精品 S�14MFA听and听art major听Nathan Selikoff 麻豆精品 S�04,听a Burnett Honors Scholar,听were able to overcome this challenge. They won the competition with their transportation tech startup Omnimodal. The platform merges real-time public transportation information with already existing navigation apps so users can use their phones to get around easier. Their win at UCF led them to even greater success in the local community as they went on to win Central Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Rally Social Enterprise Accelerator.

麻豆精品 S淭he [Social Venture Competition] reminded Nathan and I that it 麻豆精品 S檚 so important to break out of our innovation silos and actively engage with all the incredible opportunity spaces across the Central Florida startup community here at UCF and beyond, 麻豆精品 S� says Moran.听 麻豆精品 S淯CF has really paved the way for us to have access to so many more opportunities since we won last year and we 麻豆精品 S檙e incredibly grateful for that. 麻豆精品 S�

This Year 麻豆精品 S檚 Winners

About thirty minutes before this year 麻豆精品 S檚 competition, two finalists realized they had similar ideas for their long-distance ride sharing app 麻豆精品 S� down to the same statistics used in their presentation.听 Rather than compete against each other, senior information technology major Eliecer Vera and junior computer science major Breezy Baldwin recognized an opportunity to be more successful through partnership

麻豆精品 S淚t was really bizarre how identical they were. We both realized that neither of us would be likely to win the competition if we had the exact same pitch, but that it applied to our companies as well. We both can 麻豆精品 S檛 go head-to-head in the exact same market, 麻豆精品 S� says Baldwin.

麻豆精品 S淲e both realized that neither of us would be likely to win the competition if we had the exact same pitch. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S撎鼴reezy Baldwin, UCF student

Within minutes Baldwin, who has been working on her idea for 18 months and Vera, who developed his four months ago, managed to successful merge their presentations and companies under the name Hchhkr (pronounced 麻豆精品 S渉itchhiker 麻豆精品 S�.) So much so that they earned second place. They plan to continue working together.

Third place was awarded to Connected Wise, a smart onboard device that aims to improve safety in rural areas by allowing drivers to communicate with one another about road conditions. The company 麻豆精品 S檚 founders, Enes Karaaslan and Burak Sen, developed the idea from the areas of focus in their civil engineering doctoral studies.

The Food Exchange, developed by junior finance major Aurora Pavlish-Carpenter and first-year environmental engineering major Talia Gratz, earned an honorable mention and received $250. The app focuses on reducing food waste by allowing users to trade their unwanted food with other users nearby.

Other Finalists

Three more companies qualified to present at the competition:

Students who are interested in pursuing any venture, social or otherwise, are encouraged to visit the Blackstone LaunchPad on the first floor of the Student Union to get one-on-one coaching from someone with experience or expertise.

White 麻豆精品 S檚 company, Mainland Tow, won with a new piece of beach gear called the 麻豆精品 S淪kimvest. 麻豆精品 S� It allows the wearer to run along shallow water while towing a person behind on a skimboard. The electrical engineering major modeled the device after a baby carrier he found at a garage sale.

麻豆精品 S淎t first, my friends and I tried to tow someone on a skimboard with a bunch of T-shirts tied together, but that didn 麻豆精品 S檛 really work, 麻豆精品 S� White said. 麻豆精品 S淥ne day, I was at a garage sale and came across a baby-carrying harness, bought it for $2 and thought I could definitely use this to tow someone down the beach. 麻豆精品 S�

The full-time student plans to use the winnings from the competition to cover manufacturing costs for the first 100 units. After creating several product revisions and patenting the Skimvest in the United States, White set up a distribution deal with Ron Jon Surf Shop following a chance encounter with the company 麻豆精品 S檚 general merchandise manager at a beach in 2015.

麻豆精品 S淚 met him while putting on sunscreen during an event on Cocoa Beach, 麻豆精品 S� White said. 麻豆精品 S淎fter months of phone calls, he agreed to meet with me and was really excited about the Skimvest. 麻豆精品 S�

The competition, which was organized by the Roundtable of Entrepreneurship Educators of Florida, featured outstanding student venture proposals and gave competitors the chance to pitch their ideas to a panel of qualified professionals. Cameron Ford, director of the UCF Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, described the competition as a showcase for the best collegiate startup proposals in the state.

麻豆精品 S淢atthew worked extraordinarily hard on multiple startup venture ideas over the past few years with our staff at the Blackstone LaunchPad and Upstarts Student Venture Accelerator, 麻豆精品 S� Ford said. 麻豆精品 S淲e chose him to compete to reward his hard work and achievement. 麻豆精品 S�

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Through this partnership, the UCF Blackstone LaunchPad will gain access to Techstars 麻豆精品 S� network of more than 10,000 mentors, worldwide entrepreneurial events, and content and startup services. UCF Blackstone LaunchPad director Cameron Ford called the partnership a game-changing opportunity for UCF.

麻豆精品 S淭echstars has built a global community of innovators, entrepreneurs and investors that has achieved remarkable success launching companies and enriching communities, 麻豆精品 S� Ford said. 麻豆精品 S淥ur partnerships with Blackstone and Techstars will offer UCF students unrivaled access to expert advising, startup resources, and experiential learning opportunities to support their personal development and the development of their new venture ideas. 麻豆精品 S�

The UCF Blackstone LaunchPad welcomes hundreds of students from across campus each year, accepting more than 3,000 appointments and launching dozens of start-ups annually. UCF student and Capacitech Energy CEO Joe Sleppy advises other students at the Blackstone LaunchPad and used its resources to launch his business.

麻豆精品 S淭his partnership with Techstars is a major added value to UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 ecosystem and the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, 麻豆精品 S� said Sleppy, who won UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 version of Shark Tank 麻豆精品 S� the Joust New Venture Competition with his business idea in 2016. 麻豆精品 S淭he resources that will be shared are internationally desired, will give UCF students a major advantage, and will help them execute their visions. 麻豆精品 S�