When I first met SyStem, a startup competing for the Zahn Social Impact prize, I asked them if they could grow a mango as if it was freshly picked in Haiti (feel free to dispute me, but Haitian mangoes are the best mangoes). After looking at me like I was crazy, they told me their kitchen garden computer would have to be big enough to grow a tree (oh, right, duh), but it could be done. Since then, Ive been fascinated by their cutting edge idea. I sat down with the SyStem team, made up of Adrian Logan, a junior computer engineering major; Alex Babich, a senior computer… Read More »
Some startups dream of changing the worlds social problems, some want to change the way we interact with the world, and others want to advance themselves. For SnapPitch, a startup competing for the Kaylie Hardware Prize, the best thing about the #startuplife is that you get to work on things youre most passionate about.Every single one of our startups has a unique story, and a unique reason they got involved with our program, but rarely is it so simple as wanting to help fellow baseball players. I sat down with the SnapPitch team–made up of Josef Bystrik, a student at the Sophie… Read More »
On May 1st youll meet this years crop of CCNY startups at our annual Demo Day on Monday, May 1st. Youll chat with the entrepreneurs who will have completed our Lean Startup Bootcamp, and get to vote for your favorites. But unless youre an avid cyclist, Cyqlo (a startup that helps you find biking routes in the city) might not immediately stand out to you.I sat down with the Cyqlo team–made up of seniors Michael Hendrickson, Haris Nadeem, Daniel Obi, John Spencer, and Junhua Wu–and talked about the role of entrepreneurship in their lives, and why theyre so excited to inspire New… Read More »
We're excited to announce a new partnership with the Master's Program in Public Administration (MPA) to inspire social innovation at CCNY. Together we've launched a new Social Innovation Fellowship that offers graduate-level training along with opportunities to explore social entrepreneurship at the Zahn Center.The Social Innovation Fellowship is part of the MPAs new emphasis on social entrepreneurship. Its offered in conjunction with a new track which focuses on new ways of addressing social needs and social change, and its purpose is to create change makers across sectors.… Read More »
Do you dread going to conferences? Does striking up a conversation with strangers paralyze you with fear? A few weeks ago, we learned how to network effectively and confidently with Kim Wales, Founder of Wales Capital. Her workshop made us feel empowered to go after what we wanted, and taught us how to build lasting relationships.Dont worry. Weve got all of the takeaways here for you. Check out Kim Wales secrets and tips below.When you think about networking, you often dont consider how networking can improve your life overall:Networking can get you out of a mental rut–it… Read More »
Have you ever felt that you werent worthy of being where you are today? That for whatever reason–be it your age, your ethnicity, your race, your gender, your sexual orientation, or where you came from–you werent supposed to be succeeding? It might sound crazy, but a lot of people, especially young people, suffer this form of self-doubt. And it can be detrimental to their future. In our next Meet a CCNY Startup interview, Id like to introduce you to Interveen, a competitor in the Standard Chartered Women+Tech4NYC track. Interveen is building a platform to help at-risk students… Read More »
Demo Day is rapidly approaching (May 1st!). In the meantime, wouldnt it be cool to get to know the CCNY startups who will be there? We think so. Allow me introduce you to dawaCare (formerly Camerhealth), a contender for the 2017 Zahn Social Impact Prize. dawaCare aims to improve healthcare in developing countries, with a focus in Cameroon. When you first meet the leaders of dawaCare–Manni & Danny–they seem like your average outgoing college student. But its not until you sit down with them, and hear the story behind dawaCare, that you realize theyre tackling a global issue.I… Read More »
One question we always get at the Zahn Center is how students can get involved with us, especially if they don't have a startup idea of their own. A great place to start is with the Entrepreneurship Student Club (ESC) on campus. Their mission is to build a community of innovation, inspiration, leadership, and collaboration. They believe that entrepreneurship stems from solving problems, and in unification and collaboration, entrepreneurs can solve many of those problems faster and more efficiently. I sat down with Raneem Elsayed, CFO and Events Director of ESC. She gave me… Read More »
At the Zahn Center, we often celebrate the diversity of our students and their startup ideas. And each day, we witness how diversity creates innovation. But it was only two years ago that we realized, when it comes to gender, our Center wasnt as diverse as it could be. It was because of this realization that we launched an initiative with Standard Chartered Bank to address the gender gap in technology and entrepreneurship.Its clear that the future is female, and the female leaders of this growing network will serve as role models for the young girls of today. Some of these role… Read More »
Although many consider City College to be a commuter campus, theres a lot that goes on outside of classes. From Greek life to quidditch, CCNY is home to many clubs and organizations that allow students to explore their passions outside of the classroom. Today, were highlighting one that is near and dear to our hearts, the University Innovation Fellows Program.A few months ago, we announced that four City College students were named Innovation Fellows by Stanford Universitys d.school, as part of a global program that trains student leaders to create new opportunities for their… Read More »
Last Updated: 10/08/2020 22:24