The Summer Startup Track is a program designed for rising second year students who are dedicated to advancing their ventures during the summer between their first and second year of school. The program offers tailored advisory support, a network of peers, and programming with industry leaders, culminating in the opportunity to pitch for a $10,000 grant. Congratulations to the 2017 Summer Startup Track grant recipients:
Fly Louie
Fly Louie, founded by Julia Takeda '18, offers the speed and convenience of charter flight at the cost of a commercial ticket – purchase by the seat, in real time at www.flylouie.com “Participation in SST was pivotal to my getting Louie launched this summer,” says Takeda, “it gave me a structure in which to work, the focus to get it done and the confidence to move forward. The caliber of my mentor and my peers was extraordinary.”
RecycleUp
RecycleUp is a mobile app that incentivizes users to recycle more by allowing them to validate and get credit for recycling at existing recycling bins. Users can redeem credit for rewards and track their impact on the environment through the platform. RecycleUp’s co-founders, Michael Kraslow '18 and David Schreiber '18, will use the grant funding to promote the platform on Columbia’s campus and provide recycling rewards to RecycleUp users.
TeachEasy
Enrique Parada '18 and Christopher Russell '18 created TeachEasy, a teacher-to-teacher collaboration platform, to facilitate on-demand professional learning communities by matching teachers with other teachers based on user-defined interests, preferences, and experiences. The grant will help fund the marketing and technology required for a successful pilot launch in one of the NYC school districts.
Spoonable Spirits
Spoonable Spirits, founded by Kelli Lipson '18, makes liquor-infused puddings and jellies that take parties to the next level. The Summer Startup Track grant will allow Spoonable Spirits to participate in trade shows important for a food startup to gain recognition amongst food industry leaders.
TagToShop
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TagToShop, founded by Nemesio Fenandez-Cuesta '18 and Ramon Rodriganez Riesco SEAS '17, is the AmazonGo of Apparel Retail. It provides fashion retailers with the technology to offer a truly seamless customer experience at brick-and-mortar stores, adapted to the millennial customer. “The grant has enabled us to incorporate and will help us improve our sales and marketing, hire our first employees, and test our product to measure its impact at real stores,” says Riesco.