MSU’s Burgess Institute For Entrepreneurship & Innovation Rises to Fourteen in National Ranking

By Aaryn Richard

The Princeton Review announcement marks the third consecutive year of distinguished recognition

Contact(s): Aaryn Richard, Caroline Brooks

For the third straight year, Michigan State University’s Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is recognized as a leader in entrepreneurship education. The Princeton Review announced today its top 25 undergraduate entrepreneurship programs in the nation, and Michigan State rises from #16 to #14.

The entrepreneurial ecosystem at Michigan State has received deep investments since its 2012 inception, fostering a culture of innovation where participants hone a mindset that attracts the attention of talented, motivated student and alumni venturers.

“Providing students with real-world opportunities to take action on their ideas is a serious undertaking,” said Lori Fischer, the Burgess Institute’s assistant director. “Since 2012, we’ve helped Spartans build the courage to take calculated risks and fortified those risks with tangible resources. Our programs are designed not only to assist students in launching successful ventures but also aid them in refining an entrepreneurial mindset.

MSU’s Minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation launched in 2016 and continues to be one of the fastest-growing minors in the university’s history. With more than 700 students currently enrolled, the minor welcomes undergraduates from all MSU disciplines.

“When we launched the undergraduate minor in entrepreneurship and innovation, our vision homed in on cultivating a culture of entrepreneurship at MSU. Being recognized by the Princeton Review for a third straight year confirms we’re doing something right,” said Ken Szymusiak, the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation’s managing director of academic programs. “This recognition highlights the depth and breadth of what we offer students — from an undergraduate minor in entrepreneurship and innovation to a student incubator to a summer accelerator to a venture capital fund, we’re supported by participation from all undergraduate colleges.”

Year over year, participation in the Burgess Institute’s programming has seen exponential growth. In fact, over the last five years student venturers have launched 691 startups, a 38% increase since 2015.
Beyond the entrepreneurship and innovation minor and 50+ entrepreneurship-related undergraduate courses, MSU’s student offerings include participation in national startup competitions like SXSW (South by Southwest), mentoring opportunities with successful entrepreneurial alumni, student organizations and clubs, as well as dynamic spaces for students to create.

“We had nearly 4,500 students participate in our academic entrepreneurship courses last year, representing 129 unique majors across all colleges. This is what sets Michigan State apart,” Szymusiak said.

“The colleges on our list have truly superb entrepreneurship programs,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. “Their faculties are genuinely engaged in entrepreneurism. Their courses are rich with in-class and out-of-class experiential components, and the financial and networking support their students receive via donors and alumni is extraordinary.”

To compile the 2020 ranking, The Princeton Review surveyed more than 300 schools offering entrepreneurial studies across data points related to scholarships and grants, successful alumni entrepreneurs, and faculty support.

Burgess New Venture Challenge Announces Semifinalists for Fourth Annual Competition

March 1, 2022

Contact: Aaryn Richard, Karina Stankowski

East Lansing, Mich. — The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation today announces the fifteen semifinalist teams selected to compete in its fourth annual contest, the Burgess New Venture Challenge (BNVC).

On April 7, 2022, the Burgess Institute will host MSU’s premier pitch competition at The Graduate in East Lansing from 4 – 8 PM. The annual competition highlights top student entrepreneurs and celebrates Michigan State University’s growing venture creation ecosystem.

The Burgess New Venture Challenge is more than a competition, said Ken Szymusiak, managing director of academic programs for the Burgess Institute. This is high-stakes experiential learning. These fifteen semifinalists must prove their ideas are viable; the market demands their solutions; and, ultimately, their value propositions hold up to scrutiny.

2022’s BNVC semifinalists will pitch their ideas during a private session before the student showcase opens to the public at 4 PM. With only five finalist slots available, student venturers will need to convince a panel of expert judges they have what it takes to compete for ,000 in total scholarship prizes.

BNVC requires student applicants to be competition-ready: To qualify to compete, students must enroll in the Burgess Institute’s intensive Discovery and Launch venture creation programs, collect feedback about their ideas from potential customers as well as business leaders and venture coaches, and form collaborative teams around their submitted ideas.

BNVC is a competition that supports student venturers from concept to pitch, said Paul Jaques, managing director of venture creation for the Burgess Institute. The BNVC experience ensures students are thinking critically about their ideas. They spend time refining and derisking. They are building skills through action: market research, customer discovery, supply chain — these are essential skills that bring value to their futures, whether they pursue their startups or join established firms and innovate from within.

INTRODUCING 2022’S BURGESS NEW VENTURE CHALLENGE SEMIFINALISTS

2022’s Burgess New Venture Challenge semifinalist applicants represent eight colleges and over a dozen disciplines of study. Here are this year’s semifinalists:

AlterNut

Applicant: Grant Petrucci (petruc15@msu.edu), College of Communication Arts & Sciences

AlterNut provides clean food for healthier living with delicious, heart-healthy, vegan, organic, all-natural, peanut-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy-free trail mix that has no cross-contamination.

Branching Out

Applicant: Avery Tilley (tilleyav@msu.edu), College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, College of Natural Science, Honors College

Branching Out is your supplier of fully customizable, grafted fruit trees yielding sustainable and organic peaches, plums, lemons, and more, all from the same single tree growing comfortably in your living room.

Empyre Webs

Applicant: Jason Israilov (israilo1@msu.edu), College of Engineering

Empyre Webs is a software/web development firm tackling the problem of streamlining communication between clients and developers by consolidating information onto a centralized and integrated CMS.

Fello

Applicant: Danielle Tice (ticedani@msu.edu), College of Arts & Letters

Fello is a peer-to-peer location-based app that establishes creative ecosystems from the digital to the physical world by encouraging and facilitating collaboration and connection among creatives.

Foreign House

Applicant: Siham Hassan (abdall57@msu.edu), James Madison College

Foreign House is a one-stop social media powerhouse that provides top-quality social media services spread across various segments, including a magazine, film studio, streaming services, and music record label.

GradPhinDer

Applicant: Laurisa Ankley (ankleyla@msu.edu), College of Natural Science

GradPhinDer provides biomedical graduate programs 24/7 access to find and connect with prospective applicants serving as an all-in-one tool for graduate recruitment, streamlining the process, and breaking down the barriers of academia.

HighFun

Applicant: Shu Pan (panshu@msu.edu), College of Communication Arts & Sciences

HighFun is an app to help Chinese people abroad to get more information and make friends. HighFun will help Chinese people to overcome language barriers and have a great travel experience when studying in the US.

OG’s Bakery

Applicant: Olivia Gargett (gargetto@msu.edu), Eli Broad College of Business

OG’s Bakery is a custom cake pop company with the mission to spread sweetness at small and large events that not only taste and look amazing but provide an experience for customers.

Remy

Applicant: Christian Nderu (nderuchr@msu.edu), College of Arts & Letters

Remy is a cross-border payments platform connecting wallets and businesses globally using blockchain technology and an existing network of global, major financial institutions as a medium.

Soup N’ Sip

Applicant: Olivia Simone (simoneol@msu.edu), Eli Broad College of Business

Soup N’ Sip is a walk-up and drive-through venture that caters to busy people on the go in need of a fast and easy satisfying meal with spoonless sippable soup.

Spartan Miners

Applicant: Ethan Hopp (hoppetha@msu.edu), College of Engineering

Spartan Miners is a better solution to cryptocurrency mining and expanding your mining power. We have created a sleek, closed-design computer case meant to replace your desktop PC so you can play games, go to class/work, and make money simultaneously.

Subleasify

Applicant: Bryan Lendzion (lendzio9@msu.edu), Eli Broad College of Business

Subleasify is an innovative, web-based platform that seamlessly connects property management companies, tenants, and subtenants, allowing all three parties to finalize sublease agreements.

TalleyJobs

Applicant: Shreesha Maddur (maddurs1@msu.edu), College of Engineering

TalleyJobs is a job board website that solves the inconvenience, repetitiveness, and significant time commitment of the job searching process by automating and optimizing it through a matchmaking algorithm.

The Cut Cookbook

Applicant: Madison Marsh (marshmad@msu.edu), College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

The Cut MI is a cooking, health, and wellness brand that emphasizes the importance of shopping local and sharing the beauty that Michigan has to offer, and the brand’s cookbook has over 100 fun, simple, and stress-free recipes.

UniServices, LLC

Applicant: Adam Green (greenad4@msu.edu), College of Law

UniServices is the Uber of odd jobs, using a mobile and web app to connect college students to residents in their communities to complete everyday chores.

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About the Burgess New Venture Challenge

The Burgess New Venture Challenge promotes entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation at Michigan State University. The competition identifies strong Spartan startups, provides mentorship and team development workshops, and culminates in a year-end showcase event. 2022’s event will be on April 7, 2022, at the Graduate Hotel in East Lansing from 4-8 pm.

About the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation empowers students to learn through action by providing programs, courses, and resources to foster an entrepreneurial mindset, develop empathy, and create new ventures. Our program is designed to prime students to embrace failure mindfully, explore unknowns, and develop skills that matter.

Triple4s Founders, Logan Nash, Matthew Rogien, Named 2022 Kaufman Family Scholars

By Gabe Berke

The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation announces that Logan Nash and Matthew Rogien are 2022’s Kaufman Family Scholars. Nash (’23, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources) and Rogien (’24, Broad College of Business) are co-founders and co-CEOs of Triple4s, an advanced solution for common pepper spray with a vision of convenience, style, and integrated location services.

Nash and Rogien are now the second-ever scholars of the new Kaufman Family Endowment Scholarship. Established in 2021 by Michigan natives Brandon and Barbara Kaufman, the scholarship supports exemplary student venturers at Michigan State University.

We wanted to create scholarship opportunities that propel changemakers toward success, said Barbara Kaufman. “Investing in Spartans who focus on generating maximum social good is exciting.

For Rogien, the Kaufman Family Scholarship is, “an opportunity and recognition for the countless hours my business partner and I have put into building this company.” Nash added that “the Kaufman Family Scholarship is a highly sought-after award for young entrepreneurs here at Michigan State University, because it truly resembles what it means to be a Spartan. That is, to give back to Michigan communities with the vision of helping others reach their goals.”

The Burgess Institute’s programs and resources allow student venturers to build their skills, hone their entrepreneurial mindset, and gain the tools necessary for reaching their goals. When asked about the Burgess Institute’s impact on his life, Nash noted that “the Burgess Institute has gone far and above my expectations for help and guidance throughout our journey. From pitch competitions, trips all over the country, mechanical and electrical engineering connections, legal guidance, app and website design, personal experience, funding . . . the list goes on and on. The Burgess Institute has it all. We would not be in the position we are in now without the help.”

For young entrepreneurs, an award such as the Kaufman Family Scholarship means the world. Starting your own business often means facing countless obstacles and bumps along the way. Nash and Rogien both were clear that earning this scholarship means more than merely receiving extra funding. Rather, the confidence they gained in themselves from this scholarship is what is motivating them to keep going today.

Now that they have earned this scholarship, what is next for Triple4s? Well, they are expecting to represent Michigan State at pitch competitions across the Midwest.

“With our product being finalized, sales and profits will soon take our company toward new horizons with the vision of endless innovation. Through our success, we will have the opportunity to help future Michigan State students achieve their dreams by donating back to the Burgess Institute,” says Nash.

Rogien adds that, “In the near future, you can expect us to launch our product and start being competitors in this industry. We are currently in the development stages working with multiple different companies to bring this product to life.”

Two-Student-Tech-Founders-Selected-as-2022-Kelly-A-Ford-Technology-Award-Recipients

by John Hart, Aaryn Richard

The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is proud to announce that Adam Green (College of Law, ‘23) and Vigneshwer Ramamoorthi (Engineering, ‘23) are this year’s recipients of the Kelly A. Ford Technology Award. Green and Ramamoorthi are recognized for their academic success and commitment to their tech-based entrepreneurial ventures.

Kelly Ford (Communications, ’94) established the scholarship because of her passion for the Burgess Institute’s work. She wishes to support the next generation of Spartan entrepreneurs.

Ford’s financial commitment to entrepreneurship education at Michigan State is only one part of her active role within the ecosystem.

At the start of fall semester 2021, Ford, along with twelve fellow Spartan alums, joined the Burgess Institute as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence. In this two-year volunteer role, she regularly connects with an assigned cohort of student venturers to provide guidance, support, and industry-specific insights as a dedicated mentor.

“I admire the work of the team at the Burgess Institute,” said Ford, “and I’m passionate about doing what I can to foster student success and the entrepreneurial spirit at Michigan State. My hope is, together, we’re ultimately strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Michigan, the Midwest, and beyond.”

Ford, a former tech industry executive turned general partner and chief operating officer at Edison Partners, is no stranger to promising innovators and their products. She recognizes Green and Ramamoorthi as leaders in MSU’s innovation community.

Entrepreneurship and company-building are all about intersections and alignment between top talent and subject matter experts, said Ford. “I look forward to seeing, and hopefully funding, more student ventures that leverage a broader base of university resources to advance and commercialize their ideas.”

Established in 2021, the Kelly A. Ford Technology Scholarship is intended to encourage students who have demonstrated the capacity to achieve educational and professional goals, the motivation to achieve them, and the initiative to seek opportunities to further their startups’ progress. Both Green and Ramamoorthi are awarded a scholarship of ,000.

Adam Green, a third year MSU Law student, is the founder of UniServices, an online service where users hire local college students to assist them in a wide range of odd jobs and tasks. The UniServices app hosts over 1,500 users, expanding to colleges across America. Green’s mission is to serve local community members with top-tier service while providing financial opportunity for college students seeking flexible schedules.

“We are working hard on expanding UniServices into a nationwide marketplace for all things that college students could need,” said Green. “We are looking to multiple new expansion ideas to partner directly with universities and localities to make UniServices a hometown hero and nationwide brand for promoting students and strengthening community bonds.”

Vigneshwer Ramamoorthi, Electrical Engineering senior, is the founder of Paradigm AR, a unified augmented reality platform allowing developers across the world to create their AR-based applications. His goal is to connect the digital and physical world together using advanced wearable technology. Ramamoorthi’s leading development is pair of AR glasses that can connect to smartphones, allowing users to create advanced contextualized environments using data.

Ramamoorthi has his sights set on the future of technology. “We believe in a face-wearable future for the post-smartphone era,” he said. “We are working towards a future where AR glasses would be replacing your smartphone and pushing the envelope in the personal mobile computing space.”

The Burgess Institute’s programs and resources allow student venturers to build their skills, hone their entrepreneurial mindset, and gain the tools necessary for reaching their goals. As students within the Launch Program at MSU, Green and Ramamoorthi’s ventures are fully funded by the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Since it’s inception in 2021, UniServices has achieved success through many programs and events. Green won the Detroit Global Student Entrepreneur Awards Regional Competition, allowing the company to be chosen as one of six teams to represent the USA at the GSEA Global Finals. Green has attended and placed in multiple pitch competitions across Michigan, including the 2021 Burgess New Venture Challenge.

This summer, Ramamoorthi spent six weeks in the Burgess Institute’s Momentum Pre-Accelerator Program. The six-week pre-accelerator provides additional financial and mentorship resources, advancing MSU-based student startup teams and preparing them for more intensive accelerators. Ramamoorthi has found guidance working with tech-focused mentor, James Pita, one of the Burgess Institute’s Entrepreneurs-in-Residence.

Green will use his scholarship earnings towards marketing materials and technology upkeep and innovation to meet the needs of the student and residential communities that use UniServices. “My team and I have been working extremely hard to ensure that we can produce an excellent product that would make MSU proud,” said Green. “This award is an incredible recognition of our work, motivating us to work even harder.”

Ramamoorthi is using his scholarship to push fundraising to begin product development. In Paradigm AR’s early stage, Ramamoorthi is aiming to secure partnerships between multiple corporations to advance the future of his technology.

“Burgess has a lot to do with my journey as an entrepreneur,” Ramamoorthi said. “It’s an amazing resource hub for everything one needs to start a company and make a difference in the world. The Burgess Institute is a huge win-win for students like me.”

Thirteen Spartan Alumni named Burgess Institute’s 2021–2022 Entrepreneurs-in-residence

AUGUST 23, 2021

by Diego Fernandez, Aaryn Richard

The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Michigan State University announces its 2021–2022 Entrepreneurs-in-Residence lineup. In addition to four returning EIRs, nine accomplished Spartan entrepreneurs will be joining the program’s ranks, growing this year’s cohort to thirteen.

Entrepreneurs-in-Residence serve as mentors and coaches, working closely with student venturers participating in the Burgess Institute’s venture creation program. This year’s cohort brings with them expertise, insights, and a network that will fuel student success and assist them in bringing to life their go-to-market strategies.

Nine New EIRs Join the Burgess Institute’s 2021-2022 Cohort

The Burgess Institute announced the formation of the EIR program in 2020, welcoming Jasmene Bowdry (B.S. Fashion Merchandising, ’05), Curtis Daniel III (B.S. Psychology, ’95), Stacey Marsh (B.A. Marketing, ’86), John Rood (B.A. International Relations and Political Theory, ’05), and Jim Wirth (B.A. Accounting and Information Systems, ’89). The program’s success has led to its growth. Joining the team for 2021–2022 are:

Jeff Ellman
Jeff Ellman (B.A., Sales and Marketing, ’00) has dedicated his career to helping people through life’s transitions. Ellman is co-founder of Urbanbound, a web-based application built to help people move to a new city, and Hireology, a technology platform that gives companies a structured hiring process. Ellman also co-founded Homescout, a residential real estate company that has since been sold to Coldwell Banker. In addition to the companies Ellman has co-founded, he serves as a board member, advisor, and mentor to various companies and organizations.

Kelly Ford
Kelly Ford (B.A., Communications, ’94) is a tech industry executive turned general partner at Edison Partners, a growth equity firm focused on technology-enabled solutions in fintech, enterprise software, and healthcare IT sectors. Having never held a role that someone held before her, she is a veteran of high-growth emerging and established tech companies. In addition to investing in fintech companies, Kelly is the pioneer of the firm’s Edison Edge value-added services platform focused on building and accelerating enterprise value for portfolio companies through operating excellence.

Melissa MACK Mackey
Melissa “MACK” Mackey (B.A. Advertising, ’04) is the founder and CEO of LU Management, a firm that helps professional athletes in their pursuit of entrepreneurship and venture capital, empowering them with a championship mentality in business. MACK was previously the founder and head of the Verizon Innovation Garage, where she led global open innovation, startup evaluation, and partnership strategy. She’s also known for strategically driving many first-in-pharma branded digital marketing initiatives and for founding the first holistic health management platform for heart failure patients and caregivers. MACK advises several early-stage startups and is on the advisory board for the Michigan State University Foundation.

Mike Miller
Mike Miller (B.S. Physics, ’99) is a Ph.D. Physicist and an early leader in cloud computing, helping to bring cloud technologies to Fortune 500 enterprises. In 2008, he co-founded Cloudant, a cloud database used for web, mobile, and serverless applications, which was acquired by IBM in 2014. Miller, who has over one hundred scientific publications, currently enjoys his role as a founding partner at Liquid 2 Ventures, an early-stage investment fund that finds opportunities across all platforms.

Josh Ogundu
Joshua Ogundu (B.A. Economics, ’15) is product operations lead at TikTok, the world’s leading destination for short-form mobile videos. Ogundu’s work led to the release of TikTok’s photosensitive epilepsy feature warning and toggle as well as TikTok’s age verification for their Creator Fund. He has utilized his past experiences with his startup LykeMe, an identity- and interest-based social network, to become both an advisor for CLLCTVE as well as a mentor for Techstars’s L.A. Cohort. A problem-solver by nature, Ogundu continues to solve problems for one of the biggest companies in the world to some of the smallest.

James Pita
James Pita (B.S. Computer Science,’07) is a Ph.D. in Computer Science, an AI scientist, entrepreneur, and investor who has worked on and invested in AI-based solutions across industries. In 2013, he co-founded Avata Intelligence, an AI services company that was acquired by Procore Technologies in 2020. Pita’s other notable accomplishments include numerous scientific publications, helping pioneer the field of security games, working as an Operations Researcher for RAND Corporation, and over a decade of experience working on AI applications for defense including the United States (US) Coast Guard, US Transportation Security Administration, and US Federal Air Marshal Service. He continues to work at Procore Technologies as a Principal Machine Learning Engineer and is an active angel investor.

Sheela Sethuraman
Sheela Sethuraman (M.A. Education Technology, ’97) is the founder and CEO of CueThink, an application focused on improving math problem-solving and collaboration skills. She has over twenty years of experience building and implementing educational technology solutions in classrooms. Sheela was Project Director at Pearson Education, Director of Technology at CAST, and has been a member of various consortiums centered around education technology.

Amy Smith
Amy Smith (B.S. Kinesiology and Exercise Science, ’97) is SVP of PMO at Techstars, a global seed investment platform that drives innovation. Before joining Techstars, she led product management at ZOLL Data Systems, where she carved her path as a results-focused leader with a proven track record of successfully releasing products to the market and driving growth. Smith is an expert at positioning technology companies to be prosperous in highly competitive markets.

Jun Wang
Jun Wang (M.S. Industrial Mathematics, ’04) is a seasoned Silicon Valley tech executive. He recently built and led a global org of software engineers, data scientists, and technical program managers for a top social media company. Before this, he ran product management and data science at a venture-funded startup in the fin-tech space. He has previously spent 5 years managing Google’s analytics and data science teams in Google Maps, Adwords, and Google Payment. He started his career in risk management at HSBC after getting his master’s degree in Industrial Math at MSU. Jun is a startup advisor, angel investor, and board member in his spare time, helping startups in various stages on business strategy, product management, and technical topics around big data and machine learning.

Bringing Value to Generation Will.

At the start of the semester, each EIR is matched with multiple student founders who have been accepted into both the Discovery and Launch venture creation programs. Each EIR is empowered to work with their assigned students across the academic year, helping them build their ventures toward market readiness.

The Burgess Institute’s venture creation program, open to all MSU students, advances venturers through two phases: Discovery & Launch. Discovery presents students with the opportunity to build a business plan through researching, testing, and strategic planning. Once student teams reach their tailored milestones within Discovery and are ready to take their company to market, they can apply for admission into Launch. The application process requires student venturers to pitch their startups to Burgess Institute EIRs, who, together with program advisors, decide if teams are ready to move forward.

Lori Fischer, the Burgess Institute’s director of operations, has worked with countless students throughout their venture creation journeys.

“EIRs are an essential feature of our venture creation process,” said Fischer. “They are chosen based on their areas of expertise and deep connections within their respective industries. Students receive world-class mentorship and build their professional networks well before graduating.

Fischer went on to say, “I’m really excited about the thirteen alumni in our 2021–2022 cohort and the additional help our students are going to receive. Student success is our top priority.”

EIRs are matched with students with similar backgrounds, interests, and industries, enhancing the student experience.

Christopher Sell, the Burgess Institute’s director of alumni and entrepreneur engagement, has made diversity a top priority when choosing this group of professionals. Alumni in consideration for this critically important role were chosen based on their respective industries, professional accomplishments, geographic connectivity, and emerging or continued interest in supporting entrepreneurship education at MSU.

“It’s important to have this group of professionals mirror the diversity we see on Michigan State’s campus and the community across our venture creation and academic programs. We want to make sure we bring forward a group of alumni who collectively represent the best of Spartan Nation in an authentic way.”

Last year, the pandemic posed challenges to the operational logistics of the EIR program. “We needed to ensure the safety of both our EIRs and our student ventures, while also providing them value,” said Paul Jaques, the Burgess Institute’s co-managing director for venture creation. “We capitalized on ‘the new normal,’ allowing us to promote deeper relationships between EIR and student through virtual feedback sessions and one-on-one mentoring sessions. By doing this, we’ve opened the EIR program to alumni across the country.

This year, EIRs and student venturers will continue to leverage the newfound power of the virtual space. According to Sell, “we are anticipating that the experience will be mostly virtual this coming year and that’s not a bad thing. In many ways, the geographic barriers have been removed and it allows us to engage with alumni from Silicon Valley to Boston to Chicago, and everywhere in between.

Much of the Burgess Institute’s programming will be in a hybrid format during the 2021–2022 academic year, offering the opportunity for local and visiting EIRs to safely engage with students and the campus community.

Sheela Sethuraman, CEO and founder of Cuethink, expressed her excitement to give back to MSU students in a new and unique way. “I’m particularly looking forward to doing more with female entrepreneurs of color because of my personal experience.” Sethuraman, a veteran in the EdTech space, reflects on her own entrepreneurial journey, “I think there’s a big need for motivating young entrepreneurs. It’s really all about boosting confidence—the thing that took me so long to figure out.”

The Burgess Institute continues to spearhead entrepreneurship and innovation in the academic space. Since last year’s inception of the EIR program, its goal has been to provide student venturers with a strong foundation of mentorship and collaboration with experts. The growth of the program over just one year will set the 2021–2022 EIR Cohort on a trajectory to further drive student success.

Broad Spartans Dominate Third Annual Burgess New Venture Challenge Winners’ CircleBy Bridgette Bauer, student writer Monday, April 19, 2021 The Burgess New Venture Challenge is an annual competition that highlights top student entrepreneurs and celebrates Michigan State University’s growing venture creation ecosystem. The third annual competition, held on April 1, set the bar high with students from six colleges presenting their innovations — which ranged from sustainable clothing to electric bikes — for a chance to win a share of up to ,000 in cash prizes. Of the 15 semifinalist and five finalist teams chosen by a panel of expert judges, the winner’s circle was dominated by Broad Spartans. [Read the whole story by clicking here!]

Burgess New Venture Challenge Announces 2021’s Judges Panel

East Lansing, Mich — The Burgess New Venture Challenge (BNVC) announced today the lineup of judges deciding the fortunes of fifteen semifinalist teams at the third annual student startup competition. On April 1, 2021, Fifteen Student Semifinalist teams will compete for a chance at K in total prizes.

2021 Burgess New Venture Challenge Judges

BNVC judges are passionate about venture creation and Michigan State University’s entrepreneurial community. From prosperous entrepreneurs to venture capital and angel investors to c-suite executives, the Burgess New Venture Challenge 2021 judges are experts with deep ties to the university.

Spartan alumni play a critical role in our entrepreneurial community. Serving as a judge for our premier student venture competition is a significant commitment. We’re thrilled to have some incredible Spartans and friends involved in this capacity, said Christopher Sell, director of alumni and entrepreneur engagement at the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This year’s panel of BNVC judges includes accomplished founders, investors, and executives at high-growth ventures, and we appreciate the time they’re giving to our student semifinalists.

Joining 2021’s panel of Burgess New Venture Challenge judges are:

• Kavita Bouknight — Co-founder and CEO, Match Health

Kavita Bouknight (Eli Broad College of Business, ’99) is an entrepreneur, digital health maven, patient health advocate, investor, and speaker. Her mission is to connect people to targeted health innovations, enabling them to lead healthier lives. Bouknight is the co-founder and CEO of Match Health, a digital health platform that brings greater awareness and accessibility to transformative health innovations. Match Health has developed and maintains a vast video library that reviews various medical conditions and the innovations to treat them.

• Brian Burgess — Co-Founder, VROMP; Managing Member, Glengarry Partners

Brian Burgess (Eli Broad College of Business, ’01; MBA, ’12) is co-founder and CEO of Veterinary Rehabilitation Orthopedic Medicine Partners (VROMP). His company is the nation’s first group of standalone veterinary practices focused on high-quality, non-surgical rehabilitation and orthopedic medical care. Before launching VROMP, Burgess had a 15-year corporate career in Finance & Business Development.

• April Clobes — President/CEO, Michigan State University Federal Credit Union

April Clobes (Eli Broad College of Business, ’94) has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Michigan State University Federal Credit Union since March of 2015. MSUFCU has an asset size of over .1 billion, 305,000 members worldwide, 990 employees, and 22 branch locations throughout Michigan. Clobes has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing from Michigan State University, a Master of Arts degree from Michigan State University in Advertising, and a Master of Business Administration from Western Michigan University.

• Shaniqua Davis — CEO and Founder, Noirefy

Shaniqua Davis (Communication Arts and Sciences, ’13) is a digital marketing and technology enthusiast with an eye for detail beyond conventional digital-relations norms. A Detroit-native, Davis learned early on to use innovative techniques to gain both experience and significant opportunities for advancement. Davis launched the job referral website, Noirefy, in June of 2016, connecting qualified job seekers of color with top-tier companies.

• Kelly Ford — General Partner, Edison Partners

Kelly Ford (Communication Arts and Sciences, ’94) is a tech industry executive turned equity investor with a specialty in accelerating growth and building enterprise value for software companies, from startup to 0M.

• Anurag Kumar — Managing Director, Improving Nearshore

Anurag Kumar (Eli Broad College of Business, ’96) has over 35 years of executive experience in the outsourcing services and technology industries, including more than 21 years as president or CEO. He has founded five companies and led two rapid turnarounds. Kumar co-founded iTexico in 2010, a nearshore software service leader with operations in Austin, the Bay Area, Guadalajara, and Aguascalientes. Before selling it to Improving Nearshore in 2020, he grew iTexico into a multimillion-dollar company with over 300 employees and 250+ clients in the US, Canada, Mexico, and the UK.

• Rebecca Roman Landini — Co-Founder and Creative Director, StarForged Studios LLC.

Rebecca Roman Landini (Communication Arts and Sciences, ’19) is a game developer with a passion for all things creative. She graduated with a Masters in Media and Information and a certificate in Serious Game Design from Michigan State University. Roman Landini first came up with the idea, Edge, StarForged’s debut title, in 2017. She gathered a group of friends who worked on the game in their spare time until they decided to apply for 2020’s BNVC as StarForged Studios. The team won 3rd Place, opening many doors to StarForged, including being part of the Conquer Accelerator’s 2020 cohort.

• Tom Ryan — Co-Founder, Smashburger

Tom Ryan (Agriculture and Natural Resources, ’79) is an amalgam of many things. He is a food scientist, earning Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees in Flavor and Fragrance Chemistry from Michigan State University. During his doctoral studies, he became intrigued with Marketing and Consumer Research, which set him on the career path of a lifetime. In 2007, Tom co-created Smashburger, an industry icon for quality, growth, and business acumen. He currently holds Global Taste Advisor’s title to Jollibee Food Corporation, focusing on optimizing concept and menu elements.

• Jun Wang — Director, Engineering & Data Science, Twitter

Jun Wang (Natural Science, ’04) has been leading the software engineering and data science teams for Twitter’s revenue business since 2013. He ran data science and product development at a venture-funded startup in the fin-tech space before joining Twitter’s team.

• Jeff Wesley — Executive Director of Venture Investment, Red Cedar Ventures

Jeff Wesley was the CEO of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, the nation’s largest local moving company, where he received national recognition as a top franchise executive. Before joining Red Cedar Ventures in 2018, Wesley also served as the President of Accu Bite Dental Supply, an Inc. 100 company that a Fortune 500 company acquired. Wesley is an angel investor and is a member of both Capital Community Angels and the Michigan Angel Fund. Wesley served on various economic and community boards including, Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP). He holds his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Central Michigan University.

This year’s BNVC competition is fierce. But, as every judge knows, to win, competitors must demonstrate they have listened closely to their customers and responded to their needs with game-changing solutions. 2021’s BNVC semifinalists will pitch their ideas during a private, virtual session on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. With only five finalist slots available, student venturers will need to convince this year’s panel of judges they have what it takes to compete. On April 1, 2021, every BNVC team will showcase their ventures in a virtual setting. Who will take the top prize? Register for the Burgess New Venture Challenge here and find out!

About the Burgess New Venture Challenge

The Burgess New Venture Challenge promotes entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation at Michigan State University. The competition identifies strong Spartan startups, provides mentorship and team development workshops, and culminates in a year-end showcase event. 2021’s virtual event launches April 1, 2021. Find out more at eship.msu.edu/burgessnvc

About the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation empowers students to learn through action by providing programs, courses, and resources to foster an entrepreneurial mindset, develop empathy, and create new ventures. Our program is designed to prime students to embrace failure mindfully, explore unknowns, and develop skills that matter. Find out more at eship.msu.edu.

Burgess New Venture Challenge Announces Semifinalists for Third Annual Competition

East Lansing, Mich. — The Burgess New Venture Challenge (BNVC) today announces the fifteen semifinalist teams selected to compete in its third annual contest. On April 1, 2021, the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation will host the early-stage pitch competition in a virtual setting. The annual competition highlights top student entrepreneurs and celebrates Michigan State University’s growing venture creation ecosystem.

“The Burgess New Venture Challenge is more than a competition,” said Ken Szymusiak, managing director of academic programs for the Burgess Institute. “This is high-stakes experiential learning. These fifteen semifinalists must prove their ideas are viable; the market demands their solutions; and, ultimately, that their value propositions hold up to scrutiny.”

2021’s BNVC semifinalists will pitch their ideas during a private, virtual session on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. With only five finalist slots available, student venturers will need to convince a panel of expert judges they have what it takes to compete for the ,000 in total cash prizes.

BNVC requires student applicants to be competition-ready: To qualify to compete, students must enroll in the Burgess Institute’s intensive Launch program, collect feedback about their ideas from potential customers as well as business leaders and venture coaches, and form collaborative teams around their submitted ideas.

“We wanted to create a competition that supports student venturers from concept to pitch,” said Paul Jaques, managing director of venture creation for the Burgess Institute. “The BNVC experience ensures students are thinking critically about their ideas. They spend time refining and derisking. They are building skills through action: market research, customer discovery, supply chain — these are essential skills that bring value to their futures, whether they pursue their startups or join established firms and innovate from within.”

Burgess New Venture Challenge Semifinalists

2021’s Burgess New Venture Challenge semifinalist applicantsrepresent six colleges and over a dozen disciplines of study. Here are this year’s semifinalists:

Auxin Games

Applicant: Angelos (Rhys) Gogonis (maherrhy@msu.edu), College of Natural Science

Auxin Games designs & develops learning games, which teach STEM concepts such as biology, for organizations that seek better ways to engage, communicate with, or recruit students.

Branching Out

Applicant: Avery Tilley (tilleyav@msu.edu), College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

Branching Out’s customizable, grafted fruit trees are the solution for your average houseplants. Branching Out: a supplier of fully customizable, grafted fruit trees yielding sustainable, organic peaches, plums, cherries, and more all from the same tree that is growing comfortably in your living room.

CAPNOS

Applicant: Brendan Wang (wangbren@msu.edu), Eli Broad College of Business

CAPNOS is on a mission to prevent lung diseases and save lives with the CAPNOS® Zero, a better, cleaner alternative to vaping that addresses behavioral addiction with zero smoke, zero nicotine, and zero charge.

Catch

Applicant: Gavin Hubbard (hubba156@msu.edu), Eli Broad College of Business

Catch is a virtual networking platform, designed to facilitate more effective and efficient networking amongst attendees at virtual events. Attendees can view, connect, and interact with others who are at the same virtual event, making networking as seamless and close to normal as possible.

Chalk Talk

Applicant: Mathew Forgacs (forgacs8@msu.edu), Eli Broad College of Business

Chalk Talk makes reading easy and quick. A mobile app to read sections of text as short, separated, and digitized posts.

CLIFTN

Applicant: Eric Klinefelter (klinefe4@msu.edu), College of Engineering

At CLIFTN, we engineer, design and manufacture light electric bikes. Most trips in the US are 5 miles or less, and our lightweight electric bikes are a perfect fit.

GrandStand Music Festival

Applicant: Kayla Green (greenk13@msu.edu), College of Music

GrandStand Music Festival takes a stand against human trafficking by raising awareness and support through dynamic, educational music events.

Groupi

Applicant: Cory Eisenhard (eisenh15@msu.edu), Eli Broad College of Business

Groupi is Crowdsourcing Social Media. A social media app with customizable and reusable tools for groups and businesses.

INFKNIT Apparel, Inc.

Applicant: Jackie Smythe (smythej1@msu.edu), Eli Broad College of Business

INFKNIT creates sustainable, versatile apparel that combats negative environmental impacts, designed for the conscious consumer.

Intertwined Entertainment

Applicant: Joshua May (mayjosh1@msu.edu), College of Communication Arts & Sciences

Intertwined Entertainment is a creative solutions company that specializes in music, production, and marketing services. Artistscome to us for all their creative needs.

Kraze Cases

Applicant: Mouna Zarghami (zargham2@msu.edu), College of Communication Arts & Sciences

Kraze Case is an online phone case business providing customers with durable and fashionable phone covers at a low cost.

MEND UP

Applicant: Jacqueline Maggioncalda (maggionc@msu.edu), College of Communication Arts & Sciences

MEND UP is a recycled fashion lifestyle box and community that supports our planet and your style.MEND UP counters dieting culture, vanity clothing sizing, and clothing waste.

Picture It Staging

Applicant: James Hamer (hamerjam@msu.edu), Eli Broad College of Business

Picture It’s high-quality virtual staging services helps real estate agents sell homes faster and for more money. With the majority of homebuyers starting their searches online, the first impression is everything.Vacant or outdated photos won’t do.

TheFrameKart.com

Applicant: Raghunath Reddy Koilakonda (koilakon@msu.edu), Eli Broad College of Business

TheFrameKart is one of the fastest-growing multinational online eyewear retailers, offering a variety of both high-quality precision designer and in-house brands.

Vital Education to Improve Lives (VEIL)

Applicant: Tiauna West (westtiau@msu.edu), Eli Broad College of Business

VEIL provides resources, education, and support to members of disadvantaged and underserved communities.

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About the Burgess New Venture Challenge

The Burgess New Venture Challenge promotes entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation at Michigan State University. The competition identifies strong Spartan startups, provides mentorship and team development workshops, and culminates in a year-end showcase event. 2021’s virtual event launches April 1, 2021. Find out more at eship.msu.edu/burgessnvc

About the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation empowers students to learn through action by providing programs, courses, and resources to foster an entrepreneurial mindset, develop empathy, and create new ventures. Our program is designed to prime students to embrace failure mindfully, explore unknowns, and develop skills that matter. Find out more at eship.msu.edu.

Burgess Institute Announces 2022 Simpson-Birkestrand Endowed Scholars

by Diego Fernandez and Aaryn Richard

The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is pleased to announce the inaugural awardees of the Simpson-Birkestrand Endowed Scholarship for Entrepreneurs. Established by Suzanne (née Simpson) (Social Science, ‘65) and Dennis Birkestrand, the scholarship recognizes students who demonstrate a deep commitment to venture creation, the principles of free-market innovation, and academic excellence.

Please join us in congratulating 2022’s Simpson-Birkestrand scholars, Pia Gandrothu, Grant Petrucci, and Arielle Smith.

ABOUT SUZANNE AND DENNIS BIRKESTRAND

Dennis and Suzanne met at The Maytag Company in Newton, Iowa, where they worked in marketing and home economics, respectively. They left Maytag in 1988 to launch their venture, Factory Direct Appliance, dedicated to serving the appliance needs of new home builders and remodelers. They grew Factory Direct Appliance from one store in Kansas to seven locations stretching across four states, including Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.

Dennis Birkestrand is a graduate of Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, with a double major in economics and business administration.

Suzanne, a proud Spartan, graduated from MSU in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics Education and a minor in Journalism.

“Michigan State has been pivotal for several family members as well as myself,” said Suzanne. “My mother graduated [from MSU] in 1930, my brother in 1958, and me in 1965.” Suzanne credits Michigan State with providing her the means to use her Home Economics/Journalism degree right out of college. “We went on to strike out on our own as entrepreneurs many years later and built a successful business.”

The Birkestrands are sympathetic to the rising price tag of higher education. According to Dennis, these increasing costs “make it difficult for some students, who have natural inclinations toward entrepreneurial expression, to benefit from MSU learning. Together, we wanted to establish a scholarship that affords some of the most promising, young free-market thinkers with resources to help them succeed.”

Impressed with the students pursuing their ideas at the Burgess Institute, Suzanne sees promise in those working outside the traditional boundaries of classroom work. “We feel funding this scholarship will aid students who have a great idea get the help and direction they need to bring their product or idea to market.”

Dennis said, “Working in a large corporate environment was a great education. The exposure to so many entrepreneurs was an exceptional learning experience and showed the opportunities available in a free market.”

Following their 26 years of entrepreneurial success, Suzanne and Dennis retired with the sale of their business in 2014.

With this scholarship, the Birkestrands wish to promote the free-market system and assist MSU entrepreneurs in learning best business practices and contributing to private enterprise.

THE 2022 SIMPSON-BIRKESTRAND ENDOWED ENTREPRENEURIAL SCHOLARS

Gandrothu, Petrucci, and Smith are committed to entrepreneurial pursuits and learning. They have demonstrated their passions through their extracurricular activities, research, and choice of coursework.

Pia Gandrothu (Lyman Briggs College) dreams of owning and running her own clinical practice. Through the Burgess Institute, she learned about the entrepreneurial mindset, having little to no prior knowledge of it. Pia now believes that developing this mindset will help supercharge her path in the health space as she plans to delve deeper into entrepreneurial coursework and leverage the Burgess Institute’s venture creation programs and resources.

Grant Petrucci (College of Communication Arts and Sciences) is the founder of AlterNut. After learning about his father’s intolerance to gluten, soy, and dairy, Grant wanted to create a healthy trail mix alternative that is more inclusive to those with dietary restrictions. AlterNut is a healthy trail mix that is gluten-, soy-, peanut-, and dairy-free. Grant has found success in the niche market and plans to expand beyond trail mix and into Petrucci Foods. Their motto is “Clean Food for Healthier Living.” They are determined to help people live longer, feel better, look better, and enjoy tasty foods.

Arielle Smith (College of Agriculture & Natural Resources) was fourteen when she started selling her unwanted clothing on the Poshmark App. Today she has grown her platform, Ladybug Vintage, to over 20,000 followers with plans to create her own website. Arielle saw that in the current market, options for sustainable clothing are often costly, time-consuming to source, or both. Her goal is to give consumers fashionable, ethically sourced, and reasonably priced options.

For Smith, “being a Simpson-Birkestrand Scholar means recognizing the importance of free-market perspectives of economic theory and implementing them into my business practices. I think the free market is the most important space in our economy. I want to exemplify ethical business practices as a standard procedure and lead other emerging startups to do the same.”

Smith’s coursework with the Burgess Institute supercharges this effort. Last spring, her honors project for ESHP 190, taught by the Burgess Institute’s managing director for academic programs, Ken Szymusiak, empowered her to design a business model to tackle the wasteful practices in today’s fashion industry.

“The Burgess Institute’s resources help develop my entrepreneurial mindset immensely,” Petrucci admits. “Meeting with Paul Jaques and Lori Fischer to discuss my idea and goals was a terrific start. Following their advice, I was in consultation with various interns, who helped create outstanding graphic designs and walked me through the process of website creation.”

Together with the generosities of trailblazers in the entrepreneurial space and the Burgess Institute’s programs, courses, and resources, the aim is to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and Innovators.

“I am so honored to be a Simpson-Birkestrand Scholar,” said Smith. “I have two amazing parents who work super hard to support my education. This scholarship enables me to support my education through my own entrepreneurial efforts.”

The Simpson-Birkestrand Endowed Scholarship for Entrepreneurs is a powerful addition to the academic and venture creation scholarships available to students at the Burgess Institute. The next round of applications for the scholarship will open in late spring of 2022.

Bringing the World Closer One Startup at a Time

By Aaryn Richard

In the time before a once-in-a-century pandemic, attending an East Lansing Startup Weekend was a raucous occasion, replete with pizza, pop, and all-night work sessions. Since 2012, over a thousand students, community members, and mentors have gathered for one of the nearly two dozen East Lansing events—some participants coming from as far away as Montana. For 54 hours, Startup Weekenders would form teams around ideas, solve problems through collaboration, and, culminating in a final night of pitches, take home a year’s worth of frosted animal crackers.

Today, though, while Spartans work to keep one another healthy, the team behind the Burgess Institute’s East Lansing Startup Weekend has quietly reinvented the event. They’ve trimmed it down to 30 hours and transitioned work sessions into the virtual space. What remains offers students new ways of fostering community, connection, and creativity.

Startup founders are well-acquainted with change and risk. Entrepreneurs and their teams need to pivot quickly through shifting customer behaviors, evolving supply chain dynamics, and the countless other unexpected challenges thwarting their paths. With lean teams and finite resources, these brave souls place a high price on adaptability and high-risk appetites.

“East Lansing Startup Weekend is all about building confidence,” Aubrey Haase, the Burgess Institute’s events & projects coordinator, explained. “It’s a platform where students, no matter their major or college, can bring their ideas to the table. You work hard to see if those ideas are attractive to the marketplace. Startup Weekend is the starting point where you show yourself — and your peers — what you can do.”

Haase, a recent graduate from Michigan State, knows this program firsthand. She’s seen it as a participant and now orchestrates the event as part of her full-time role with the Burgess Institute.

“Now that we’re virtual, these experiences are highly refined and tailored for students. We match skills, knowledge, and interests with submitted ideas, teammates, and expert Spartan alumni mentors. As Startup Weekenders build their teams and jump-start the venture creation process, we want to help them continue growing. That’s why we’re here.”

Like SKOOP digital, BRITE bites, CAPNOS, and Erudis Games, successful student companies have emerged from East Lansing Startup Weekend experiences. Their founders took their companies from the event directly into the Burgess Institute’s Discovery program.

Brendan Wang (Supply Chain ’22), founder and CEO of CAPNOS, made the most of his experience. “East Lansing Startup Weekend is energizing,” he said, “it’s a weekend that truly embodies the entrepreneurial spirit. Startup Weekend gave me the confidence to turn my idea into reality.” (Hear more from Brendan on Hatchcast.)

Wang, now part of the Burgess Institute’s most advanced entrepreneurial track, Launch, marshaled a team around his product idea, which has grown into the CAPNOS Zero. “In 30 hours, you have to convince your peers that your idea offers value, get them as excited as you are, and together we execute. Market research, prototyping, customer discovery, and building a compelling pitch. These are skills every entrepreneur needs.”

How You Can Get Involved

For the 2020–2021 academic year, the Burgess Institute offers four East Lansing Startup Weekend e-sessions — two in the fall (October 2 – 3 and November 6 – 7, 2020) and two in the spring (February 5 – 6, and April 9 – 10, 2021). This fall’s sessions saw over 140 East Lansing Startup Weekenders attend the virtual events.

While the transition to the virtual setting heightens student involvement, East Lansing Startup Weekend is seeing a dramatic uptick in alumni who want to be part of the community as student-team mentors. East Lansing Startup Weekend depends on talented, experienced alumni from a broad range of backgrounds, from experienced entrepreneurs to venture capital investors to seasoned operators of successful startups.

“It’s incredible,” said Christopher Sell, the Burgess Institute’s director of alumni and entrepreneur engagement. “We’ve always seen alumni enthusiasm around these events,” says Sell, “but under non-pandemic circumstances, we would be limited to inviting alumni who live near the Great Lakes Region. Now, we’re seeing mentors join us from across the nation. It’s impressive seeing this energy and the positive impact on our students.”

“The last time I participated in East Lansing Startup Weekend, I gained confidence that I can build a business in just a weekend,” said Vigneshwer Ramamoorthi (Sophomore, Computer Engineering). “But, this time, with [the event being] all virtual, Startup Weekend broke my personal record! This experience proved to me that we can build a company in just 30 hours, irrespective of where you are. I would like to thank the Burgess Institute who made me believe that we can do great things even if we are living in this new normal.”

Spring 2021’s East Lansing Startup Weekend first session is already accepting registrations for its February 5 – 6, 2021 event. The deadline to register and submit ideas for this session is January 29, 2021. Interested in attending? Please visit: https://bit.ly/swelsprings1. Are you an alum ready to mentor? Reach out directly to Christopher Sell.