Stephanie Syl-Akinwale ’26 (left) and Joycelyn Brobbey ’26 (middle) chat with Mentor Joel Plotkin P’27 during a break in action of the TIA Incubator Kickoff Session.
Last Saturday, the TIA Incubator held its kickoff session, with a large assemblage of entrepreneurs and mentors ready to begin the program’s 16th year. Mentors echoed two thoughts after the weekend: well engaged teams and palpable excitement.
“This session was an incredible kickoff to the Incubator,” said Alice Walton ’26, joining TIA for the first time in her years at ߲ݴý. “It was both inspiring and motivating to be surrounded by so many driven peers and mentors. I left feeling energized and excited to dive deeper into building my venture this year.” Walton is focused on producing a range of clean-label functional sodas tailored to women’s needs.
The TIA Incubator officially launched its fall program with 33 venture ideas fully engaged, and 35 students participating in Idea Squad. Led by Entrepreneur in Residence Jen Martin, these 35 students explore the basics of entrepreneurship, leading to spinning up their own idea, bringing their talents to another venture in the program, or simply gaining valuable entrepreneurial experience that future employers appreciate.
This session of collaboration, big ideas, and contagious energy was punctuated by comments from the students before and after the session.
“I feel like everyone feels very excited and high energy! Everyone seems very excited for the day and ready to start working,” said Sophie Martin ’27, who has brought to the TIA Incubator an idea for an app that allows users to share and create playlists together, regardless of their music streaming platform.
Jack Suter ’27, a returning program participant with his clothing brand venture Braqish and a peer mentor this year, said: “The energy is high. I loved the enthusiasm at the beginning, and I hope the sentiment follows throughout the year.”
Walton applauded the post-lunch session with her section. (There are 10 sections in the TIA Incubator, each assigned a lead mentor, two or more supporting mentors, and three to four ventures.) “My afternoon breakout session with my mentors was one of the highlights of the day,” Walton said. “Their thoughtful feedback and encouragement gave me clarity on my next steps and made me even more excited about the journey ahead.”
Alana Conolly ’27, another returning face who pitched on stage during the Entrepreneur Showcase in April, also spoke about the year ahead. “There’s a really good energy of people who are passionate, asking questions, and engaging in the program. I’m excited to see what ideas [EIR] Jen has and my new mentors.”
Mentor Jason Griswold ’97—who served on a review panel with mentors Alex More ’99 and Omer Jilani ’93, P’28 and keynote speaker Kate Brodock—shared his thoughts about the two pitching ventures. (During every Incubator session, a pair of ventures pitch to close the morning session.) Speaking about Shneer Agritech, a venture led by Diya Badola ’25 and Jahanvi Chamria ’28, and Vitalize, founded by Talia Broder ’28, Griswold said both pitches “hooked the investor right away with a story and problem that we all can relate to. It allows the investor to lean into the data and value prop rather than spending the whole pitch wondering what it is and how it’s relevant.” One thing that surprised him, in a good way, from both pitches was the fact that they have prototypes and are working through data. “[There is a] big difference versus having an idea on paper with massive assumptions,” said Griswold.
This kickoff weekend wasn’t just about getting work done; it was about the spark of curiosity and connection that will carry forward throughout the year.
Keynote with Kate Brodock
Keynote speaker Brodock of Cazenovia is a founding partner of The W Fund, investing in early stage tech startups “led by amazing women and underrepresented founders,” and serves as CEO of SWITCH, a global ecosystem shaping the future of the global innovation economy, and focused on gender and representation in entrepreneurship. She spoke about her journey through entrepreneurship, centered on the transformation from founder to CEO and what it takes to lead effectively.
She outlined the qualities she’s seen in strong founders, including:
- Decisive coachability: “Coachability isn’t quite enough … you need to take that coaching and be very focused about what comes next.”
- Focused curiosity: “You will not survive being a founder unless you stay very curious.”
- Centered flexibility
- Thoughtful grit
- Authentic agency
Martin, who commenced as TIA’s new EIR on Sept. 10, picked up the theme of coachability in her post-session comments.
“This was my first TIA Incubator weekend, and it was nothing short of inspiring,” Martin said. “What moved me most was the openness in the room, people eager to share their ideas, their wisdom, their time, and just as willing to listen and learn from one another. There was such a spirit of generosity and collaboration that even after the sessions ended, folks stayed to keep talking, keep building. TIA is more than a program; it’s a community where ideas are nurtured and where people show up for each other. That’s something truly special.”