Shortly after the Colgate community returned from winter break, we welcomed student ventures and alumni mentors to join us for another on-campus weekend for the TIA Incubator.
We kicked off the weekend with a mentor-student gathering at the Colgate Men’s Hockey Game on Friday, January 24, joining in the Sullivan Suite to cheer on the Raiders as they took on Dartmouth. It was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect after the winter break and celebrate a well-earned victory.
Saturday was filled with exciting activities, beginning with a mentor meeting featuring Aaron Gember-Jacobson, chair of the computer science department. He shared insights into the department’s cutting-edge facilities in Bernstein Hall, its innovative curriculum, and the diverse research expertise of its faculty. This was the perfect opportunity for mentors to learn more about advances in the Middle Campus Initiative for Arts, Creativity, and Innovation.
The day continued with a keynote and workshop on building social capital, led by Saamra Mekuria-Grillo. Drawing from her experience with Formation Ventures and her recent TED Talk, Saamra shared her entrepreneurial journey and insights from her work. She introduced her current venture, Kindred — an AI-powered networking intelligence platform — and provided a live demo of the product.
The session concluded with an interactive networking exercise, giving mentors and students the chance to apply the concepts in real-time.
“It was such a great opportunity to learn from her and understand how she built a business using artificial intelligence,” began Rae Frankel ’25, one of the leaders of Hami-Down.
“Saamra included a few activities in her workshop that I found super helpful. We did practice networking sessions and I was paired with one of my mentors. Networking practice is not something we get to do in classes so I’m glad Sammra included it.”
The afternoon featured pitch presentations from two student-led ventures:
Nathan Walsh ’28 of Students Helping Students and Charlotte Prendy ’25 of Trust Beverages. A panel of “sharks,” including Peter Bertone ’18, Patrick Doyle ’80, Madeline Bayliss ’76, and Saamra Mekuria-Grillo, provided valuable feedback, challenging the teams to refine their ideas and strengthen their business strategies.
When reflecting on her pitching experience, Prendy shared, “Pitching in front of an audience was intimidating at first, and my nerves were definitely noticeable, but the feedback I received from the mentors was valuable and will help me improve my presentation.”
Reece introduced the teams and sharks for the Showcase, outlining the path to the event over the next two months and the opportunities available this spring. He highlighted key activities, including our weekly workshop series focused on moving your venture forward, setting clear goals, applying for grant funding to support your venture’s growth, and preparing for the year-end showcase. He also emphasized the importance of celebrating progress and thinking beyond April to continue building on achievements.
In anticipation of the showcase, Reece shared details about some exciting upcoming events. On March 1, the focus will be on crafting a go-to-market strategy, beginning to develop plans for the Investment Game, and refining business plans through the weekly PE course. Then, on March 28, there will be a Showcase Prep and Celebration, taking place just one week before the showcase, where participants can reflect on their progress and fine-tune their preparations.
Finally, mentoring breakouts included a dynamic Idea Squad session with a dozen students participating in the Incubator for the first time. This was made possible through outreach initiatives such as class visits, SophoMORE Connections, and the Colgate-Tuck January Business Bridge Program.
With upcoming events and ongoing mentorship and support, the TIA community is well-positioned for success as they continue to advance in their entrepreneurial endeavors.