More than 300 students gathered at eHub in Collegetown on September 5 for the annual Entrepreneurship Kickoff hosted by Entrepreneurship at Cornell. The event aimed to introduce students to the various entrepreneurial resources, centers, student clubs, and organizations available on campus. Zach Shulman, director of Entrepreneurship at Cornell, expressed his excitement at the energy and ideas brought by students from all disciplines who attended the kickoff. He emphasized the importance of connecting students to Cornell’s growing entrepreneurial community.
This year’s event featured 20 organizations sharing information, networking opportunities, and a student pitch contest. The winning team, Atarea, led by Caroline Zhu ’26, received $1,000 and entry into eLab, the student business accelerator offered by Entrepreneurship at Cornell and Student Agencies Foundation. Zhu’s company, Atarea, provides a platform for creators to sell personalized offerings at scale. Zhu, a student in the Dyson School with a computer science minor, shared her excitement about participating in eLab after a transformative experience at the Life Changing Labs Accelerator over the summer.
With 30 creators already lined up to join her platform, Zhu’s passion for supporting content creators shines through. She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to combine her artistic aspirations with her academic studies and entrepreneurial pursuits at Cornell. The event also featured organizations like Grub Ventures, a food and agriculture-based venture capital club founded in 2022. Megan Hsieh ’26, co-president of Grub Ventures, highlighted the club’s role in assisting venture capital firms in the food and agriculture space with research and supporting startups.
The Entrepreneurship Kickoff provided a platform for students like Zhu and Hsieh to interact with peers interested in entrepreneurship and showcase their initiatives. It served as a valuable opportunity for students to learn about the diverse entrepreneurial resources available at Cornell. To explore more entrepreneurial opportunities at Cornell, students are encouraged to visit the Entrepreneurship at Cornell website.
In conclusion, the Entrepreneurship Kickoff at Cornell was a successful event that brought together students from various disciplines to explore the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem on campus. Through networking, pitch contests, and information sharing, students like Caroline Zhu and Megan Hsieh were able to showcase their innovative ideas and connect with like-minded individuals. The event exemplified Cornell’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and supporting student ventures.
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