By Christina Steiner. Originally Published on Emory News Center.
The 2025 Techstars Emory Founder Catalyst Program, a collaboration between global accelerator Techstars, The Hatchery, Emory Center for Innovation and The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, officially launched earlier this year. The inaugural cohort, chosen from 56 applications, consists of 19 ventures led by Emory undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni, representing a wide range of disciplines and industries.
The program is facilitated by Christy Brown, CEO of Dr. Noze Best and a longtime Emory partner, with support from Techstars senior director, Oko Davaasuren. Throughout the 10-week pre-accelerator program, founders participate in weekly masterclasses on topics such as refining their pitch and building a board of advisors. Hands-on mentorship from more than 50 professional mentors across diverse industries is also included in the program.
“The talent, passion, and innovation coming out of this group are exceptional,” says Brown. “These ventures are not just solving problems — they’re creating meaningful impact across industries, and I’m excited to see where they go from here.”
The program will culminated with Demo Day on Wednesday, April 30, where founders showcased their companies to the Emory community and the Atlanta innovation ecosystem.
Meet the 2025 Techstars Emory Founder Catalyst Ventures
The cohort includes members from across the Emory community. Participants include:
- – Three faculty members
- – Three alumni
- – Six graduate students
- – Seven undergraduate students
- – One staff member
Ventures span a range of growth stages:
- – 20% at the concept stage
- – 30% developing a prototype
- – 15% in an unpaid pilot phase
- – 10% have built a minimal viable product (MVP)
- – 20% are running paid pilots
- – 5% are already operationally profitable
Ventures address challenges across diverse sectors such as the sciences, health care, future of work, consumer goods, deep tech and educational tech.
“The Techstars Emory Founder Catalyst Program has been a game-changer for us,” says Erica Evans 25MBA, co-founder of Blood Rheology Solutions. “The program equipped us with the tools to refine our business model and strengthen our product-market fit. Most importantly, it taught us to think beyond the science and focus on delivering maximum value to our customers.”
Learn more about the ventures below.
Appetite Ventures: Joel Offin (Emory College senior, computer science and economics)
Appetite Ventures connects food and beverage founders with investors, addressing a major funding gap while fostering a community that highlights their stories and innovations.
Blood Rheology Solutions: Erica Evans 25MBA (Goizueta Business School)
Blood Rheology Solutions offers red cell function testing to optimize patient selection for clinical trials, ultimately accelerating drug approval and ensuring life-changing therapies for sickle cell disease patients.
ClariFi: Malia Wakesho-Ajwang (Emory College junior, computer science)
ClariFi is an ADHD-support app for college students, providing time management tools, study techniques and a supportive community to help students thrive academically and personally.
Commonology AI: Sam Liu 27BBA (Goizueta Business School)
Commonology AI is an adaptive learning platform using artificial intelligence to personalize coursework and address unique challenges in standardized education systems.
Connectogen: Joshua Brown (School of Medicine, radiology program resident)
Connectogen enhances collaboration in biomedical research by providing a centralized platform for researchers to post, manage and find collaborators for projects.
Corridor: Albert Dijikeng 26MBA (Goizueta Business School)
Corridor formalizes and facilitates seminar bookings for mixed martial arts gyms across the U.S., connecting gyms with high-level fighters.
Could Be Pretty Cool: Kacie Luaders (Emory College, Arts and Social Justice Program fellow)
Could Be Pretty Cool is an audio-first think tank empowering creative entrepreneurs with data-driven resources and media content.
Luksai: Telita Meira (Goizueta Business School, visiting scholar)
Luksai is a platform enabling mentors, coaches and content creators to scale globally by automating processes and bridging the gap between knowledge providers and those who need it.
Moji: Tyki Wada 25MBA (Goizueta Business School)
Moji is a project management tool using natural language processing to improve communication and clarity between product leads and development teams.
My Advisor AI: Hussain Punjani 22EvMBA (Goizueta Business School)
MyAdvisorAI is an AI-powered personal coach offering career advice, skill-building and productivity support for young professionals and college students.
On the Level: Sri Harsha Soma (Rollins School of Public Health, MPH program)
On the Level uses sensor-based technology to provide real-time feedback on form and alignment during barbell workouts, preventing gym injuries.
Papercuts: Mecko Gibson (Candler School of Theology, MDiv program)
Papercuts transforms research papers into short, animated videos that capture key insights, increasing engagement and accessibility.
Safe Squeeze Headgear: Anthony Vargas (Emory College junior, psychology and pre-med)
Safe Squeeze Headgear offers personalized head protection for youth flag football, addressing a growing need in this rapidly growing sport.
Seamlist: Dimi Deju 27BBA (Goizueta Business School)
Seamlist automates book marketing for indie authors, designing personalized workflows and providing chatbot support.
Sonaara: Dany Hernandez 23BBA (Goizueta Business School)
Sonaara enhances spontaneous, in-person connections by bridging the gap between meetup platforms and local venues.
SAMMS (Speech Amplifying Multi-Microphone System): Adam Klein (School of Medicine, Willard and Lillian Hackerman Professor in Voice)
SAMMS offers real-time voice feedback for individuals with Parkinson’s disease, improving communication and reducing social isolation.
Subscription Intern: Emilio Van Cotthem (Emory College senior, history)
Subscription Intern connects top university students with startups and investment firms, streamlining talent acquisition and management.
Uni-IP: Rishav Kumar 25BBA (Emory College and Goizueta Business School)
Uni-IP connects academics and investors through a marketplace for university patents, bringing innovations to market.
Workforce IQ: Omid Razmpour 26MBA/PhD (Goizueta Business School and School of Nursing, MBA and PhD programs)
WorkforceIQ uses data analytics to reduce nurse turnover and improve financial performance through real-time, actionable insights.
Looking ahead to Demo Day
As the program progresses, participants will refine their ideas, build relationships with mentors and prepare to present their startups at Demo Day, where they’ll have the opportunity to showcase their innovations to the Atlanta and Emory entrepreneurial ecosystems.
“Emory’s commitment to empowering future innovators is evident in this program,” says Brian Cayce, managing director of the Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. “The diverse backgrounds and ideas represented in this cohort are a testament to the depth of talent within Emory’s community.”
Several ventures in this year’s Techstars Emory Founder Catalyst cohort are already earning recognition beyond the program.
Dany Hernandez Gonzalez was featured in a recent Hypepotamus article for his startup Sonaara. Blood Rheology Solutions was awarded the $10,000 EmpowerHER Award at the Startup Runway Foundation Showcase, honoring its impact on precision medicine for sickle cell disease. Safe Squeeze Headgear took home wins at both the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards competition and The Hatchery Student Founders Showcase, spotlighting its commitment to youth sports safety.
Meanwhile, Workforce IQ, led by Omid Razmpour, won the FY25 Emory Healthcare Innovation Challenge for its data-driven approach to tackling nurse turnover — demonstrating that these ventures are not only innovative but already making waves in their respective fields.
Overall, founders in the program have been awarded $197,500 in non-dilutive funding since the cohort began.
“What excites me most about this cohort is the incredible diversity — not just in backgrounds, but in the types of problems these founders are solving,” says Wilbur Lam, vice provost of entrepreneurship at Emory.
“From precision diagnostics for sickle cell disease to AI tools for student success, and even platforms that support indie artists and athletes, these ventures reflect the full spectrum of innovation happening at Emory. It’s inspiring to see science and creativity working side by side to make real-world impact.”
Learn more about The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.
