A new cohort of undergraduate founders begins its journey through Emory’s Rose Program for Student Startups.
This May, Emory University announced the inaugural cohort of Rose Program Fellows, marking an important milestone in the launch of the Stuart and Mimi Rose Program for Student Startups.
Offered by Goizueta Business School and The Hatchery: Emory Center for Innovation in collaboration with Emory College of Arts and Sciences, the program empowers undergraduate students to transform ideas into real-world ventures through coursework, mentorship, and hands-on experiences.
The newly named fellows represent a wide range of disciplines and interests, reflecting the program’s commitment to making entrepreneurship accessible to students across majors.
“As the academic home of the Rose Program, Goizueta is thrilled to offer its world-class curriculum in the startup and venture development space to students from across the University,” says Brian Cayce, managing director of the Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. “This cohort is a special mix of students with unique perspectives who stood out to us as uniquely driven to pursue a startup venture while undergraduate students. These fellows represent the ‘top of the funnel’ for our ecosystem’s venture creation and development, and they have high ceilings for the growth of their startups and the support they can garner from Emory along their journeys.”
Building Ventures Across Disciplines
Open to all undergraduate students, the Rose Program is structured as a multi-stage journey that begins with foundational coursework and culminates in advanced, hands-on venture development.
After completing an introductory entrepreneurship course, students may apply to become Rose Fellows, gaining access to advanced courses, mentorship, and opportunities across the Emory ecosystem supporting venture development and commercialization.
“The Rose program plays a vital role on Emory’s campus,” says Ben Garrett, director of The Hatchery, Emory University’s Center for Innovation. “It provides the students with a community of aspiring entrepreneurial peers, a place to learn entrepreneurship by doing entrepreneurship, and guidance from experienced subject matter experts.”
Inaugural Rose Program Fellows
The inaugural cohort includes students studying business, economics, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, and more, as well as members of their startup teams.
Congratulations to the following students:
- – Cherie Zhou 26Ox 28BBA
- – Aliyah Patterson 27BBA
- – Owen Kugler 29BBA
- – Justin Meneses 28BBA
- – Hugh Kopitkke 29C
- – Charles Wang 28C
- – Sia Vij 25Ox 27C
- – Aydin Khan-Bridgers 27BBA
- – Vidhi Tiwary 27BBA
- – Akhil Vasudevan 29C
- – Yolanda Wang 29BBA 29C
- – Chloe Man 29BBA
- – Justin Jang 29BBA
- – Jayda Bell 28BBA
- – Shravan Arumugam 29C
- – Kayley Kim 28BBA
- – Alva Tang 27Ox 29BBA
- – Shivang Giri 28BBA
From Idea to Action
Backed by Emory alumni Stuart and Mimi Rose, the program reflects a university-wide commitment to empowering students to explore entrepreneurship as a pathway for impact.
Through courses like Applied Entrepreneurship and Garage Venture, fellows gain practical experience building and testing their ideas in real-world environments. Modeled after leading startup accelerators, these experiences emphasize iteration, customer discovery, and execution.
“The first cohort of the Rose Program demonstrated what is possible when curiosity, determination, and opportunity come together,” says Charles F. Goetz, senior lecturer of organization and management at Goizueta. “All these college students entered the program with no formal business education, yet in just 14 weeks they transformed ideas into viable business concepts and to investor-ready presentations. Along the way, they learned how to evaluate opportunities, test assumptions, think strategically, and communicate their vision with confidence. I was continually impressed by their creativity, resilience, and willingness to embrace the entrepreneurial process. While their journey is only beginning, they have built a strong foundation for future success. We are proud of what they have accomplished and excited to watch them continue developing in the Rose Program as innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs.”
Find out more about The Stuart and Mimi Rose Program for Student Startups.
As part of the university’s growing innovation ecosystem, students interested in entrepreneurship with qualified startups are also eligible to apply to participate in a variety of related programs at Emory, including Techstars Emory Founder Catalyst, Dooley’s Angels, and Pitch the Professors.
Learn more about how The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and the Hatchery empower builders, problem-solvers, and big thinkers.
