Engineering Student-Entrepreneurs Pitch Startups

On December 13, students and faculty from the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, among others, as well as business leaders from across the Long Island tech industry, gathered at the New York Tech Business Incubator at the Digital Ballpark in Plainview, N.Y., for a unique culmination of one of the college’s newest experiential learning classes.

^{Peter Goldsmith (sixth from left) with his students at the New York Tech Business Incubator at the Digital Ballpark in Plainview, N.Y., for the NESTS FlyOff Demo Day.}

Fourteen undergraduate College of Engineering and Computing Sciences students taking the three-credit course, NESTS: Necessary Eleven Steps to Tech Startup, spent the fall semester gaining hands-on experience in building a tech startup. Students’ final assessment requires a presentation of their startups, most of which are apps, to industry judges at the NESTS FlyOff Demo Day at the Digital Ballpark—a qualifier for top students to not only compete for up to $100,000 in the annual New York Business Plan Competition but also to receive startup incubator referrals and opportunities to present their ventures at New York Tech events.

Director of Industry Relations and founder of the Long Island Software & Technology Network (LISTnet) Peter Goldsmith, M.B.A., led the class over Zoom alongside Ryan Ahmed and Pari Patel, student entrepreneurs from the College of Arts and Sciences. The experiential learning course blends lectures, case studies, guest speakers, mentorship, and project-based education so students may learn to navigate the complexities of launching and managing a startup.

“I’m amazed at how successful this NESTS course has become,” said Dean Babak D. Beheshti, Ph.D., in his remarks to kick off the event. “What started as a once-a-year course for College of Engineering and Computing Sciences students has quickly expanded to be offered every semester, and it will be open to students in other academic schools within New York Tech, as well. There is incredible value here.”

The fall 2024 NESTS FlyOff students and their startups:

• Zheng Xu created LLA, which will help landlords automate payments on their properties.
• Gunn Aggarwal formed LiveliHood to help students find reliable housing in New York City with help from locals who inspect properties.
• Tanat Sahta established InfoSec IQ, a cybersecurity platform for federal agencies.
• Sri Varshini Priya Bitla and Seiji Zapanta cofounded Popcorn Pal to connect movie lovers with easy scheduling and exclusive deals.
• Joanna Sroka created Ecostria to help homeowners save on utilities and reduce their carbon footprint with modern technology.
• David Aparicio formed REG AI, equipping fine dining trainees with tools to ease management challenges.
• Meng Cheng Ma launched Nopad, which helps people connect through spontaneous in-person hangouts with customizable routes.
• Xinjin (Alan) Lin founded StyleVision, a 3-D tool to visualize interior designs, helping users plan before making costly changes.
• Inaya Syed established Sound Damp, a provisionally patented device that creates a second layer of sound over loud noise in a space for academic studying productivity.
• Jaan Malik created Kreativio, an AI-driven app to design 3-D prints with ease and get them shipped directly to the consumer.
• Esther Bilenkin formed Nexxeaves, which provides insights into how hashtags perform on social media.
• EmmaLee Hutchinson initiated BookedNBusy to help dancers find auditions.
• Alisha Karim and her colleague and classmate Nicholas Stewart (who did not take the NESTS class) founded VitaPath, which analyzes health data to provide tailored recommendations.

^{Pictured from left: Babak Beheshti, Pari Patel, Alisha Karim, Nicholas Stewart, Jaan Malik, Peter Goldsmith, and Ryan Ahmed celebrate first-place winners Karim, Stewart, and Malik.}

Following the students’ presentations, judges awarded Alisha Karim and Kaan Malik each with the Alfie Award and a tuition scholarship of $500 with the belief that their startups have the best chance of securing funding. Tuition scholarships of $300 and $150 were presented to second-place winner Joanna Sroka and third-place winner Gunn Aggarwal, respectively. Sri Varshini Priya Bitla and Seiji Zapanta were recognized with honorable mentions. Additionally, the top six students are eligible to attend the Tech Migration event in January at the Digital Ballpark—a two-day boot camp focusing on strategies for securing funding.

Among the judges were Beheshti; Gus Spathis, chief executive officer of Xogito Group; Joe Ambrosio (B.S. ’94), chief executive officer of Unique Electric Solutions; Ajay Singal, cofounder of PassTech Development; Rhonda Green, chair of IEEE Long Island; and Paul Trapani, president of LISTnet.

“This course is teaching our students how to be innovative,” said Goldsmith. “Today’s companies are looking to hire people who can come up with creative ideas. These students are gaining critical experience to become better employees who can grow within their companies.”

Expanding in spring 2025, the course will open to undergraduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Management, and the School of Architecture and Design, in addition to undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences. Interested students can learn more and apply to secure their spot in class by visiting nyitnests.org.

Read more about NESTS in Long Island Press.