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|  | Jim Jen gives opening remarks at the Aviation & Robotics Summit
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The Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship and Corporate Startup Lab Host Aviation & Robotics Summit
Last week, the Carnegie Mellon Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship and Corporate Startup Lab (CSL) hosted the Aviation & Robotics Summit, which was held at the Pittsburgh International Airport and the Tepper School of Business, Simmons Auditorium on May14-16. The theme for the Summit was 'Solving Aviation Challenges with Robotics Solutions'. Jim Jen, CSL Director and Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship, gave the opening remarks.
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Tepper School of Business Alumnus Nicholas Swaminathan Receives Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Nicholas Swaminathan, a recent Tepper School of Business alumnus and 2022-24 James R. Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellow, has been awarded the 'Entrepreneur of the Year' Award from the Tepper School of Business. His company TurnUp, co-founded by 2023-25 Innovation Scholar Adam Bournes and AI Ventures classmate Suriya Ganesh, was a finalist in the 2024 McGinnis Venture Competition. TurnUp predicts turnover with its unique ML-models that identify an employee's intention to leave with 90% accuracy up to six months in advance.
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Isaiah Rodgers Plans to Continue Working on His
Startup, Clutch Post Graduation
A first-generation college student from North Jersey, Tepper School of Business alumnus and Innovation Scholar Isaiah Rodgers took a leave of absence from Carnegie Mellon University after dealing with the pandemic, loneliness and the feeling of “not belonging” during his freshman year. However, on the cusp of dropping out, he decided to give CMU another try—enrolling at the Tepper School—of which he is now a proud graduate. While at Tepper, he embraced his entrepreneurial spirit, becoming an Innovation Scholar with the Swartz Center.
His startup Clutch, a roadside assistance and mobile mechanic app that he created with his older brother, landed him first place at the 2024 McGinnis Venture Competition. Now that he has graduated, he plans to dedicate more time to his startup.
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| Software of Excellence Partners with Pearl to Become One of the First Practice Management System Providers to Deliver Dental Artificial Intelligence to the UK and Asia-Pacific Markets
Pearl, a global leader in dental AI solutions founded by Carnegie Mellon University alumnus and CEO Ophir Tanz, has announced that Software of Excellence—a leader in dental software—has selected Pearl as its new, exclusive dental artificial intelligence (AI) provider. Through the partnership, Software of
Excellence will distribute Pearl’s Second Opinion® as a standalone software to its customer base across Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK markets.
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What's Happening at the Swartz Center Over the Summer?
Now that graduation is over, you may be wondering what happens at the Swartz Center over the summer. It's busy! Several Carnegie Mellon University student and alumni entrepreneurs continue to work on their startups, utilizing their garage spaces or dedicated tables, which they have applied for.
The Swartz Center space has ten built in "garage" office spaces. Each garage is home to a startup founded by CMU alumni, undergraduates, graduates, post-docs and faculty, along with multiple dedicated and first-come-first-serve tables. The Swartz Center is proud to provide space for startup founders to work, network and continue building relationships throughout the year.
Pictured above from left:
Vikash Kumar and Pierre Schumacher, MyoLab, Inc.
Wole Idowu with his intern, Toyz Electronics, Inc. (co-founded with Damola Idowu)
Alex Garcia (Innovation Scholar) and Diego Garcia, Metagigs
Ram Potham (Innovation Scholar), Sitewiz
Ruben Quesada (Swartz Fellow), Sabana and Serena Dao (Swartz Fellow)
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| CONNECTS/START SMART LAW SEMINARS
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Can't make a CONNECTS? Watch on our YouTube channel.
Find out more and see the full schedule.
The CONNECTS seminars have ended for the Spring semester and will return in the Fall.
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The CMU Swartz Center's VentureBridge program and 99 Tartans are hosting a virtual Open Mic Pitch night in association with Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai (TEAM). Calling all CMU founders building for Indian markets to come and pitch their ideas to a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs.
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The mission of 99 Tartans is to partner with the highest potential, early-stage CMU alumni companies and accelerate their success through access to capital and networks. Find out more.
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CMU ENTREPRENEURSHIP CLUBS
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The CMU Tech & Entrepreneurship group aims to build a bridge between CMU students and alumni across the startup and tech continuum. With main chapters in NYC, Pittsburgh, and SF, we offer a range of in-person and online events and programming in the form of panels, workshops, founder/investor engagements, startup support, and socials to foster collaboration, innovation, and networking opportunities.
Join 7,000+ Tartans on our Slack workspace and mailing list for resources and updates on how you can engage in the community and CMU entrepreneurial ecosystem. Find out more and
get involved!
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The following companies help directly support our programming and entrepreneurs.
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| Pillsbury and Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC are holding office hours for the CMU Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship. The office hours are for any interested CMU graduate, undergraduate or alumni interested in entrepreneurship or connecting with members of the Swartz Center network.
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Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
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Legal Services Weekly Virtual Office Hours with Matt Kirmayer
Mondays 1:00-3:00 PM ET (10-12 PT)
Matt Kirmayer of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, is offering office hours for newly established startup and emerging companies. Matt specializes in representing technology startups and emerging growth companies, assisting with entity formation, fundraising and overall growth needs. Startup companies with a founder who is a CMU graduate, undergraduate or alumni is eligible to register for
an appointment. Complete the Signup Form for a 30 minute session by the Thursday prior to your
desired appointment.
Contact Daria Stokes for office hours outside of these regular hours.
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Legal Services Weekly Office Hours
Sign up for weekly office hours.
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| PATRON SPOTLIGHT
Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub
Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub is a digital platform that provides free access to the latest AI tools and 1:1 guidance from experts to help founders solve challenges as they grow their business. We provide the right resources at the right time in a startup’s journey so founders can build faster and dream bigger. Sign up for Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub!
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HOW TO WORK OUT OF THE SWARTZ CENTER
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Swartz Center Education and Resources
No matter what phase of the entrepreneurship cycle you're in, there are programs and resources at the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship that will take your idea to the next level. Find out more.
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Project Olympus Incubator Program
Want more help with finding product/market fit, developing your business model, making connections and attracting funding? Project Olympus will team you up with a business coach to develop a personalized ‘roadmap. Find out more.
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COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES/RESOURCES
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FIND OUT WHAT OUR PARTNERS ARE DOING
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Have startup news or opportunities to share? Have questions about the Swartz Center Weekly Bulletin? Send news, opportunities or questions to Sonya Ford, Program Manager.
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Carnegie Mellon University Swartz Center For Entrepreneurship
5000 Forbes Avenue | Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 |
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