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Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality
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January 2025
Dear Mentors, Entrepreneurs, and Students,
Happy New Year! I hope 2025 brings you success, growth, and inspiration in all your endeavors. As we embark on another exciting year at the NYU Tisch Center SPS Incubator, let us reaffirm our mission: fostering innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship among our vibrant community of students and mentors.
I am thrilled to announce that applications for the 2025 Incubator cohort are now open. If you are an NYU student with a bold idea and the drive to turn it into reality, we encourage you to apply and join a supportive network that thrives on innovation.
This year, we have an exciting calendar of events planned, including workshops, networking opportunities, and our much-anticipated Pitch Day in April, where our entrepreneurs will showcase their ventures. Stay tuned for more details!
Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for the Incubator. Together, let’s make 2025 a year of remarkable achievements and breakthroughs.
Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!
Warm regards, Dr. K
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Bridging Generations: HI Hub Incubator Connections:Join us for Bridging Generations: HI Hub Incubator Connections, a special meet-and-greet event designed to bring together alumni and current members of the HI Hub Incubator. This is a unique opportunity to exchange ideas, share experiences, and spark new collaborations across our vibrant community of innovators. Whether you’re seeking mentorship, fresh insights, or just a chance to connect, this event celebrates the shared spirit of creativity and entrepreneurship that defines the HI Hub Incubator. Let’s grow together!
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Spring 2025 Master Class:
Join us for an engaging talk with Melina Gerosa Bellows, Founder and President of Fun Factory Press, a boutique publishing house based in Washington, DC. The session is titled "Joy Ride: How Happiness Can Drive Success in Your Career and Life." Based on Bellows' two-decade career at National Geographic, this master class will provide you with valuable insights to propel your career and enhance your life by integrating happiness and authenticity into your professional journey.
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Melina Gerosa Bellows
Melina Gerosa Bellows is the President of Fun Factory Press, a boutique publishing business specializing in children’s nonfiction content. Bellows is a transformational, visionary content leader who harnesses both creative talent and business acumen to drive strategic direction for iconic global multimedia and educational organizations.
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Key Takeaways from the Session:
Authenticity as a Success Driver: Gain inspiration and practical advice on how authenticity fuels professional and personal success.
Storytelling as a Branding Tool: Learn effective tactics to use storytelling to establish and promote your personal brand.
Career Reinvention Playbook: Acquire strategies for continuous personal and professional reinvention throughout your career.
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2025 Applications Opening!
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| Are you ready to take your idea to the next level? The HI Hub Incubator is now accepting applications for its 2025 Cohort. This program offers a unique opportunity for mentorship, resources, and support as you grow your venture. Don't miss your chance to be part of this dynamic initiative. Apply today! A maximum of six teams will be invited to participate in the program.
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Fall 2024 Cohort Competitors:
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Boost
At Boost, we’re on a mission to transform hotel operations through AI and automation. We believe technology should drive efficiency and excellence in hospitality. Our AI-powered platform revolutionizes housekeeping management by automating scheduling, task assignments, and real-time communication, reducing human errors and cutting labor costs. With Boost, hotel staff can focus on what truly matters—creating unforgettable guest experiences—while we handle the rest. We’re passionate about ushering in a new era of productivity and seamless operations, making hotel management faster, smarter, and more efficient.
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Fashion Exchange
The Fashion Exchange is transforming the way wholesalers and retailers connect and thrive with its B2B membership platform, designed to foster collaboration and industry engagement while emphasizing convenience and sustainability for long-term success. With a user-friendly interface and a commission-based marketplace, the platform also provides essential tools for brand innovation, real-time trend forecasting, and early access to fabric selections and market insights, empowering retailers to make informed decisions ahead of each season launch.
Leveraging state-of-the-art 3D technology, Fashion Exchange allows members to visualize fabrics and materials as they hang and flow in a way that replicates an in-person experience, accessible from anywhere in the world. Additionally, fabric sample books are available upon request to support diverse decision-making preferences.
Beyond a marketplace, Exchange serves as a vibrant community hub where members can access industry opportunities through the Career Hub and exclusive events, such as virtual fashion week highlights. By offering real-time data insights and sustainability-focused tools, Fashion Exchange is revolutionizing the fashion industry with smarter connections, collaborations, and commitment to sustainability.
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Hotel HeroesHousekeepers are the heroes of the hospitality industry. Without them, cleanliness and comfort would fall short, guest satisfaction would decline, and the reputation of hotels would suffer. Our platform, HotelsHeroes, is a revolutionary online booking platform that is on a global mission to empower housekeepers, the true engine of the hospitality industry by rewarding their hard work and enhancing their essential role within the industry.
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MosaiqueMosaique is a pioneering marketing technology company revolutionizing how brands test and optimize their marketing campaigns. Our AI-powered platform leverages large language models to simulate target audience reactions, providing marketers with rapid, cost-effective insights before campaign launch. We're solving a critical problem in the industry where 70% of marketers need help to prove strategy effectiveness and traditional testing eats up to 10% of marketing budgets while causing weeks of delays.
At Mosaique, we believe marketing testing shouldn't break the bank or slow you down. That's why we've created an accessible solution for both agencies and in-house marketing teams. We use advanced AI technology to simulate consumer responses at a fraction of the cost of traditional research. Operating through a tiered subscription model, we help the 14,000+ advertising agencies and 200,000 medium-sized businesses confidently make data-backed decisions, transforming how marketing strategies are validated in today's complex media landscape.
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PacknGOPacknGo is a travel planning app designed to bring ease and efficiency to group trips by consolidating all the essential tools in one place. With PacknGo, users can
collaboratively create itineraries, vote on activities, chat with tripmates, and track shared expenses, making the often overwhelming process of planning a group trip
straightforward and fun. The app offers everything from destination recommendations to real-time collaboration, eliminating the need for scattered documents and multiple apps With PacknGo, travelers can streamline planning, ensure everyone’s voice is heard, and focus on making the most out of their travel experience together.
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Rural Tourism NetworkRural Tourism Network (RTN) is on a mission to strengthen rural communities across the United States by helping them harness tourism for sustainable economic growth. Founded by Briana Konecke, a travel and tourism entrepreneur with a deep appreciation for rural life, RTN is dedicated to connecting small towns and rural businesses, creating a collaborative network that fosters economic resilience, cultural preservation, and community pride. Driven by Briana’s passion for supporting local economies and her extensive experience working in rural and international settings, RTN seeks to bridge the gap between urban and rural communities, bringing travelers closer to the heart of America’s rural heritage.
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Presenting the Hot 25 Travel Startups for 2025
PhocusWire ends off the year with its list of the top 25 travel startups heading into 2025. This list compiles research and market predictions from this year and presents the companies that will be leading the way in 2025.
Will these companies be the leading innovators in the travel space this time next year? Find out about them below.
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A New Era for Travel Startup Investing
The travel startup landscape is entering a transformative period, with new trends and dynamics shaping investment opportunities. Phocuswright Research dives deep into the data, uncovering how the market is shifting and what it means for the future of travel innovation.
What’s driving this new wave of investment, and which startups are poised to benefit? Find out below.
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Not just a 2025 trend – genAI is the catalyst for a golden age of travel tech innovation
Few realize that generative AI is more than just a passing trend—it’s fundamentally transforming the travel marketing and selling landscape. With conversational and agentic AI reshaping search and creating new opportunities, Google’s dominance may be more at risk than we think.
How will this shift impact the industry, and where do the real opportunities lie for innovators? Find out below.
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Quote of the Month
"It always seems impossible until it's done."
- Nelson Mandela
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