Meet the Female Founders Competing for the Standard Chartered Women+Tech4NYC Prize | Zahn Innovation Center
It’s only a few more days until Demo Day–have you met the the startups yet? You’ll get to vote for one favorite in each track (there are four tracks–Kaylie Prize for Hardware, Zahn Social Impact, Standard Chartered Women+Tech4NYC, and Zahn Technology). Below you’ll meet the startups competing for the Standard Chartered Women+Tech4NYC Prize.
Although our entire cohort represents 50/50 gender parity, the Standard Chartered Women+Tech4NYC Prize celebrates women founders specifically. This category is meant to bolster the NYC tech & entrepreneurship scene (already the best place for female founders) with even more women in c-suite positions. The startups in this category will define what Silicon Alley will be known for, and represent a variety of fields from robotics to edtech. Meet the future of NYC below:
Fruition is one of our edtech teams concerned about study habits. Having never learned “how to study,” they spent a lot of their high school days perfecting different study methods and helping friends develop study guides. Their goal is to help students understand how they need to study through learning assessments, and then develop personalized study plans around their “study type.” The Fruition team is made up of Political Science major Emma Montero, Computer Engineering major Ostavo Palacios, Computer Science major Jimmaely Valdez, and Mechanical Engineering major (and student athlete!) Nahomi Zambrano.
Gesture gives individuals with disabilities their independence back with help from a robot! Inspired by family members who have limited mobility, Gesture’s goal is to give individuals an extra set of hands for reaching things and doing what they love, like cooking. The best part is that the robot is controlled via hand gestures, so it can be completely manipulated by the user, making it extremely customizable. The Gesture team works with professor Hao Su of the Robotics Department, and is led by Electrical Engineering students Annmarie Reid and Xin Xin Huang. The team is rounded out by new members Avraham Brand (Computer Engineering), Seoyeong Lee (Chemical Engineering), and Ewelina Randall (Mechanical Engineering).
Another competitor in this track is Olacare, a customizable sexual & reproductive health app for the LGBTQ community. Having experienced healthcare that didn’t consider issues outside of a heterosexual cisgender life, the Olacare team decided to create a more inclusive experience. Through Olacare, users can take control of their sexual and reproductive health, as well as find doctors who are either part of the LGBTQ community or are allies. The Olacare team is made up of Brivia Bobby, a Biology major with a minor in Psychology; Anthony Bravo, a Computer Engineering major; Tyler Jimenez Perez, an Electronic Design & Multimedia major; and Natascha Krishnanand, a Spanish & French double-major.
STEM Hive is a non-profit organization dedicated to engaging young girls in STEM fields! The idea was born at a Hackathon here at CCNY when the founders realized that they weren’t the only ones who questioned careers in STEM even after loving science and robotics all their lives. STEM Hive is on a mission to make sure that girls never lose their interest in STEM and pursue careers in the field. They’ll use a combination of near-peer mentorship, workshops, skill-building curriculum, and more to keep young girls engaged in STEM. The team is made up of BIC student Penelope Herrera, Biochemistry major Karla Jacome, Biology major Carolina Perez, and Computer Engineering major Daniel Gaston.
And finally, Studyspace looks to develop a “WeWork for students,” creating smart co-working spaces for students to study & network. Founders Diamantie Davy (a recent CCNY grad) and Khrisanna Trinidad (an Economics major) are longtime study buddies and friends who were tired of hopping around from the library to Starbucks in order to study. They needed a dedicated, 24hr (and coffee-friendly) space that they could call their own. So far, they’ve partnered with current spaces to create “study pop-ups.” Diamantie & Khrisanna are joined by economics student Justin Pearce.
Don’t miss these startups and more at their Demo Day on Monday, May 6th outside of the NAC from 12pm-2pm!