Advance, Cornell ILR School's publication for alumni and friends.
Issue link: https://advance.epubxp.com/i/211071
with Cornell. Here, we have a diversity of ideas." About a third of eLab students are from ILR, which has been a rich vein of entrepreneurial talent, including Priceline founder Jay Walker '77. Cohen says eLab accelerates team progress: "They push the hell out of each other — they're competitive, yet also cooperative. All of the CEOs banded together and formed a CEO cohort to share ideas and best practices." Until eLab, the only entrepreneurial foray Lindsay Boyajian '13, MILR '14 had taken was as a 12-year-old. She and her brother poured soap, water and hand sanitizer into empty seltzer bottles and sold the stew to their mother. Years of international travel followed. In 2010, Boyajian approached Cohen with an idea. How could she build a business out of helping travelers dress for the country they would travel in? What a Concept! The reputation of Cornell's eLab grew exponentially when two of its business concepts were selected from a statewide field of 96 for cash prizes this year. Yorango and Rosie! were among five finalists receiving $30,000 each from Startup Labs Syracuse, part of a national initiative designed to bring funding to "capital deserts." Rosie! went on to win the top prize, an additional $150,000. "We're accelerating some of the best concepts across the state," said Dan Cohen, eLab director. "The eLab really helped me shape my business model. Dan has so much experience and the eLab provided me with a network of people going through the same things," said Boyajian, now CEO of WeareverYouGo. Rosie! — tagline "Never Run Out of Groceries" — identifies items needed by consumers through its online application or website, then connects orders with grocers — one in Ithaca and one in Syracuse, so far. Via social media, travelers see what's hip in Paris, Brussels, Milan and other cities, and where they can buy the styles. Each time an item is purchased via WeareverYouGo, Boyajian's company receives affiliate revenue. Buyers pick up prepackaged orders at the stores, rather than trolling the aisles for what they need. "People just don't know how to pack. It's a hard thing … weather, length of trip. You're going to mispack," she said, and WeareverYouGo helps cull fashion misfits from suitcases. Boyajian predicts eLab's influence on Cornell student entrepreneurship will accelerate. Yorango aims to simplify life by connecting landlords and student renters. Its website is a one-stop shop for finding rentals, paying rent, requesting repairs, listing rentals, managing them and scheduling tours. Marshfillows is a patentprotected confection that makes for a seamless s'mores assembly. So goes the pitch for the chocolate-centered marshmallow. Then, there's Party Headphones, which plugs into the silent party phenomenon. "Plug an audio source into the transmitter, turn on the headphones and allow guests to tune in from up to 100 yards away," its founders encourage. Perhaps the headphones could be worn for a soundless game of Splat, an eLab concept that "turns your smartphone into this generation's version of the Super Soaker" using infrared technology. Traffio enables creation of branded Facebook games "without writing a single line of code," and Sunn invented a bulb that replicates the quality of sunlight. Using only a fraction of the electricity required by a standard bulb, Sunn's team says, the product delivers "a dynamic lighting experience that promotes circadian health." A federal grant is helping develop the product. "It's going to grow and there's going to be more demand for it." More eLab information is available at www.elabstartup.com. Left page photos: Top – Lindsay Boyajian '13 MILR '14. Middle – Dan Cohen, director of eLab. Bottom – Jesse Orshan '14. 7