Entrepreneurship & Innovation News and Updates

Agnes Ndanu ’28, founder of MajiSafi Solutions, will represent Colgate at the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge, becoming just the second TIA student ever accepted into the competition. Her venture, which aims to combat water scarcity in Kenya through sustainable borehole drilling, is competing for a $25,000 grand prize that could help bring clean water to more than 1,000 people in Makueni. After first pitching at the 2026 TIA Entrepreneur Showcase, Ndanu will take her mission to the global stage in San Diego.

The 2026 TIA Entrepreneur Showcase is set to bring together an exciting range of student ventures, accomplished alumni, and a community eager to see new ideas in action. Alongside the four featured pitch teams, more than two dozen tabling ventures will share their work and compete for grant funding through the audience-driven Iggy game. With everything from AI and digital wallets to bubble tea and dog rescue represented, this year’s showcase reflects both the range of student entrepreneurship and the momentum behind it.

As the 2026 TIA Entrepreneur Showcase approaches, last year’s competition offers a look at what makes a strong pitch: solving a real problem, knowing the customer, and telling a clear, compelling story. Mentors, alumni, and past participants emphasized that successful pitches are built through months of preparation, thoughtful feedback, and strong community support behind the scenes. More than merely a competition, the showcase helps student founders not only sharpen their ideas but build meaningful connections that continue beyond the stage.

As the 2026 Clifford Family Innovator in Residence, NPR Tiny Desk Concerts host and producer Bobby Carter spent a week at Colgate sharing his journey from working at a mall record store to leading one of the world’s most celebrated concert series. Through conversations about passion, entrepreneurship, and the power of pivoting in uncertain moments, Carter encouraged students to embrace unexpected opportunities and trust that meaningful paths can unfold over time.

Springer traced her path from hospital work to corporate wellness at Wegmans and, after a major personal life change, building Kelly’s Choice into a growing network of dietitians.

The 2026 TIA Summer Accelerator offers student entrepreneurs a hybrid program of intensive on-campus training and remote work to bridge the gap between initial ideas and real-world execution. Participating ventures receive up to $8,250 in funding alongside professional mentorship and a structured community designed to help them refine business models and achieve sustainable growth.

Four student-led ventures — MajiSafi Solutions, PLNT, Hatch Pay, and EchoScape — have been selected to pitch for a $10,000 top prize at the 2026 TIA Entrepreneur Showcase during Colgate University’s Arts, Creativity, and Innovation Weekend on April 11.

Mike Ahearn Wilcox shares how EchoScape evolved from an audio-only game concept into a meditative sound experience controlled with a PS5 DualSense controller. Living with anxiety, he found that physically manipulating sound effects helped him stay present during meditation. He expanded the project into a three-day exhibit in The Vault, combining 360-degree spatial audio, programmable lighting, and calming set pieces to deepen the experience. Feedback from visitors was overwhelmingly positive, and Mike is now developing EchoScape into a larger-scale app and venture product.

The 2026 Social Justice Summit, held as part of the MLK commemoration series, brought together students, faculty, and staff from universities across New York state for a day of learning and reflection. Presenters from the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation explored how social justice can take shape through social entrepreneurship, the preservation of queer history through archives and oral stories, and climate wellness strategies that support sustainable advocacy. The summit emphasized that change is strengthened when purpose, memory, and collective care are put into action.

The TIA Incubator weekend of 2026 brought together student venture pitches and a keynote from John Hill of Whop, who shared his journey from sports journalism to entrepreneurship. Through stories of building networks, partnerships, and student-focused programs, Hill highlighted the value of resilience, collaboration, and adaptability. The session left students motivated to strengthen their ideas and pursue meaningful, community-driven ventures.