CUNY Startups

When we empower student founders, we help them launch startups and invest in bright new perspectives and impactful ideas that help shape our communities.

If you missed it, or want to relive the thoughtful business pitches, check out our 2026 CUNY Clash recap video. This year, 14 clever student Ideators from The City University of New York presented with immense strength and confidence.

To every student with an idea: Let this be your sign to start. Your voice and vision deserves to be shared with others.

Watch the recap to catch all the amazing pitches

Recap linked here: https://youtu.be/zpoDLHpjpqQ

If you missed it, or want to relive the energy and innovation, check out our Spring 2026 New Venture Accelerator 2 Demo Day Recap. This year, 10 talented student teams from The City University of New York fine-tuned their MVPs and investor pitch decks, and presented with strength and confidence during the showcase.

Watch the recap to catch all their amazing pitches and see who won the pitch competition.

Recap linked here: https://youtu.be/BqpYYCjksbM

The competition was stacked this year, but our Clash Idealists rose to the challenge. Last Friday, 14 bold student entrepreneurs from across The City University of New York delivered powerful pitches aimed at making a real impact in their communities.

Huge congratulations to our top three winners:
1st Place-$10,000: Baruch College student My Anh Phan
2nd Place-$4,000: The City College of New York student Muhammad Hasnain Shabbir
3rd Place-$2,000: Baruch College student Aurora Kerluku

All other finalists walked away with a monetary prize ($360), representing talent at 8 schools: Brooklyn College, York College, Baruch College, City Tech, The City College of New York, The Graduate Center, Macaulay Honors College, and CUNY School of Professional Studies.

Remaining Finalists: Victor Martinez, Bryce Barthuly, Shanice Jones, Basmalla Attia, Ricky Costas-Hernandez, Kenneth Davis III, Ariel Makovoz, Anmol Minhas, Collins Kormey, Jessica Gomez, & Mikhail Fershalov.

This event wouldn’t be possible without our amazing partner Amazon.com and the dedicated volunteer mentors and judges who invested their time in the next generation of innovators. To our in-person judges, Keshell Scipio, Souadou Bah, Joseph Alvarez, Kristin Kenney, Nikhil Mehra & Damir Shavkatov, thank you for your expertise!

Stay tuned! Our recap video is dropping soon on YouTube

NYHere are the 15 student finalists for the highly anticipated 2026 CUNY Clash Ideas Competition! There's representation from 9 The City University of New York colleges.

Finalists are prepping for their final pitch. The grand prize winner receives $10,000 to make their idea a reality. Show your support by securing your CUNY Clash ticket today. RSVP link closes Wednesday, 4/29.
Free Ticket: https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/cuny-startups/cuny-clash-2026

BTW, food will be provided.

It’s time to stop experimenting in the dark and start brewing a real business. New Venture Accelerator 1 applications are now OPEN!

NVA1 is FREE and the perfect environment to transform that raw potential into liquid gold. CUNY students and recent alumni will turn their ideas into reality through hands-on workshops and mentorship.

Don't wait for the due date, we’re admitting participants on a rolling basis.
⏰Deadline: Friday, April 24

Learn more and apply here: https://cunystartups.com/accelerator/

That’s a wrap on a record-breaking Demo Day! The energy at Friday’s Spring 2026 NVA 2 Demo Day was nothing short of exciting. After 10-weeks of grit, pivot-points, and innovation, 10 The City University of New York student startup teams in our cohort took to the stage and delivered stellar pitches. We are so proud of the entire cohort!

This year’s competition results:
👉1st Place - $1,500 Nooook
👉2nd Place – $500 Shelfly
👉3rd Place – $250 Bluoprint
👉Audience Fan Favorite - Shelfly: (Enjoy those complimentary Spyscape tickets)

The “Magic Maker” Moment: A massive shoutout to mentor Kazi, who stunned the room by gifting and additional $1,000 in cash prizes to his three mentee startup teams and $100 to every other team in the cohort. This is what it’s all about! A true reflection of the phrase “paying it forward.”

To our incredible volunteer mentors (featured on our website) and Demo Day judges you are the backbone of this program. Thank you for investing in the next generation of founders.

Recap video coming April 24!

Grab a seat to our 5th annual CUNY Clash Ideas Competition. Watch 15 CUNY students battle it out by pitching their business ideas to you and a panel of judges for a chance at $20,000 in cash prizes.

RSVP by Wednesday, April 29 or until we sell out.
Get Your Tickets Here: https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/cuny-startups/cuny-clash-2026

Demo Day Tickets are now LIVE!

Join us as a spectator and vote for your favorite New Venture Accelerator 2 startup team pitch. The team with the most votes will win something special.

RSVPhttps://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/cuny-startups/cuny-startups-demo-day-spring-2026

Record. Submit. Change Something!
Change doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes we make it more complicated when we overthink things. And one video can help you create something even bigger. So submit your 60-second idea because you’ve only got 30 minutes to secure your chance at $10,000.

J/K You've got more time, but it’s not much.
Clash applications close this Friday, March 13

Apply here: https://cunystartups.com/clash/

Budding Co-Founder, Full-Stack Developer, and Senior at Queens College, Devak embodies resilience and determination. He's using his passion for tech and unique skills to build two startups, CureTrek & Lumienzo.

Want to nominate another CUNY student or alum? Nominate here: https://forms.gle/Dz7WzAQousQJQLKKA