NC State Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Meet the people behind the ALA 2026 team, Climbit! 🧗

Kyle Tomek and Josh Alger are the co-founders of Climbit, a platform that helps climbers decide where to climb, when to go and whether conditions are worth the trip.

Climbit turns hyper-local weather, crag-specific terrain data and user preferences into clear recommendations on the best places and times to climb. The program serves a growing community of climbers through our app and powers partner forecast experiences across climbing organizations and commercial platforms.

Meet the 2026 Miller Fellows! 🐺

🎮 Benjamin Rimon | Frontline Interactive is a game studio focused on building interactive video games for government organizations and NGOs.
📲 Gabe Huntsman | Afuse is a mobile app helping students find roommates and friends.
☕️ Kenza Tekil | Kasbah Koffee serves coffee with an Arab, Algerian and Palestinian twist with bold flavors, authentic ingredients and a touch of home in every sip.
🎧 Max McKee | SPRTN Technologies has built the world’s first wireless earbuds with 1-mile range, underwater audio, and live AI coaching.
🌳 Megan Aljian | Forest Found Products produces and sells patent-pending Bite & Sting Relief naturally with local plants.

Over the next six months, these recent grads will receive funding, guidance and resources to grow their businesses. Learn more 👉 https://buff.ly/6hgUe4I

NC State University | NC State Poole College of Management | NC State Engineering | NC State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

We are excited to introduce the 2026 Andrews Launch Accelerator cohort!

Building on an initial gift, Lyn and Chip Andrews have renewed their support for the NC State Acceleration fund, providing an endowment to power future generations in the Andrews Launch Accelerator (ALA) with a transformative gift.

The 2026 ALA cohort ranges from early idea-stage companies to those with rapidly scaling revenue across a variety of industries. As support for this program spreads across NC State’s campus and throughout the startup ecosystem, this year’s cohort will feature six sponsored teams across NC State Wilson College of Textiles, Social and Sustainable Innovation and Entrepreneurship and NC State Engineering - Engineering Entrepreneurs Program, in addition to those directly funded by ALA.

Meet the teams 👉 https://buff.ly/5Stophl

NC State Poole College of Management

One Make-A-Thon, countless possibilities and a career that followed. 🚀

Nick Sischo, a 2020 environmental technology graduate, returned to support the competition that helped shape his own path as an undergraduate. Now, he works as a systems engineer at Cisco, applying a blend of technical skill and systems thinking that first took root during his time at NC State University.

Through Make-A-Thon, he and his teammates identified sustainability challenges, sketched solutions and built prototypes under tight time pressure. The late-night work sessions and final pitch to judges became a formative experience in collaboration and rapid problem-solving.

Now working as a systems engineer at Cisco Systems, he applies the same approach to complex technical systems every day. His time at NC State showed him the value of showing up, testing ideas and learning through iteration. Today, he encourages students to take that first step and trust where the experience can lead. 🌟 💼

Learn more about Nick and Make-A-Thon 👉 https://buff.ly/R5ps7ME

NC State College of Natural Resources | NC State Alumni | NC State Sustainability

More than a campus clip 🤳

Indio Skinner, a graduating business administration major with a concentration in marketing at NC State University, is known for a lighthearted tradition of asking students their favorite ice cream flavor and returning with it. Behind that is a much longer journey shaped by an early drive to build, sell and turn ideas into something real. 🚀

Growing up, he was already selling gum, lemonade and later terrariums to local businesses, but college expanded that drive. Surrounded by ambitious peers, he leaned into NC State's entrepreneurship ecosystem, where experiences like Minute to Pitch It, VenturePack Challenge, LaunchPad and a Silicon Valley trip helped him learn what it takes to bring ideas to life. 🏆️

What shaped him most was the community around him. Professors, mentors and fellow students opened doors to events, travel and opportunities that pushed his perspective far beyond the classroom. As he reflected, “Making genuine connections everywhere you go is one of the most powerful skills you can develop.” 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

After graduation, he plans to use social media and content creation to help others live more intentionally and lead with love. He aspires to become a speaker, host retreats and travel globally to inspire others to rethink how they approach life. 🌎️

Read more about Indio's journey 👉 https://buff.ly/ckcr9G4

NC State Alumni | NC State Poole College of Management

Research with real-world reach 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 🌍️

After gaining international experience in Shanghai and completing her master’s, Arianna Minzoni began her Ph.D. in chemical engineering at NC State University Stefano Menegatti’s lab, where she develops peptide ligands that improve purification of gene therapy vectors while protecting their stability and effectiveness. 👩‍🔬

Alongside her research, she strengthened her business expertise through the Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (TEC) program through NC State Poole College of Management. She applied those skills during a STEM-MBA internship with TOSOH Bioscience GmbH, gaining experience in product strategy, supply chains and commercialization for AAV technologies. 🧬

As she graduates from the TEC program, Arianna reflects on the perspective guiding her work: “Ultimately, what matters is not how elegant the solution is, but whether it works — and having the vision to understand why it matters.” 👍

Read more about Arianna's journey in the TEC program 👉 https://buff.ly/25a4M3s

NC State Engineering

Engineering the future 👨🛠📋

At NC State University, Park Scholar Cole Malinchock is graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering with minors in computer programming and environmental science. During his time on campus, he became deeply involved in research, contributing to projects in medical robotics, drones, computer vision and autonomous systems that shaped his technical skills and leadership. 💼

Through the Engineering Entrepreneurs Program and the Albright Entrepreneurship Garage, he co-founded Sylva Systems, an autonomous drone service that inspects tree farms and was selected to represent NC State at the ACC InVenture Prize.

A trip to Silicon Valley further expanded his perspective on startups and innovation, reinforcing his advice: “Don’t be afraid to form connections with people you meet.” 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

This fall, he will begin a Ph.D. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at the University of Michigan, where he plans to explore marine robotics and continue pursuing the creativity and innovation he built through research and entrepreneurship. 🚀

Read more about Cole 👉 https://buff.ly/NU0KcM6

NC State Engineering | NC State Alumni | Park Scholarships | University of Michigan | NC State College of Natural Resources | ACC InVenture Prize

From Raleigh roots to global routes 🌍️ ✈️

Juliana Romero-Cortes began her journey at NC State University searching for her “why.” The College Community Collaborative, campus leadership and her studies in business administration with minors in entrepreneurship and international studies helped her find it. Through roles in the Sales Club, American Marketing Association (AMA), Women in Business and more, she embraced the “process of everyday pursuit” while building connections, confidence and professional growth. 👩🏻‍💻

Juliana's time at the Albright Entrepreneurship Garage and involvement in Innovation and Entrepreneurship opened doors to global experiences, including projects in Moldova and a life-changing trip to Silicon Valley. These opportunities deepened her passion for travel, collaboration and innovation while shaping the entrepreneurial mindset she now carries forward. 🌟

Looking ahead, she hopes to scale ventures in technical, textile and manufacturing industries while continuing to explore the world. As she reflects on her journey, her advice captures the spirit of her story: “There are no limits to what you can do, truly.” 🚀

Read more about Juliana's story 👉 https://buff.ly/nhVssLI

NC State Alumni | NC State Poole College of Management

Ready to bloom after graduation 🎓️ 🌱

Megan Aljian, a graduating senior in biological and agricultural engineering with minors in biology and plant biology, arrived at NC State University with a passion for ethnobotany and quickly immersed herself in campus life.

While working as a summer camp counselor in the Appalachian Mountains, she created a bug-bite remedy using oak leaves that quickly became a favorite among campers. What started as a simple solution soon sparked a deeper curiosity about entrepreneurship. 👩‍🔬

Encouraged by the response to her product, she attended an open house at the Albright Entrepreneurship Garage and joined LaunchPad, where she began developing Forest Found. The program provided the community and accountability she needed to turn her idea into a real venture and her confidence grew even more after winning the Seed2Grow startup competition. 🚀

After graduation, Megan plans to continue growing Forest Found while beginning her career as a stream restoration engineer. Looking back on her growth at NC State, she offers advice to her younger self: “I would tell her: you are a lot. And that is great. Never try to make yourself less for other people. You need you: every epic, unusual and unique part of you. Be too much, unrepentantly.” 🌟

Read more about Megan's journey 👉 https://buff.ly/k6crpjk

NC State Alumni | NC State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

This Wolfpack grad is hitting all the right notes 🎷🐺

Raised in a family full of Wolfpack alumni, Graham Casey, a graduating business administration student concentrating in entrepreneurship with a minor in economics, always felt drawn to NC State University. Joining the marching band and performing at both Carter–Finley Stadium and the Lenovo Center quickly became the highlight of his college experience. 🏟️

After starting multiple side hustles in high school, Graham continued building his entrepreneurial mindset through the Society of Entrepreneurs and hands-on courses like MIE 419. “I was able to learn to use real-world problems from companies other than my own — there are multiple tools I use now in my own business that I have learned through these classes.” Conversations with mentors like Andy Albright helped him grow from a solo founder into the leader of a small team. 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

Now, as graduation approaches, Graham is focused on scaling his mobile detailing business and chasing new opportunities. He credits his success to the connections he built and the community he found along the way. His advice for future students: make good connections, go to class and find your people — it will shape your entire college experience. 🚀

Read more about Graham's journey 👉 https://buff.ly/IKcf0QH

NC State Poole College of Management | NC State Alumni

From finding her pack to pioneering research 🌟

After a year at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Katy Klein realized she wanted a new academic and community experience, NC State University, where she is wrapping up a master's degree in biochemistry.

Living in the Transfer Connections Village and later working as a graduate assistant in the Albright Entrepreneurs Village helped her find purpose and leadership opportunities. Along the way, she balanced lab research, teaching and student involvement while discovering an unexpected passion for entrepreneurship. 💼

As an undergraduate, Katy conducted research in Guozhou Xu’s lab studying autoimmune pathways before joining Robert Rose’s lab for her master’s thesis on carbon fixation enzymes. Her research pioneered new methods for studying enzyme activity. Encouraged by mentors, she began to see scientific research itself as a form of innovation and entrepreneurship. 🚀

Katy is now headed to Vanderbilt University to begin a Ph.D. in biomedical and biological sciences. She plans to study autoimmune disorders and protein misfolding while continuing to apply the creativity and adaptability she developed at NC State.

As Katy reflects on this journey, she offers this advice: "Always take the opportunities that you are given, and don’t be afraid to branch out." 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

Read more about her journey 👉 https://buff.ly/7tj2KsC

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