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The NYU Entrepreneurial Institute is thrilled to announce the addition of five more founders as Mark & Debra Leslie Fellows grant awardees, in culmination of their participation in the NYU Female Founders Fellowship. The latest five Fellows were each selected based on the progress made on their venture, and a demonstrated passion for supporting gender equity in entrepreneurship.
About the Fellowship:
The NYU Female Founders Fellowship is an opportunity for NYU student, faculty, and staff entrepreneurs to build community, establish mentorship relationships with renowned founders and investors, hone their leadership skills, secure financial support for their ventures, and alleviate their student loan debt – all while contributing to closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship. The Fellowship provides tailored venture coaching and extensive training via priority access to the Startup Accelerator Program and Tech Venture Program, sequenced skills-development programs for NYU entrepreneurs to advance their startups from idea to market.
At the end of the Fellowship and upon graduation, Female Founders Fellows may apply for student loan alleviation grants of up to $25,000, thanks to the generous support of Mark & Debra Leslie.
Meet the Fellows:
Please join us in congratulating the 2024 Mark and Debra Leslie Fellows on their awards.
Louise Naginski (CAS ‘22)
Co-Founder & CEO of Nagimo
Participated In: Startup Coaching, Startup Accelerator Program, Female Founders Fellowship
Nagimo is a multi-gym climbing membership.
Louise is a sports enthusiast with a knack and love for tracking performance and data to optimize outcomes and health. With her pre-health background, she adopts a scientific approach to customer discovery.
“Through the Fellowship, I have met like-minded peers with whom I have exchanged ideas, tips, and entrepreneurial journeys. Being a founder can be isolating and challenging, and female founders
alleviated and helped me embrace the challenges along the way. Thanks to the generosity of the grant, I will be able to continue my efforts at Nagimo while being a part of a supportive community." - Louise Naginski
Wendy Liang (Steinhardt ‘16, Steinhardt Staff)
Co-Founder & President of Sonority Labs LLC
Participated In: Startup Coaching, Tech Venture Program, Female Founders Fellowship
Sonority Labs is a software company that helps individuals learn new speech patterns by providing real-time visual biofeedback technology. Their first product, “StaRt”, is an app that focuses on the English /r/ sound and serves speech-language pathologists and telepractice enterprise customers. Their software provides a real-time dynamic image of the acoustic speech signal and a visual representation of the target pronunciation; speakers can adjust their speech to try to match the target.
Wendy is a speech-language pathologist and associate research scientist with degrees from Syracuse University and NYU. She has experience in the tech sector from roles in business development at an ed-tech start up, and as an accessibility program manager for Microsoft. She currently works in a data specialist role at the BITS Lab at NYU, and most recently acted as project manager for a multi-site collaboration to improve the AI/ML readiness of data obtained through speech research.
"The Fellowship has been so transformative for my entrepreneurial journey. This opportunity not only helps to alleviate financial pressure but also provides a community that serves as an invaluable source of inspiration and growth. With this grant, I can fully focus on growing my business and contributing to a more gender equitable and inclusive startup ecosystem. Thank you for believing in me and investing in the future of women-led enterprises!" - Wendy Liang
Sruti Madhusudhan (Tandon ‘23)
Co-Founder & COO of Building Diagnostic Robotics
Participated In: Startup Coaching, Tech Venture Program, Max Stenbeck Venture Equity Program, Female Founders Fellowship
Building Diagnostic Robotics builds AI-enabled robotic systems designed to find building envelope issues by providing inspection reports to building scientists to lower inspection costs and increase safety.
Sruti is a Mechatronics and Robotics professional with a master's degree from NYU. Previously, she spent four years as a design engineer at an RF engineering company in West Palm Beach, Florida. During her final year at NYU, she co-founded BDR, which is leveraging robotics-as-a-service to automate data-driven insights for efficient and accurate assessments. Its mission is to empower building science principals by providing them with a seamless solution for reducing labor costs, enhancing client value, and showcasing their expertise through automatic report generation. As a co-founder of BDR, Sruti is passionate about driving innovation and sustainability in the industry. BDR's cutting-edge technology and commitment to excellence enables it to make a positive impact, ensuring its clients can make informed decisions while embracing environmentally responsible practices. Sruti is dedicated to making significant contributions to the field of Mechatronics and Robotics through BDR's groundbreaking solutions.
"The Female Founder Fellowship's coaching has been invaluable to my founder journey. Since becoming a Fellow, I've gained the confidence and insights that have shaped me into the founder I am today. Additionally, I am deeply grateful for the Mark and Debra Leslie grant, which has allowed me to dedicate my time fully to my venture." - Sruti Madhusudhan
Caitlin West (Stern '24)
Founder & President of Alivio Technologies, Inc.
Participated In: Startup Coaching, Startup Accelerator Program, Tech Venture Program, Female Founders Fellowship
Alivio Technologies, Inc. (ATech) is a forward-thinking company dedicated to improving the lives of those with chronic pain and inflammation through innovative technology. Utilizing predictive insights, ATech's medication tracker app integrates weather data to correlate with pain and inflammation markers, achieving a significant reduction in perceived pain among early users. The company is pioneering collaborations with health partners enhancing patient care and management. ATech is also committed to advancing research and fostering partnerships with academia, aiming to explore and address chronic conditions, particularly in those with ongoing health challenges.
Caitlin launched her venture to provide innovative solutions for arthritis relief. The company is a result of her search for an accessible relief aid for her own Psoriatic Arthritis. In addition to an executive MBA from NYU Stern, Caitlin holds degrees from Villanova University (Master of Accounting) and Philadelphia University (Bachelor's). Alongside her successful career and dedication to making a positive impact in the arthritis community, Caitlin treasures time spent with her loved ones. Caitlin's faith is a guiding force in her life, and she leans in with grace and trust.
"I am incredibly grateful to the Female Founders Fellowship for their unwavering support and belief in my vision. This fellowship has provided me with invaluable resources, connections, and inspiration, empowering me to break barriers and continue driving forward in my entrepreneurial journey. Thank you for championing female founders and fostering a community where our ideas and innovations can truly thrive." - Caitlin West
Ugochi Obidiegwu (Wagner '24)
Founder of The Safety Chic
Participated In: Startup Coaching, Startup Accelerator Program, Female Founders Fellowship
The Safety Chic is a child safety education platform that helps African parents in urban cities (aged 32-49) train their children (aged 6-9) on reducing unintentional injuries through memorable methods to reduce child harm, scrutiny from social workers, and financial and non-financial costs.
Ugochi is a social development strategist with a specialty in speaking and developing products and programs. She provides policy advisory on pressing development issues affecting young Africans. Her major work pillars are around ensuring child safety, reducing substance abuse in youths, and providing strategic direction for social impact initiatives. Ugochi is the author of a child safety story book series available in English and French, co-creator of an online safety game for children, and curator of safety education apps.
"The NYU Female Founder Fellowship was just the right entrepreneurship community I needed at NYU. Through this Fellowship, I had access to coaching, mentorship, practical sessions, and a community of like-minded female founders. It's encouraging to know that you are not on your own and you have thought partners for your journey. Through this fellowship, I was able to re-strategize how my business will work in Nigeria and gain valuable insights into the strategy needed for expansion into the US market. This grant means a lot to me because it takes away some financial stress and allows me to focus on building. For that, I'm thankful for this award." - Ugochi Obidiegwu
Apply for the Female Founders Fellowship:
Working on a startup and interested in applying for the Female Founders Fellowship? Applications for the next cohort will open in early November. RSVP for an info session on 10/22, 11/1, or 12/10 and sign up for our newsletters to stay updated on dates and deadlines!