Entrepreneurship Takes Center Stage as Leavey and Santa Clara Alumni Shine at Annual Demo Day
The Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University recently hosted the 6th Annual Demo Day, a landmark event organized by the Bronco Venture Accelerator in collaboration with the Ciocca Center for Entrepreneurship. This year's event highlighted the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem within the university community, bringing together 24 founders to showcase their innovative startups to investors, industry leaders, and fellow entrepreneurs. The Accelerator’s 6th cohort represented a rich tapestry of talent, with over 50% of founders being Leavey School of Business alumni. Other participants included Santa Clara University alumni, faculty, and graduate students.
Their startups spanned seven verticals, showcasing innovations at various stages of development - from early product creation to revenue generation, with some founders having already secured funding rounds. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning were prominent themes, with startups like AECInspire, founded by Leavey alumni, leading the charge. AECInspire, an AI construction material procurement platform, focuses on prefabrication to address the skilled labor shortage, potentially reducing labor needs by 40% and material waste by 95%. The event also highlighted a strong focus on biotechnology and healthcare, with companies such as AngioLytics LLC and RealSeq Biosciences, also founded by Leavey alumni, presenting groundbreaking solutions. AngioLytics showcased their radiation-free, cost-effective approach to breast health management, while RealSeq Biosciences introduced their RNA fragmentomics technology for real-time disease detection.
In the education technology sector, Leavey alumnus-founded Gnosis Learning Inc. demonstrated their Intelligent eBooks and Document Intelligence platform, using patented virtual Overlay Technology to deliver in-context collaborative learning for various industries, including EdTech, Finance, and Medical fields. The cohort also included innovations in sustainability and energy, addressed by startups like AtmoCooling and Earth Foundries, which tackled environmental challenges from creating microclimates to mitigating California's wildfire threats. Various Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions and consumer-focused products were also presented, demonstrating the wide-ranging impact of the accelerator program and the diversity of ideas emerging from Leavey School of Business alumni.
A standout moment of the event was the presentation of the Bronco Ventures Entrepreneur of the Year Award to the four founders of Bay FC, the Bay Area's professional women's soccer team, who are rounding out their inaugural season. In an inspiring gesture of support for fellow female entrepreneurs, Bay FC founders (and Santa Clara University alumni) Brandi Chastain '91, Leslie Osborne '05, Danielle Slaton '02, and Aly Wagner '04, awarded cash prizes of $5,000 to five female founders from the Accelerator’s 6th cohort. These prizes, totaling $25,000, were funded by PNC Bank's pledge to donate $1,000 for every goal scored by Bay FC this season.
Among the recipients of this generous support, Megan Welsh's Dropsite stood out with its AI-powered platform. As COO and Leavey alumna, Welsh has revolutionized software development by streamlining the creation and management of dynamic, generative API endpoints for seamless integration and scalability. Sonia Hoshmand, a current MBA candidate at Leavey, captured attention with SmartApply. Her innovative SaaS platform, born from personal experience, empowers international students navigating the complex U.S. university admissions process. Through AI-powered tools for interview preparation and student-professor matching, Hoshmand aims to make academic dreams a reality for students worldwide. E-Pops, the brainchild of Leavey MBA alumna Claire Venezia, impressed with its eco-friendly energy bites in refillable dispensers. Catering to outdoor enthusiasts, Venezia's creation exemplifies the sustainable innovation fostered within the Leavey School of Business community. Rounding out the quintet of female founders were Madeline Eiken of Intero Biosystems and Julia Benner of MissedFits, each bringing their unique vision to the entrepreneurial landscape.
The 6th Annual Demo Day exemplifies the Bronco Venture Accelerator's crucial role in nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation within the Santa Clara University ecosystem. By bridging the gap between academic excellence and real-world business success, the Accelerator continues to foster a new generation of innovators and business leaders, showcasing the impactful work being done by alumni, faculty, and students of the Leavey School of Business and the broader Santa Clara University community.