Breakthrough Ideas from Columbia’s Young Entrepreneurs

Cheers erupted from the audience as five young women stood up to receive a prize for their startup pitch.

“We have never heard that women can suffer so much in silence while nursing,” said Hope Hersom, a Columbia Engineering senior majoring in mechanical engineering. 

“And with MilkShaker we want to change that.”

Milkshaker— one of the six finalists that competed at the recent Millard Chan '99 Technology Challenge— is aiming to make breastfeeding a more enjoyable experience both for mothers and babies. 

The event held at the Columbia Innovation Hub Apr. 17, part of Startup Columbia—a series of campus-wide entrepreneurial competitions with cash prizes—is sponsored by Millard Chan, a Columbia alumnus and serial entrepreneur. The track invites entries from students and recent alumni across the University for business models based on a foundation of applied, solution-focused, and technological innovation. Competing teams must have one Columbia Engineering founder member (a recent alumni or student).

This year, 41 applications were received and whittled down to six innovations with the most promise as future businesses. They offered solutions in upholstery (Kathedra), women’s health (MilkShaker), air quality (SWERV), insurance litigation (Newcase.ai), college counselling (CollegeBound.AI), and visual impairment (Cadre).

The competition also starred the Engineering for Humanity Award, a prize sponsored by the Engineering School given to entrepreneurs who demonstrate a passion for creating impact, even if not necessarily focused on eventual profit.

Bringing robotics to the factory floor

The first place prize of $25,000 was awarded to Kathedra, which is developing an AI-guided robotic upholstery system that brings innovation to the $180 billion upholstered furniture market.

A key goal is to free workers from strenuous, repetitive manual work and enable manufacturers to produce diverse chair designs at high volume in the US. Their aim is to solve a critical labor shortage the industry is currently facing.

 “We are so grateful to Columbia for providing the resources. It’s been so amazing to be part of this community,” said David Faes ‘24GS, a co-founder of Kathedra. Faes, a recent alumnus of the School of General Studies, and his co-founder, Oliver Chasan, said furniture manufacturers have enthusiastically welcomed their idea, noting that nothing like it currently exists. The team, which includes mechanical engineering senior Kyle Cash, is connecting with the Catawba Valley Furniture Academy, a reputable college for careers in furniture making, to seamlessly integrate automation into the industry.

By women for women

Awarded $15,000, second-place prize went to Milkshaker, co-founded by five Engineering seniors–Hope Hersom, Pricilla Dua, Valentina Marini Fichera, Elise Yang, and Kavita Parikh. This innovation aims to prevent and treat mastitis, an inflammation of the breast tissue causing pain and fever in nursing mothers.

The only known solution is a lymphatic drainage breast massage performed by certified physical therapists, noted Hersom, and the pool of these trained specialists is limited. Even in Manhattan, she said, only two such specialists exist, underscoring how inaccessible the treatment is for the majority mothers.

A bra-like garment, MilkShaker is wearable tech with a built-in mechanism and rechargeable batteries. The device mimics the work of a certified therapist by massaging the breast— pushing fluid from the top and bottom of the breast away from the nipple and milk ducts— to prevent clogging. The team has produced a prototype, with next steps to obtain a patent and ultimately enter into clinical trials.

A breath of fresh air

The third-place winner of a $10,000 prize was awarded to SWERV (Smart Windows Energy Recovery Ventilators). Founded by a three-member team led by Austin Riesenberger, SWERV is hoping to improve indoor air quality, especially for those with asthma. Compared to traditional ventilators with costs ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 and require major renovation, SWERV is window-mounted and efficiently cycles fresh air while recovering heat and moisture.

“I feel great because this is our first seed money that will help us build more prototypes, finalize deals with manufacturers and obtain a patent,” said Riesenberger, a mechanical engineering senior.

Smarter glasses, powered with AI for the visually impaired

Cadre Technologies received this year’s Engineering for Humanity Prize of $10,000. Cadre is producing AI-powered glasses for the visually impaired. Unlike other glasses which do only object detection, this features real-time object recognition, text reading, and facial identification. It processes visual data instantly, converting it into audio feedback to help users navigate their surroundings with confidence. 

“We've conducted 1,357 trials in different parts of India, but we're working to get approval to start trials in the U.S., and this prize money will help achieve that,” said Cadre founder Muneer Khan MS’22, who studied electrical engineering at Columbia.

Since 2021, Chan has been providing not only financial support, but mentorship for startups. “I’ve been where you are today, and I can relate. Sometimes you are smart. Sometimes you are lucky. You need both,” he said in his remarks to attendees. With robust experience in establishing successful startups, Chan urged winners to take advantage of all the networks and resources Columbia offers.

Impressed by the quality of this year’s entries, one of the judges, Lan Huang, a leading scientist, inventor and biotech entrepreneur said selection was based on viability of the start-up, competitive advantage, and team composition.

“It gets better every year,” she said of the annual competition. “I can tell you, as an entrepreneur myself, it’s not the technology that makes a company successful but the team who can stick together to the end.” 

Lead Photo Caption: The MilkShaker team wins second-place prize of $15,000 in startup funding
Lead Photo Credit: Sirin Samman/Columbia Engineering