Skyward: Edition 1

Introducing Skyward, the official newsletter of Illinois Founders!

The Start of Something New

For the past ten years, Founders has been uniting entrepreneurs, forging communities, and bringing big ideas to the forefront. Skyward is our new monthly newsletter that aims to document the work that we do and spread our passion to more aspiring entrepreneurs! One of our staple annual events, 54, took place from September 22-24. Edition #1 of Skyward is a chronicle of this event and a compilation of some of its best moments.

What is 54, Actually?

Pitching is scary. Going up in front of a crowd and presenting an idea that means something to you? That’s no easy feat. Now, what if you have to convince that same group to join your team for a competition? The stakes get even higher. But, that’s what we do here at 54. We push you out of your comfort zone, give you a workspace to bring your ideas to life, provide you with the support you need, and most importantly, bring passionate entrepreneurs together to build lasting communities and teams.

54 hours. One idea. Endless potential.

54: Day 1

As I first walked into Sunset Studio at the Siebel’s Center of Design that day, I could feel a sense of nervous excitement in the air. People were slowly trickling in, settling into chairs and brimming with anticipation. 54 was about to begin! We kicked off the event with a casual fireside chat with two giants in the startup world, Caitlyn Truong and Craig Vodnik. Learning about their journeys and hearing their advice was the perfect way for 54 to begin because now, all of us were fired up. Even as a non-participant, I could feel it. The atmosphere was slowly charging up with energy.

Soon after, we gathered in the central area of the SCD to start the PitchFest, where volunteers had to come up and pitch their ideas in 90 seconds. Personally, this was one of my favorite parts of Day 1. Pitching your idea in 90 seconds? That’s a lot of pressure. Even as a non-participant sitting on the other side of the stage, I could feel the nerves. But, somehow, combined with the encouraging smiles of everyone present and the cozy lighting of the SCD, the tension seemed to slowly melt away. With just a few handshakes and hellos, a sea of strangers turned into potential teammates.

Hearing the 90-second pitches was eye-opening already. The ideas spanned so many different topics: sustainability, travel, healthcare, reading, mental health, fashion, etc. However, what was even more inspiring was actually talking to these passionate individuals. At dinner, I had the chance to chat with and interview some of the participants, and all of my conversations with them were so memorable. It was my first time being surrounded by so many people that were just as passionate about entrepreneurship, and getting to see the dedication that students had for their ideas was inspiring. I also loved meeting such a varied group of students: among the people I met were a psychology grad student, a first year medical student, a sophomore in physics, a freshman in engineering, a sophomore in information science, and so much more.

Day 1 ended with team formations and new beginnings: for ideas and for friendships.

“There are so many things we could be doing on a Friday night, but this is where I want to be.”

- Jaelyn Vickery

“You don’t get opportunities like this in high school to meet like-minded people.”

- Sofia Vartic

54: Day 2

On Day 2, the atmosphere was a lot more relaxed. With groups officially formed, the team spirit was at a high. We kicked off Day 2 with an extra special keynote speaker: Mona Jawad, UIUC bioengineering alumni, and CEO of ASL Aspire, an ed-tech company breaking barriers by bringing STEM accessibility to K-12 classrooms for the deaf. Mona is a positive soul with passion in her eyes; from the moment she stepped in, she lit up the room with her enthusiasm. She gave us some insight into her own journey as an entrepreneur and gave us some tips on how to start our own. She even stayed back to chat with us for a while, and I had the opportunity to ask her a few questions. When I asked her “How do you deal with failure?”, she answered without hesitation: “Handle it as a team. Lean on them, and let them lean on you.”

I thought that this quote was perfect to reflect one of 54's main aims: becoming a starting point for teams and support systems to form. Entrepreneurship and entering the startup world is a difficult journey, but the load gets lighter when you have people to carry it with you. After our keynote speaker, all of the teams settled at tables to work. I took a moment to just listen and observe. Alongside the effort they were putting into their ideas, the main thing that stood out to me was their camaraderie. The easy laughter, the excitement, and the support: that’s what’s so beautiful about a community like this.

Day 2 ended with a pitching workshop and mentorship programs, fostering more confidence in all of our teams and giving them the extra motivation that they needed for the final pitch up ahead.

54: The Finale

Finally, the culmination of the last 54 hours was here. We had 8 standing teams: NutriEase, Roots AR, Classify, FLYR, LiquiCard, BluPrint, FreeFall, Finesse, and Trendr. At 3 P.M., the pitching was set to begin! Chairs put in place, teams assembling and going over their final notes -- the excitement was real. It’s a feeling that we’re all too familiar with: that sense of finality when all of your work comes down to a singular eight minutes.

All of the presentations were incredibly fascinating and professional. I was drawn in as each team detailed their ideas and business models. Even in the finale, all the pitches were so varied: from fashion and nutrition to chapstick innovation and solutions for universities, each pitch offered a proposition of its own.

As team members introduced themselves, another detail that I couldn’t help but notice again was just how varied all of their majors were. That’s one more thing that I love about entrepreneurship and this community: it unifies so many disciplines and perspectives. Among the participants were international students from Albania and students from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands; it was so interesting to see how their individual experiences fit into their ideas.

As the presentations came to a close, we transitioned into a more lighthearted, entertainment section. A very special guest was set to perform for the evening: our very own Rishi Atreya, co-director for 54, also known as Reesh. To shake off the nerves and the stress from the past few hours, he got all of us on our feet and performed a variety of songs from his discography. It was certainly one of the highlights of Day 3 and a perfect ending.

Finally, we settled once again for the moment everyone was waiting for: the winner reveal! Although teams were on the edge of their seats, the atmosphere was warm. No matter the result, I could tell that everyone was proud of what they had done, and were rooting for each other.

And that’s yet another thing that’s so special about 54. No matter the outcome, everyone leaves the room as a winner. You might have gained an idea. You might have gotten yourself a team. You will have newfound confidence in yourself as an entrepreneur. And, you would have done it all in 54 hours.

Q: Favorite memory over the past 54 hours?

A: “I’d definitely say that the highlight was building an idea from scratch with so many amazing people.”

Q: Did you grow from the experience?

A: “For sure! I learned a lot about the kind of ideas I want to pursue, as well as about building a feasible business model.”

- Kush Sarin

54: Behind The Scenes

Events like 54 don’t just appear out of thin air. There is so much work that is done behind the scenes, and I thought I’d give you a glimpse into just how much thought is put into these initiatives.

When I spoke to our president, Sonia Neelangatil, one thing was clear: Founders’ main focus for this event was ensuring that students got the resources they needed in order to grow their ideas as well as themselves. As a previous participant of 54 herself, she said, “I want all of them to be able to get all the support and knowledge that I got from my experience.”

Talking to our Director of Events, Soham Nandi, gave me some more details about what goes on behind the scenes. From finding keynote speakers and cold emailing to finding judges through the Founders’ network, there’s a lot to be done in the months and weeks before the event. Something that stood out to me the most from what he said was about the fear of rejection. Every time you reach out to these accomplished individuals and organizations, you stand in the face of potential rejection, and that’s not easy. Yet, despite the challenges that come with organizing these powerful initiatives, the Founders team pulls through with all of its might.

Skyward: What’s To Come!

As we bring the first issue of Skyward to a close, don’t despair: there’s so much more to come! The following editions of Skyward will document all of the projects in the works within Founders, Entrepreneur Hub Hours initiatives, and provide more insight about the student entrepreneurship world within the U of I.

Skyward, together!

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to get issues of Skyward directly in your inbox; you won’t miss it!