Launchpad Founders and Interns Showcase a Summer of Innovation at the Skandalaris Summer Expo

The Skandalaris Center celebrated the conclusion of its 2026 summer programming at the Skandalaris Summer Expo, bringing together Launchpad founders, interns, mentors, faculty, alumni, family members and members of the St. Louis innovation ecosystem for an evening of celebration and connection.

The Expo marked the culmination of an intensive 10-week experience, where founders in the Skandalaris Launchpad Accelerator and Incubator programs advanced their ventures while interns gained hands-on experience working alongside startups and entrepreneurs across the St. Louis region.

A Summer of Growth

Throughout the summer, Launchpad founders refined their business models, developed products, validated ideas and worked closely with mentors to move their ventures forward.

At the same time, interns immersed themselves in the day-to-day operations of startups, contributing to projects in marketing, product design, software development, business strategy, operations and communications. Through these experiences, they gained firsthand insight into what it takes to build and grow an early-stage company.

Together, founders and interns participated in weekly programming focused on leadership, networking, project management, career development and entrepreneurship, building skills that will continue to serve them long after the summer concludes.

Showcasing Innovation

The Summer Expo transformed the Skandalaris Center into a showcase of entrepreneurial talent, giving founders the opportunity to share the ventures they advanced throughout the summer while interns highlighted the meaningful projects they contributed to over the course of the program.

This year’s Launchpad cohort represented a diverse range of industries—from healthcare and artificial intelligence to consumer products, cybersecurity, sustainability and agricultural innovation. Featured ventures included:

• The Beehive | Jamie Cook (MBA ’27) – A boutique inn and cultural hub that connects travelers with St. Louis’ creative community, bridging the “loneliness gap” through a 1960s-inspired cinematic experience.
• fixransomware.com | Laksamana ZR (MBA ’27) – An AI-driven platform offering ransomware recovery, negotiation services and analytics to prevent future cyberattacks.
• Operon | Zhengbo (John) Li (BA ’26) – A cross-platform desktop application that aggregates data from multiple productivity tools.
• Blumiin | Julius Chembo (PhD ’25) – A trusted herbal wellness platform that helps people discover, understand and organize natural remedies.
• Huan | Haochuan Xiong (MBA ’26) – A travel eSIM platform simplifying cross-border connectivity.
• Amass Biosystems | Justin Traenkle (MBA ’27) – A plant breeding platform enabling farmers to diversify their operations with bioenergy crops.
• Cuddle Clip | Jetta Vaughn (MBA ’27) – An ergonomic baby burping aid designed to comfortably support infants while reducing strain for parents.
• Naturamark | Girik Jain (MBA ’26) – Creating solutions for overlooked challenges.
• Structify Advisory | Saksham Saksham (MBA ’27) – Helping founders establish the right business structure, governance and tax strategy from day one.
• Netty’s Juicery | Ginette Rhodes (MBA ’27) – Offering handcrafted cold-pressed juices, loose-leaf teas and herbal beverages through a convenient subscription model.
• Alon Technologies | Nate Scherer (BA ’27) – Automating NIL research, athlete discovery and compliance so agencies can scale partnerships more efficiently.
• Epi-Friend | Lilly Ortiz (BA ’27) – A smart EpiPen case that automatically alerts emergency contacts and services during anaphylactic emergencies.
• Kayno Labs | Fortuna Kadima (BA ’26) – A business intelligence and AI platform that helps organizations unify data and transform information into actionable insights.
• SPARC | Sergiu Celebidachi (MBA ’25) – A mental performance training and analytics platform designed to improve athletic performance.
• Kre8 Spaces | Quintrel Brown (MBA ’27) – A creative infrastructure company providing artists and entrepreneurs with the space, systems and opportunities needed to thrive.
• Euno | Brent Pennington (BA ’26) – A platform designed to make meaningful cognitive growth as effortless as scrolling through social media.
• Choose It Well Deodorant | Genevieve Burbano (BA ’27) – An all-natural deodorant formulated with organic and food-grade ingredients for long-lasting odor protection.
• Grounds Consulting | Nicholas Eovaldi (MBA ’26) – Helping organizations leverage their data through analytics, visualization and strategic decision-making.
• Wooo! Bao | Bing He (MBA ’27) – Bringing convenient Chinese baozi to the WashU community.
• Hybrid Green Hydrogen Manufacturing Plant | Saloni Doshi (MBA ’27) – Developing a hybrid green hydrogen manufacturing process using renewable electricity and bio-waste to replace fossil fuel-based hydrogen.
• FutureSEO: Powered by GEO | Suchin K V (MBA ’26) – A next-generation digital marketing solution combining traditional SEO with GEO strategies for AI-powered search visibility.
• Reference Point | Eli Abdou (MD ’29) – An AI-powered tool that helps neurosurgeons identify published research related to specific brain regions and surgical targets.

Guests had the opportunity to meet founders one-on-one, explore their ventures and hear firsthand how their ideas evolved throughout the 10-week Launchpad program. Together, the founders demonstrated the breadth of innovation emerging from Washington University and the collaborative environment that helps transform promising ideas into impactful ventures.ing from WashU but also the collaborative environment that helps founders transform promising ideas into scalable ventures.

Celebrating the Community Behind the Work

The Expo also celebrated the mentors, advisors, faculty, alumni and community partners who support the entrepreneurial journey.

Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. Throughout the evening, founders and interns connected with the people who invested their time, expertise and encouragement throughout the summer, reinforcing the collaborative spirit that defines the Skandalaris community.

Looking Ahead

While the Summer Expo marked the end of the formal summer program, it also celebrated the beginning of what’s next.

Founders will continue building their ventures, pursuing customers, refining products and preparing for future opportunities. Interns leave the program with new professional skills, stronger networks and a deeper understanding of entrepreneurship through real-world experience.

The Skandalaris Center congratulates this year’s Launchpad founders and interns on an outstanding summer and thanks everyone who joined us to celebrate their accomplishments. We look forward to following their continued success and seeing where their entrepreneurial journeys lead next.