10/29/2025
What an incredible day celebrating innovation and impact at our first-ever IU Innovates Student Startup Demo Day!🌟💡
Last Friday, our community came together to celebrate innovation, collaboration, and student entrepreneurship at Indiana University. Our founders took the stage to share their ventures, ask for feedback, and connect with alumni and mentors passionate about helping the next generation of innovators grow.
A heartfelt thank you to President Pamela Whitten and Julie Heath for their incredible leadership and unwavering support of IU Innovates. Your vision continues to shape a thriving culture of entrepreneurship across IU.
We’re also deeply grateful to our panelists and mentors who shared their expertise, insight, and encouragement with our student founders: Aman Brar, Amy Brown, Gregg Summerville, Rainie Tian, Pete Wilkins, Marina Zannoli, Jimmy Zollo, and Ravi Bhatt. Your engagement and generosity make a lasting impact on our students’ entrepreneurial journeys.
And a huge congratulations to our student founders who presented their ventures and inspired us all with their creativity, grit, and purpose:
Kerry Ao, Lizzie Cooksey, Brian Rosen, Niousha Eslahchi, Eli Serrano, Jack Wax, Michael Heiger, Brie Dillman, and Isaiah “Izzy” Branam. These founders are tackling real-world challenges - from mental health and substance use disorder to financial literacy and civic trust - showing what it means to turn bold ideas into meaningful impact.
Demo Day is about progress, not perfection and the collaboration, energy, and determination in the room remind us exactly why innovation is at the heart of IU’s future.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support, mentor, and believe in IU student entrepreneurs. The future of innovation at Indiana University is bright - and this is just the beginning! ♥️