A student organized tech startup challenge where NYU student entrepreneurs from across the globe build a team, prototype products, and pitch commercially viable ventures to solve real-world problems. A unique mix of an accelerator and a competition, the challenge offers 12 student-led ventures workshops, coaching, community, perks, and funding.
Brian has over 40 years experience in entrepreneurship with a focus on technology. Considered one of the pioneers of science and technology strategic communications, he founded Technology Solutions, Inc. with his wife in 1983.TSI was recognized as the #1 fastest growing agency in the United States until its acquisition by the The McCann Erickson World Group in 1997. Currently, he serves as the Chairman Emeritus of the New York Angels and Founding Partner at New York Venture Partners. Notably, Cohen was one of the first angels to invest in Pinterest. A frequent speaker, also he authored the best-seller book, “What Every Angel Investor Wants You to Know.”
Denali supports and manages a portfolio of 150+ seed-stage entrepreneurs through Rough Draft Ventures, General Catalyst's university-focused program backing founders at the student level. Her primary portfolio includes Carbon, a stable coin for disintermediated cross-border payments, MarketSnacks, a new media brand for Wall Street news, and Nesterly, a platform for intergenerational home-sharing. Recognizing the directional impact investors can have have on the industries in which they invest, improving diversity has been a driving principle in her work. Under her leadership, half of Rough Draft Ventures portfolio additions include at least one female founder.
Frank is a venture capitalist with 18 years of early-stage investment and technology commercialization experience. Previously, he held various positions in investment, marketing, business development and product management at New Venture Partners, Lucent New Ventures Group, Sun Microsystems, Apple and NeXT. Currently, Rimalovski leads the Entrepreneurial Institute which offers educational programming, events, resources, and funding, via the NYU Innovation Venture Fund, to inspire, educate, connect, and accelerate entrepreneurs across NYU. Frank is also a member of the national teaching team for the NSF I-Corps program and an Adjunct Faculty at the NYU School of Engineering.
Jenny Fielding is the Managing Director of Techstars New York where she leads the program. She is also the founder and General Partner at The Fund, a first check fund that invested into 110+ New York companies. Previously, Jenny headed up Corporate Venture and Digital Innovation at BBC Worldwide where she made strategic investments and led business development deals. She has also started several tech companies, most notably Switch-Mobile, a mobile VoIP company that was acquired in 2009. Jenny began her career as a lawyer, spent time at JP Morgan and is a graduate of Columbia University where she is an Adjunct Professor.
Oliver is the founding partner at Autonomy Ventures, which invests in business and industrial automation technologies, including robotics, smart mobility, remote sensing and machine intelligence. Oliver’s portfolio has returned over six exits in the past five years with two IPOs. Previous transactions have included selling Holmes Protection to ADT/Tyco, Americash to American Express, and launching RobotGalaxy, a national EdTech brand. He is an active member of New York Angels and holds 14 patents. Oliver speaks often at international trade shows and writes syndicated articles that reaches thousands of weekly readers.