Life Sciences Technology Innovation Fellows Pitch Innovative Startups in NYC
Ava Hoog, MBA ’25, pitches alongside teammates Azmain Alamgir, PhD candidate in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (left) and Samyuktha Ravi, MBA ’25, to a crowd at the Life Science Technology Innovation Fellowship showcase in New York City, March 22
Cornell University’s Life Sciences Technology Innovation Fellows (LSTIF) gathered in midtown Manhattan at Cornell’s 570 Lexington Avenue space to pitch their startup ideas and celebrate a successful year at their culminating showcase event on March 22.
Cornell’s LSTIF program, offered by the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and formerly known as the BioEntrepreneurship Initiative, aims to spawn collaboration between business students, graduate research students, and postdocs from across our colleges with an interest in health, pharma, medtech, biotech, vet-tech, molecular bioscience, and agritech to develop the next generation of life science entrepreneurs. It is inclusive of our Tri-Institutional partners, Memorial Sloan Kettering and Rockefeller University.
The program’s 2024-25 cohort paired 12 MBA students at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management with 17 Cornell researchers to collaborate on designing real-world startups. Once the interdisciplinary teams were formed, fellows began to work on developing business ideas based on Cornell research while also actively networking with life science communities at Cornell and in New York City. Over the fall and spring semesters, fellows participated in workshops and courses that sharpened their entrepreneurial judgment.
Through alternating workshops held in Ithaca and in New York City, LSTIF fellows developed entrepreneurial judgment, learned from industry experts, and formed meaningful connections. To expose participants to a wide variety of life science innovations, sessions varied in location from the Ford Center Incubator at Rockefeller University, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Biolabs at NYU Langone. Guest speakers and mentors shared their experiences to help guide LSTIF fellows on their entrepreneurial journey.
From September to March, LSTIF participants advanced their startup ideas through interactions with life science industry leaders, investors, experienced entrepreneurs, and Cornell faculty.
“The most rewarding experience about the fellowship was definitely the accountability boards. The advice from all of the experienced entrepreneurs was invaluable— especially as a PhD student coming into the world of business for the first time. It really helped narrow the company’s focus and I made some incredible connections through the program,” said LSTIF participant Eleanor Best, PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science.
“I’m thrilled that the Johnson School and New York State empower us as a teaching team to enable our fellows to interact with and learn from trailblazers in the life science innovation ecosystem,” said LSTIF program director Gregory Ray, PhD ’14, Don and Margi Berens Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Johnson School. “I greatly appreciate the many speakers and board advisors who joined us throughout the program and shared their experience and perspectives with the fellows.”
The LSTIF showcase event began with Ray welcoming attendees and getting the program underway. During her opening remarks, Krystyn Van Vliet, vice president for research and innovation at Cornell Engineering, posed a thought-provoking question to the audience: “What is the biggest difference in your mindset—perhaps an MBA mindset—compared to that of a bench scientist or someone focused on identifying the technical solution?”
An MBA attendee responded by highlighting the difference in language between the two perspectives. They emphasized that successful collaboration depends on translating these differences and blending both mindsets effectively.
Teams then kicked off presentations, one by one, pitching their startups to a curated audience with the capacity to provide ongoing support. The goal was to apply the judgment and experience of the guests to each team’s business concept to help the participants build their entrepreneurial judgment. At the conclusion of the pitches, Tom Schryver, executive director of the Center for Regional Economic Advancement and David J. BenDaniel faculty advisor for BR Ventures at the Johnson School, shared closing remarks and joined the showcase invitees for networking.
“Pitching at the showcase felt like stepping into a real-world pitch competition or investor pitch,” said LSTIF fellow Ava Hoog, MBA ‘25. “It was exciting, nerve-wracking, and fulfilling to present our startup in front of a diverse entrepreneurial community, including familiar faces like our program alumni, accountability board judges, and guest speakers, who are genuinely passionate about advancing the future of life sciences and healthcare.”
“The questions and feedback we received during the post-pitch networking session were both validating and insightful, giving us the confidence and direction to continue moving forward,” said Hoog. “What made the showcase even more meaningful was witnessing how far each team had come over the past seven months. It truly was a celebration of growth and collective achievement.”
The Life Science Technology Innovation Fellows program looks forward to welcoming its 2025-26 cohort.
LEARN MORE ABOUT LIFE SCIENCES TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION FELLOWS
Katharine Downey is a marketing and communications specialist for Cornell Research and Innovation.