Launch Pad

We’re proud to announce this year’s Semifinalists for the 2018-2019 Penn Wharton Startup Challenge. Teams consist of students from The Wharton School, The College of Arts and Sciences, The School of Engineering and Applied Science, The School of Social Policy and Practice, Penn Nursing, and Penn Law. The Startup Challenge and Showcase attracts the best and brightest entrepreneurial minds from across the Penn community as they compete for a chance to win $135,000 in cash and prizes.#PeriodPainFree: Up to 80% of women experience period pains. We believe 100% should not have to. For women whose lives are disrupted once a month by the volatility of their menstrual cycle, #PeriodPainFree offers a personalized solution, combining modern technology with over 2000 years of wisdom from Traditional Chinese Medicine to help all women feel #periodpainfree.TEAM MEMBERS: LULU GE (WG’19), NICOLE GLATHEVerstaan: Atlas is a threat forecasting and intelligence platform that allows users in emerging markets to predict when

What is Regenerative Agriculture? It's simpler than it sounds. Put plainly, regenerative farms utilize photosynthesis and healthy soil microbiology to draw down greenhouse gasses and capture them in the soil. This has the potential to reverse global warming and create healthier food and a healthier planet, while also feeding a growing population. Cooks Venture's farm has over 800 acres of wooded land in Arkansas, encompassing a hatchery, pedigree chickens and barns and the country's only biodiverse vertically integrated poultry operation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Imagine, if there was a place you could go to, a one stop, A-Z solution, for which you could take your ideas and turn them from dreams to reality. An entrepreneurial paradise, so to speak. Being an entrepreneur is tough and we’re here to be the guiding light in an otherwise unlit road. We’re creators too!Established in 2016, We The People (WTP) is the world's only multichannel crowdfunding retail chain and community. Since its inception, WTP has gone from 14 brands to more than 160 brands with multiple product lines. WTP has five brick-and-mortar stores in Singapore, a store in Malaysia, an online store available worldwide at wtpstore.co, and is expanding its reach with new stores in 2018-2019. Its first U.S.-based, store opened in St. Louis, MO in November 2018. With the goal of bringing together the global creator community, WTP continues to expand internationally in the United States, Australia, Korea, Spain, China, and Indonesia.Founded for creators by creators Ryan Sim, Joel Liew, Nison Chan, and CEO Jay

Founded with the mindset of combating diseases that pharma companies have failed to treat, Denali Therapeutics is currently working on therapies for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The company has 13 large and small molecule programs across various stages of development and two strategic pharmaceutical relationships. Denali believes that new insights into genetics and biology offer, for the first time, the opportunity to discover and develop medicines for neurodegenerative diseases. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Simple Habit is an award-winning app for daily stress relief. Founded in 2016, their mission is to empower people to live better, every day. With more than 1,500 sessions based on situations like sleeping, morning anxiety and lack of focus, Simple Habit offers a practical solution for modern lifestyles. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Between busy schedules and constant notifications, alarming world news and growing stressors, many of us are struggling to fall asleep. The CDC estimates that 50-70 million adults in the US have chronic sleep disorders. This is where Gravity comes in. Gravity is a health technology company dedicated to improving physical and mental well-being using natural solutions backed by science. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What happens when the same minds that bring you smart phones, designer coffee, and standing desks turn their attention to social challenges such as poverty, poor education, and childhood obesity? Each week, hosts Katherine Klein, Sherryl Kuhlman, Sandi Hunt and Nick Ashburn highlight the individuals and organizations who are using their business smarts to change lives. Learn how your company’s positive impact in society can support your business model, drive innovation, and improve your bottom line.Dollars and Change airs every Thursday LIVE from 8AM-10AM Eastern only on SiriusXM 132. We’d love to take your calls at 1-844-WHARTON (1-844-942-7866). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Karla started Cuyana with the vision of creating a global design house that inspires intentional buying through pieces that are crafted with integrity. Shilpa was drawn to Cuyana for the opportunity to create products rich in meaning, quality, and story. The name Cuyana means “to love” in Quechua, in honor of the craftsman who made their first product. Launched in 2013, Cuyana has expanded past its original vision of classic totes to incorporating entire wardrobe selections for women. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The press (i.e. journalism) is essential to our society. It’s how the public remains aware of what happens in our neighborhoods, in our cities, and across our country. It has become synonymous with the First Amendment, serving as the voice of the people in steady times and as the voice of democracy in times of crisis. Unfortunately, an unprecedented crisis in journalism has occurred, leaving thousands of journalists who've spent years reporting on the state of our towns, cities, and country laid off. Media conglomerates like Gannett, Verizon, BuzzFeed, Slate, and many more are restructuring their platforms, but most people don’t know how wide-reaching these efforts are nor the impact they have on smaller markets, where local news is the only gateway to the rest of the world. For decades, these companies have bought and monopolized local markets but did not adapt or innovate, leaving us here, with most of these job cuts hitting local markets the hardest and creating “news desserts”.How does

They're hailed as the most dynamic avatar on the market, combining 3D motion capture technology and AI to create realistic digital clones. They are Genies, the most personalized avatars available and the possibilities are endless. To date, the company has raised $25M in total, allowing Genies to quickly become Snapchat-owned Bitmoji’s rival as more than one million people have created a digital clone of themselves. Co-founder Evan Rosenbaum (W'14) was honored as one of the finalist for the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30: Consumer Technology. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Future Family has set out to improve access to fertility treatments through building a premiere healthcare platform and empowering their consumers by offering subscription-based plans to families at various income levels. The team consists of SolarCity, Google and YouTube alums and advisors that are leading experts in fertility and medical device technology.For more infomation on Future Family: https://www.futurefamily.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

To truly understand what’s its like to live small and comfortably, Jeff Wilson gave away most of his possessions and moved into a 33-square-foot dumpster. His experience led him to start Kasita. Any way you can imagine a Kasita is the right way. With its compact footprint and all-in-one delivery, the Kasita goes where other homes cannot, whether that's an urban backyard, a rooftop, or the rural retreat you've been dreaming about. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A chance meeting and a discussion about Google Glass led to the creation of the world's first "Onstar" for the blind. Aira blends assistive service with wearable technology, empowering a network of trained, professional agents to remotely assist people who are blind or low vision with virtually any task, every day. Aira stands for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (RA).Yuja Chang is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 2018 Social Entrepreneurs. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Here’s Greg’s elevator pitch: “Coravin is a simple handheld system that allows you to drink any amount of wine from any bottle you own, whenever you want, without having to think about when you’re going to drink from that bottle again.” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The idea for Coravin began as a pet project during Greg’s medical career. Coravin is his first consumer product, a departure from the field of medical device innovation.As an avid wine enthusiast, Greg developed Coravin as a convenient way to enjoy his favorite wine without worrying about the deterioration of the wine left in the bottle for too long. “I remember holding this chemotherapy needle in my left hand and a bottle in my right hand thinking, there’s got to be a way I can get the wine I want out of this bottle with this needle,” states Greg. Relying on his background in medical device technology, Greg began experimentation on the wine extraction process.Read Karl's Forbes piece on Coravin here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Made In Cookware looks to reach out to millennials by providing quality cookware at more than affordable prices. It does so by cutting out the middleman and making its products direct-to-consumer, a trend in retail which shows zero signs of slowing down in the coming years. The timing couldn't be better as millennials focus on transitioning into settling down and establishing roots, which means investing in all sorts of home-based goods. The goal: To become the go-to brand for fast paced, young urban professionals. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ministry of Supply is where advanced reconstruction meets innovative materials by developing fabric to solve common problems such as wrinkles and sweating. Backed by sports science and technology, they've studied how movement and body temperature impacts clothing longevity. The fabric is then tailored into men's and women's professional clothing. If you ever wondered how Bond managed to stay so cool and well-adjusted after jumping off a moving train, these guys probably had something to do with it.Ministry of Supply at your service. Good luck out there in the field. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Austin, Texas is one of the hotbeds of startup and innovation in the country. Google, Apple, Facebook, AMD, Cisco and Amazon are just a few of the large-scale data and tech-driven conglomerates that call the Central Texas city home. Despite a notable claim to attracting new talent to the once sleepy capital, the region is facing an underlying crisis: a lack of locally produced talent to fill the demands of the numerous tech positions across the region. Companies continue to source technical talent from outside of Texas and abroad, and as the explosive (and consistent) growth of the area would indicate, the pace is far from slowing down.Code2College, a not-for-profit entity, aims to teach high schools students the necessary skills to land tech jobs that would normally go to outside talent. According to their site, there's "a population of students in Central Texas who remain under-served. Facing a talent surplus and opportunity deficit, many girls, students of color and low-income students lack two of the most

The late 1970s and early 1980s brought forth a new variation of counterculture, birthed in Los Angeles, rooted in surf and skate culture. The style of fashion associated with surfers and skaters became known as streetwear and has since grown to be influenced by and include elements from hip-hop culture to haute couture fashion. Silver Lining Bespoke is firmly rooted in streetwear culture and fashion, collaborating with artists to create classic clothing paired with brilliant custom linings. Here's Rel's elevator pitch: "It's What's Inside that Counts." See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Here’s Bethany’s elevator pitch for Lia: “Lia is the first flushable, 100% biodegradable at-home pregnancy test.” Listen to her give the complete elevator pitch here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.