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Date July 24, 2025
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B-Lab 2025: Student entrepreneurs develop solutions in health care, tech, wellness and more

Through an eight-week summer accelerator focused on personal and commercial development, the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship’s Breakthrough Lab is supporting 13 student-led ventures.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — For 11 consecutive summers, young entrepreneurs at Brown University have flocked to the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship’s Breakthrough Lab for eight weeks of focused, high-impact venture development. But the experience is about so much more than building a business, said B-Lab Director Alexis Alston, a Brown alumna and venture capital professional.

This year’s 23 participants are tackling real-world challenges through 13 student-led ventures that span industries such as financial technology, medical devices, consumer products, food delivery and social enterprise. Though the ventures are diverse, each is united by the founders’ genuine desire to make meaningful impact.

Galit Ringach presents a pitch
Galit Ringach, a B-Lab participant and recent Brown graduate, pitches RootedInLocal, a farmer-first marketplace. 

“You don’t need to be an AI expert or an engineer, and you don’t have to be fantasizing about creating a billion-dollar brand,” Alston said. “B-Lab is really for anyone who is trying to solve big problems at scale.” 

During B-Lab, students pursuing a wide range of concentrations are joined by a handful of graduate students, recent Brown graduates, and peers from the Rhode Island School of Design. Together, they attend expert-led workshops, receive personalized mentoring from a vast network of successful entrepreneurs, and gain industry-specific insights. Each undergraduate participant is also granted a $4,000 scholarly award, which Alston said ensures that they can work full-time on their ventures without fretting about finances. 

“I’ve worked with and invested in thousands of founders over my career, and this is one of the few places where students can both get a traditional education that’s a bit more academic, but also go out and apply it,” Alston said. “There are no distractions, no worries about the 50,000 things that might be on their plate throughout the academic year. They’re fully dedicated.” 

That dedication is already generating tangible results. During one 48-hour period this summer, Alston said that one venture launched its first event, another was featured in a pop-up event in Providence, and yet another won an award at a large agricultural conference. 

B-Lab cohort celebrates a birthday
B-Lab Director Alexis Alston said this year’s cohort is particularly close-knit and will often meet up outside of the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship to network, workshop or just hang out. 

“Seeing how quickly everyone is growing beyond the classroom is really, really important to us,” Alston said. 

Just as valuable as the professional development is the peer-to-peer support — a defining characteristic of this year’s cohort, according to Alston. Whether they’re AI enthusiasts helping peers streamline processes or designers with a keen eye for branding and user experience, B-Lab participants lend their expertise to the group. The result is a convergence of skill-sharing, feedback and peer mentorship that strengthens camaraderie. 

“I love that they can rely on each other in so many ways,” Alston said, “Entrepreneurship outside of Brown can be a very lonely experience. So it’s really beautiful that B-Lab is a place where they can all find community with people who are in the exact same spot in life.” 

As the cohort continues to hone their skills and prepare for B-Lab’s upcoming pitch night and expo, here is a brief look at their various ventures, in their own words.

1nvestSense

Letian Yu, Class of 2025
Master of science in data science 

Sicheng Yang, Class of 2025
Master of science in data science 

Xiner Zhao, Class of 2025
Master of science in data science 

1nvestSense is an AI-powered application that leverages large language models (LLMs) to deliver real-time, actionable insights from market news, tailored specifically for retail investors. Gen Z retail investors want to manage their portfolios but face barriers accessing affordable, timely and trustworthy market insights. Using LLMs and  Retrieval-Augmented Generation, the app delivers real-time, curated insights through an intuitive interface, solving the problem of noisy, costly and fragmented financial information for retail investors.

ChopChop

Junxi 'Aaron' Shen, Class of 2025
Master of science in innovation management and entrepreneurship 

Shaoyuan ‘Ice’ Yu, Class of 2025
Master of science in innovation management and entrepreneurship 

Zhou 'Claude' Zou, Class of 2025
Master of science in innovation management and entrepreneurship 

ChopChop is an online delivery platform for people to buy and sell authentic homemade food. Many skilled home cooks want to monetize their cooking, but can’t open or work in a restaurant. While customers crave authentic homemade food, they can’t easily access it through existing platforms. We are building an online marketplace (mobile app and website) for people to sell and buy authentic homemade food.

Daylily 

Kartik Shrivastava, Class of 2028
Computer science

Daylily is an e-commerce AI agent for real-time bargaining and direct sales to optimize return-on-ad-spend (ROAS), minimize bounce rates and maximize conversion. Shopify brands struggle to retain customers despite spending on ads to drive traffic; they can't properly engage customers or build brand image, leading to broken funnels. Our agentic AI sells, guides with personalized funnels and negotiates in real time — boosting ROAS, lowering customer acquisition cost and reducing bounce rates.

EndoSwim

Milidu Jayaweera, Class of 2026
Biomedical engineering and entrepreneurship

EndoSwim Solutions is a deep tech company advancing wireless swimming robotic systems for complex fluid environments — while also offering specialized engineering consulting in fluid mechanics, robotics and AI. Upper endoscopy and colonoscopy are stressful and inconvenient, while current capsule endoscopies lack provider control, causing incomplete imaging and repeat procedures. We’re creating a swallowable robotic capsule that navigates the gastrointestinal ract, enabling non-invasive, sedation-free capsule colonoscopy and better endoscopy outcomes.

Flosense

Noopur Kabra, Class of 2025
Master of arts in design engineering

Ruchi Ukhade, Class of 2025
Master of arts in design engineering

Sarah Fletcher, Class of 2025
Master of arts in design engineering

Flosense is a pain-free, external collection device designed to preserve menstrual blood for lab testing — unlocking insights into reproductive health, from endometriosis to hormonal diagnostics. Menstrual effluent has diagnostic potential, but current tools are either invasive or fail to preserve samples for lab testing. Our menstrual effluent collection device is designed to guide users through safe and sterile blood collection, packing, sealing, and shipping samples for lab analysis.

Melaa

Janya Kaur, Class of 2026
Behavior decision sciences

Jitpuwapat 'Earth' Mokkamakkul, Class of 2025
Computer science

Melaa is the Airbnb for underused spaces, like cafés and bookstores at night, pubs in the morning, or even your backyard, creating on-demand third places for human connection. As third spaces vanish, people crave connection but struggle to find venues for in-person gatherings, while underused spaces like cafés, pubs and churches lack an easy way to reach those in need. Melaa makes it easy to book spaces for gatherings, events and activities that foster meaningful offline connections.

Nematex

Christopher Williams, Class of 2026
Geology-biology and computer science

Nematex is the first biological solution to eradicate root knot nematodes in a safe and hyper-targeted manner at scale. Root knot nematodes are a plant parasitic worm that cause 5% of all crop loss, costing $100 billion annually, while current solutions are eco-toxic, harm soil fertility, and are expensive and ineffective. We are using a new formula to target root knot nematodes, with a shelf-stable coating and no risk to humans.

Nuru Bio

Christine Lujuo, Class of 2025
Master of science in biomedical engineering

Through partnering with regional institutions, Nuru Bio connects global researchers to biological samples from African populations, thereby improving research validity and inclusion. African clinical specimens are underrepresented in biomedical research due to unclear acquisition processes, limiting sample diversity and hindering research validity and progress. Nuru Bio is a global marketplace connecting researchers with African biobanks and institutes, streamlining sample acquisition and fostering a global research community.

RootedInLocal

Galit Ringach, Class of 2025
Environmental science and studies (with certificate in entrepreneurship)

RootedInLocal is a farmer-first marketplace making local food as convenient as Instacart while putting power and profits back in the hands of small and mid-sized growers. Small and mid-sized farmers are hindered by outdated systems and delayed payments, while consumers struggle to access local, value-aligned food. Our online platform is purpose-built to strengthen local food systems and foster a deeper connection between consumers and their food. We envision a future where farmers, not intermediaries, are at the center of the food economy.

Sensia

Parsa Lajmiri, Class of 2026
Electrical engineering

Benjamin Schornstein, Class of 2024 
Computer engineering and neuroscience

Sensia is an early-warning system for mental well-being, catching mounting stress before it spirals into burnout or depression. Chronic stress costs self-insured U.S. employers roughly $300 billion per year, with survey-based mental health checks missing 60% of at-risk staff and low program uptake due to data privacy concerns. Sensia transforms workers' smartwatches into a privacy-first burnout and depression predictor, using heart rate variability, sleep and other data to alert employees privately while providing employers anonymized trend dashboards, all deployable in days.

TOMATO.FISH

Qinyi Fan, Class of 2025
RISD, Interior architecture

TOMATO.FISH makes fresh, authentic, made-to-order Chinese pastries for modern cravings, gifting and gatherings. Fresh, authentic Chinese pastries are hard to find in the U.S., where East Asian treats and culture remain underrepresented despite a large, growing population. We offer fresh, customizable traditional pastries for gifting and enjoyment, made-to-order with cold-chain prep and hand-finishing, available online, at pop-ups, and for local delivery.

UAPPLY

Moise Gasana, Class of 2026
Computer science

Maximilian Tippie, Class of 2027
Business economics and behavioral decision sciences

UAPPLY is Africa’s first centralized platform that simplifies university applications across the continent. Students across Africa face a fragmented, paper-based university application process with inconsistent deadlines and limited visibility, while universities struggle with missing applications, poor diversity and inefficient systems. UAPPLY is a mobile-friendly platform that allows students to apply to multiple universities with one profile, while universities manage, verify and analyze applications through a centralized dashboard.

WYM

Sarah Comlan, Class of 2025 
Computer science (with certificate in entrepreneurship)

Vivian Uzibor, Class of 2024
Wellesley College

WYM is a water-tight swim cap designed to protect textured and styled hair, making swimming more accessible and joyful for everyone. Black women and children lack swim caps that protect textured hair, leading to hair damage, high maintenance costs and lower swim participation. As a result, Black youth are 5.5 times more likely to drown. WYM is creating a water-sealant swim cap for textured hair, with an adjustable band, silk lining and various sizes for a secure, dry and comfortable fit.

Tags
Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship Open Curriculum

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