It’s officially that time of year when club signups open, allowing students to choose between the numerous opportunities offered here at MT. Deciding on a club can be a daunting task because of the various options available, but Startup Club aims to make that choice a little easier by reeling in anyone who may be interested in business and entrepreneurship.
Startup Club was created by Kevin Zhang and Daniel Wang, two 2023 Township graduates who had a passion for the business world and the creativity that came with it. Although they graduated last year, the legacy lives on through four new students who are excited to lead the club: Bill Wang (President), Aanya Iyengar (Vice President), Michael Gallagher (Head of Operations), and Khai Ta (Head of Events).
“With new leadership, we hope to not only maintain our busy schedule filled with guest speakers and shark tank meetings, but also to increase interest from both the student body and local professionals,” said Gallagher.
The guest speakers and shark tank event mentioned by Gallagher are two of the many activities that Startup Club offers. According to Wang, the leaders conduct guest speaker sessions through a Q&A manner between the students and the speaker. The speakers have ranged from Startup Club alumni to local business owners; they include Mary Papadimitriou (Co-owner of Escape Room Lancaster), Ken Rother (Managing Director of Cornell’s student accelerator program eLab and a Venture Partner at Cayuga Venture Fund), Jorge Guzman (Associate Professor at Columbia Business School), and many more.
This year, students can look out for guest speaker Nicole Dannehl, owner and CEO of Nikki’s Custard, an ice cream shop that opened up on Oregon Pike this September.
Every year, Startup Club hosts an annual Shark Tank competition where participants present their product pitches to a table of judges with professional business experience. “In the past years, we’ve seen some really great innovation ideas, and we’re excited to see what kind of products the competitors will create again,” said Wang. Last year, Startup Club received $600 from the student grant fund and awarded it to first, second, and third place winners.
All four leaders are looking forward to the highly anticipated competition that anyone, not just club members, can participate in.
When asked who should join Startup Club, both Gallagher and Wang agree that anyone with an interest in business who is willing to learn, excited to innovate, and eager to make friends while making their future brighter should consider joining the club.
“My favorite part of the club is the community. Startup Club provides opportunity for innovation and growth, bringing together like-minded individuals with diverse skills and ideas,” said Ta. “We provide a chance for people to follow through with their start-up ideas and support them through the process needed to accomplish their aspirations.”
Startup Club’s mission is to “create passion,” a fitting goal for a club devoted to sparking the creativity within minds through an entrepreneurial aspect.
