Every student learns differently, yet most classrooms still rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. Inspired by a loved one’s experience, California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) business administration alumna Lily Bryan is developing Hopscotch, a personalized learning platform designed to support students with different learning styles.

“It’s really hard for teachers to meet every student where they are and provide them personalized support that they need,” Bryan said. “That’s where Hopscotch came about — the belief that different ways of thinking deserve different ways of learning.”

Hopscotch supports students by allowing them to upload their homework and by translating the learning process into their preferred approach, catering to a variety of ways to engage with the material.

“As students interact with our platform, Hopscotch learns as they learn, and we get a better idea of the type of learner they are and what kind of representations would make most sense for their brain,” Bryan said. 

As Bryan developed her entrepreneurship senior project, she attended the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s (CIE) Summer Accelerator information session to seek the technical expertise needed to bring her idea to life. There, she met Liam Hyde, a Cal Poly computer science alumnus who will return this fall to pursue a master’s degree in quantitative economics.

“Liam also had a very personal connection to the problem, and he hopped on board that same day. He helped us make moree technical progress than we had all year in the span of two weeks,” Bryan said. 

Hyde immediately connected with the mission, having seen firsthand the learning challenges many students face. Confident he could build a solution, he joined Bryan

and together applied to the Summer Accelerator program, expanding both the platform and the startup’s vision. 

The Accelerator is a 10-week intensive program that provides Cal Poly students and recent graduates with resources to turn their innovative ideas into full-fledged startups. Participants receive $10,000 in seed funding, mentorship, entrepreneurial workshops, and a dedicated workspace in the HotHouse, the CIE’s downtown San Luis Obispo office.

“Twenty-one percent of California 11th graders are proficient in math, and that’s a complete disaster. Anything we can do to start bumping those numbers up would be a good thing,” Hyde said. “The education system in this country has failed a lot of people, and we’re hoping to start to turn that around.”

The Hopscotch team has said one of the Accelerator program’s biggest strengths has been the network of mentors, who offer workshops and one-on-ones for teams. “Regardless of their industry, they’re always able to apply their expertise to our situation,” Bryan said. “Hearing from people who know what it’s like to take that risk when your friends are in comfortable nine-to-five jobs is reassuring.” 

After speaking with their target audience, the Hopscotch team decided to focus on algebra initially, with plans to expand the platform to include other areas of math, physics and other STEM subjects. 

“We have discovered from parents and teachers that algebra is where parents aren’t able to help their students with their homework anymore,” Hyde said. 

Teacher feedback also broadened Bryan’s vision for Hopscotch beyond individual students. She learned this platform could cater to an entire class, supporting students who have foundational education gaps needing greater assistance, while also supporting students needing accelerated learning. 

“Hopscotch not only adapts those representations horizontally, but we also take a vertical approach and really allow students to focus on where they need to be,” Bryan said. 

By Demo Day, the duo aims to narrow down their customer segment and launch an algebra-focused pilot program and begin helping students who are looking for a simpler, more engaging way to learn. The team plans to use feedback from the pilot to refine the platform before expanding to several classrooms this fall. 

“We are really making sure that the experience isn’t just helpful but also engaging for students at the end of the day. Math has the stereotype of being boring, but we really want to make it an engaging experience for students,” Bryan said. 

The Accelerator has given the Hopscotch team an opportunity to grow their startup alongside student entrepreneurs experiencing similar challenges, creating a supportive community, as they work to generate real businesses. 

“We’re all in the same classes, taking this risk together,” Bryan said. “Even though we’re in different industries, we’re facing many of the same challenges, so being able to help each other has been a really great experience.”

Watch Hopscotch and our six other Accelerator startups pitch live at Demo Day here.

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About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunity to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue across the university and throughout San Luis Obispo County. For more information, visit cie.calpoly.edu.  

For California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) agricultural business alumni Joshua Van Tassel and Alex Pope, giving up dessert was never an option. Instead, the pair set out to reinvent it by creating Nibble Foods, a company that produces healthier, protein-packed versions of indulgent desserts.

​After being assigned the category “impulsive indulgers” for a dairy-based entrepreneurship class project, Pope and Van Tassel set out to create a sweet treat that wouldn’t carry the same guilt as traditional desserts. The result was Nibble’s first product: a bite-sized, healthy, protein-packed cheesecake bite formulated with clean ingredients. 

“We wanted to eat something that tastes like the real thing, one of our favorite desserts, cheesecake, but actually feel guilt-free about what we were putting into our bodies,” Pope said. 

Pope and Van Tassel’s friendship began during Cal Poly’s Week of Welcome, when the two met as neighbors in the Yosemite Tower Three dorm building. From sharing at least one class every quarter to building a business together, Van Tassel said they “worked well from the start.”

“Once you start building an idea full-time, it becomes more than just a group project. This experience is definitely going to push our friendship to places it’s never gone before, but it’s only made us stronger and better for the long run,” Pope said. 

​The team learned more about the Cal Poly Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) through their senior project course, where agribusiness professor Dr. McGowan  suggested that they participate in the CIE Elevator Pitch Competition. The experience led them to continue participating in CIE programs, including Builder Bootcamp, Innovation Quest and, most recently, the Summer Accelerator. 

​The Accelerator is a 10-week intensive program that provides Cal Poly students and recent graduates with resources to turn their innovative ideas into full-fledged start-ups. Participants receive $10,000 in seed funding, mentorship, an entrepreneurial workshop, and a dedicated workspace in the HotHouse, the CIE’s downtown San Luis Obispo office. 

​“I would say one of the things that we struggled with in the very beginning, especially myself, was presenting in front of people, being able to talk to others and being more open and willing to connect with people,” Van Tassel said.

​Not knowing what to expect initially from the Accelerator program, the team has enjoyed the amount of resources and connections they have made so far.

“In just the first two weeks, the speakers and mentors we’ve been introduced to have already been incredibly helpful,” Pope said.  “One of the co-founders of Yerba Madre was an amazing person to talk to and get help and insight, and that’s just one of the many.” 

​Both coming from an agricultural business background, the team initially did not have experience in food formulation or cooking in general. Creating their recipe involved extensive trial and error, with roughly 15 different iterations of the recipe before landing on their final formulation, highlighting Greek yogurt as their hidden win.

“It was hard to create a formulation that actually tasted like the real thing, so once we found it, we stuck with it,” Van Tassel said.  

Growing Nibble in the Summer Accelerator, the founders have agreed that the program has helped them accomplish more work in less time. 

“We’ve accomplished more in the last three weeks than we have in the past two months,” Van Tassel said. “It’s been nothing but beneficial, and has really pushed us to our absolute limits to bring out the best results.”

​By Demo Day, Nibble hopes to launch California-wide shipping and secure local retail partnerships. Looking beyond the Accelerator, the pair plan to grow beyond cheesecake bites by reinventing more classic desserts with healthier ingredients. ​“I think the sky’s the limit in establishing Nibble really as Nibble Foods,” Pope said. 

“The biggest thing we’ve learned is that so many startups fail — they tell us that all the time,” Van Tassel said. “But for us, we don’t fail until we give up. As long as we keep showing up every day, learning, improving, and working toward our goals, we consider that success.”

Watch Nibble and our six other Accelerator startups pitch live at Demo Day here.

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About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunity to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue across the university and throughout San Luis Obispo County. For more information, visit cie.calpoly.edu.  

A decision to stop drinking while studying abroad in Italy inspired California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) agricultural business senior John Piro to create Tango, a mocktail mixer designed to bridge the gap between social presence and physical well-being. 

​“I was desiring a drink that I could have in social gatherings that would match my energy without making me feel like garbage the next day,” Piro said. 

Tango is a low-sugar, sparkling mocktail and mixer, formulated with clean ingredients and electrolytes. 

Piro first developed the formula for the lime jalapeño margarita-flavored beverage while studying abroad, using ingredients from local Italian grocery stores for preliminary taste tests. “When I got back to the States that winter, I got advice from different flavor houses, sourced ingredients from suppliers and started putting real work into the formula,” he said. 

Around the same time, Piro was seeking a business partner. He decided to reach out to a highly entrepreneurial Cal Poly business administration senior, Nate Donovan, who also happened to be one of his best friends. 

Doubling as business partners and roommates, the Tango team said they have enjoyed the constant drive to continue growing their startup. “It’s awesome,” Piro said. “We always get to hang out, whether we’re in the office or at home, and the ideas are constantly flowing.” 

​The team decided to apply to the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s (CIE) Summer Accelerator because of the available resources and financial support to help develop their business further. 

The Accelerator is a 10-week intensive program that provides Cal Poly students and recent graduates with resources to turn their innovative ideas into full-fledged startups. Participants receive $10,000 in seed funding, mentorship, an entrepreneurial workshop, and a dedicated workspace in the HotHouse, the CIE’s downtown San Luis Obispo office.

“You get the entire summer to focus without any other obligations,” Donovan said. “The environment of working with other people who are doing similar things is the best space to create a company in.”

Piro said he is “very new” to the entrepreneurial scene at Cal Poly and has appreciated all the guidance available to help start a business through the CIE.

“To be honest, I’m 21 years old. I don’t know a lot about what goes into starting a business, so having these resources as a foundation is a blessing,” Piro said. “The CIE offers everything you would need.”

Donovan described the Accelerator as fast-paced but rewarding, saying guest speakers with expertise across industries have helped the team identify potential problems before encountering them on their own.

Currently navigating user feedback, the Tango team has focused on identifying its target audience. “Not everyone is going to love the product or the branding, but it’s all about finding the segment of people who do love it, focusing on them, and scaling it beyond them,” Donovan said.

Developing their product with long-term goals in mind, Piro describes Tango as a “safe haven,” eager to help others facing similar challenges in their relationship with alcohol or social environments where drinking can feel expected.

“The more our company grows, the more people we can help who are struggling with the problem that we are tackling,” Donovan said.

​As the Tango team continues building its business, Piro and Donovan agree that the Accelerator has provided guidance while giving them room for trial and error. By Demo Day, they aim to have their actual product in customers’ hands.

​“A truth of business and life is to just take it one day at a time,” Piro said. “It’s important to plan, but if you’re not focused on what you can do today, you won’t be able to get to tomorrow.”

Watch Tango and our six other Accelerator startups pitch live at Demo Day here.

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About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunity to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue across the university and throughout San Luis Obispo County. For more information, visit cie.calpoly.edu.  

The inspiration behind AwareNet traces back to observations made by Sam Veazey in the mid-1980s, when he envisioned a tool that could help communities respond to emergencies by connecting neighbors in moments of crisis faster than traditional dispatch systems allowed. At the time, the technology to build it simply didn’t exist yet.

Decades later, his son and now co-founder Jake Veazey (Computer Science, ’19) picked up where that vision left off and acts as the company’s CEO. His father serves as the other co-founder and CFO, bringing an extensive multidisciplinary background to the venture, holding an MBA in finance, a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and bachelor’s degrees in biology and mathematics. 

After Jake Veazey earned a computer science degree at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) and spent seven years at Amazon building cybersecurity tools for AWS, he had both the technical foundation and the industry experience to finally bring his father’s idea to life. When the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted just how disconnected communities had become, the urgency became impossible to ignore. In March 2025, Jake Veazey officially began building AwareNet and transitioned into the venture full-time through the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Incubator program.

The CIE Incubator is a two-year program that includes everything needed for early-stage companies to develop into financially stable, high-growth enterprises by providing the tools, training and infrastructure that help facilitate smarter, faster growth.

AwareNet is building real-time safety networks for individual neighborhoods, designed to fill the critical gap between when an emergency happens and when professional help arrives. That window, on average, is seven to 14 minutes. With more than 240 million 911 calls placed every year, that gap represents an enormous opportunity to save lives. AwareNet contacts a user’s connected community, 911 and friends and family simultaneously, mobilizing help within seconds rather than minutes.

What sets AwareNet apart from existing solutions is its focus on privacy and accessibility. Unlike platforms that broadcast emergencies publicly or charge monthly fees, AwareNet keeps information secure, sharing it only when and where it is needed — and it is completely free to use. “Solutions like Pulse Point and Life 360 are great, but they are either too niche or too broad,” Jake Veazey said. “We work before the call even gets to dispatch, and we keep your information as private as possible.”

Transitioning from a structured corporate environment to the uncertainty of a startup was smoother than Jake Veazey expected. His time at Amazon, where his team operated with a startup mentality despite having significantly more resources, prepared him well for the technical side of building AwareNet. The business side, however, was a different story.

“Learning the business side as a non-business major — marketing, go-to-market strategy, how to handle customers, how to sell — I don’t think I could have done it without the Incubator,” he said. “Anyone can build a project, but you need help to build a company. Being part of the Incubator forces you to think bigger, act faster and constantly iterate with a feedback loop from mentors and advisors who have been there before. It really teaches you not just what you’re building, but why.”

Two advisors in particular have made a significant impact. Their lead mentor, Mitch Emerson, has been a steady guide through the complexities of running a startup, while public relations advisor Becky Mosgofian has helped the team sharpen how they communicate AwareNet’s mission to the world. “The mentors and advisors here have all been a major part of learning what it takes to run a business,” Jake Veazey said.

Since joining the Incubator, AwareNet has grown from a concept into a functioning product with a beta launch on the horizon. The team is preparing to roll out on the Central Coast, working directly with neighborhoods and homeowners associations to deploy the platform in real communities. “The Incubator is probably one of the fastest ways anyone can go from an idea to an actual product,” Jake Veazey said of the program. “You can’t find any other program that gives you such a solid foundation over two years.”

Their goal is simple: make AwareNet the trusted safety layer for neighborhoods across the country by providing a free, accessible tool that helps communities respond before the first responders arrive.

“We want the name AwareNet to be synonymous with emergency response in your community,” Jake Veazey said. “A tool that is not only free to use, but accessible, giving people who didn’t necessarily have the ability to get help the means to get it.”

It’s been ten months since the 2025 Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Summer Accelerator wrapped up. Throughout the 12-week program, Cal Poly students and recent graduates dedicated their summer to turning early-stage ideas into tangible ventures building out their business models and learning what it really takes to launch a company.

The program concluded with Demo Day, where each team took the stage to pitch their startup and share the progress they had made over the summer.

Now, months later, the 2025 cohort has taken the momentum they built and channeled it into exciting new directions, whether that means continuing to grow their startups, pivoting to something new or carrying the lessons of the Accelerator into what comes next.

Here’s a look at where each team is now:

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One Fountain Health

One Fountain Health set out to help people maintain their independence through smarter medication management. Their automated pill dispensing system was designed to eliminate the most cumbersome aspects of managing medication. 

Co-founders Eli Lazar (Business Administration, ’25) and electrical engineering master’s student Victoria Asencio-Clemens (Computer Engineering, ’25) brought complementary skills to the team and transformed their idea from a class project into something much bigger.

“The Accelerator completely changed our approach,” Asencio-Clemens said. “Our idea went from a class project to a company and we had to figure out what that meant for us. Instead of thinking about what we felt the best solution would be, we had to find a concrete product-market fit that allowed us to stay on mission while creating something that would financially succeed.”

For Lazar, the Accelerator’s most lasting impact was personal as much as professional. “The Summer Accelerator empowered me to be the CEO of my own life,” he said. “After the summer, I knew what I wanted to work towards and how to get there.” Learning to trust his own instincts became one of his biggest takeaways. 

Though One Fountain Health is no longer active as a startup, both founders carry its lessons forward in meaningful ways.

Lazar has channeled his experience into a new pursuit entirely, taking a job as an elementary school music teacher while simultaneously earning his teaching credential. He sees a direct line between what he learned in the Accelerator and his ability to step confidently into that role. “We were trained to make decisions that we felt confident in and see if they worked out later,” he said. “I couldn’t have expressed my autonomy in that way without the Accelerator.”

Asencio-Clemens returned to Cal Poly to pursue a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, focusing on medical and rehabilitation devices. She credits the Accelerator with reshaping how she approaches problems across the board. “We did all different kinds of research — patent searches, focus groups, interviews,” she said. “It changed the way I look at problems in all aspects of my life.”

She also leaves the experience with a clearer sense of where she’s headed with more confidence in her ability to be part of future teams, as a founder or an employee, because of the insider perspective she gained throughout her startup journey. 

As for what the Accelerator ultimately taught them about success, Lazar put it plainly: “People may measure this program by how many startups survive, but that’s not the only metric that matters. Our hypothesis may have been wrong. Our idea may have been wrong. Our willingness to learn and grow from that was right.”

Vandra

When Alex Malone (Agricultural Business, ’26) and business administration senior Wian Roothman entered the Accelerator, Vandra was a probiotic-rich frozen dessert made with dairy-based kefir. The idea was born from Malone’s personal experience growing up relying on kefir to support a compromised immune system. The mission was to make gut health accessible and enjoyable, replacing supplements with something people actually wanted to eat.

The Accelerator taught the team how to pivot. As the program pushed them to dig deeper into their business model, finances and long-term vision, Malone and Roothman began to realize that ice cream wasn’t the direction they wanted to go. The logistical challenges of a frozen product with a short shelf life only reinforced their decline in passion for the idea. 

Shortly after, they pivoted to a new product: energy lollipops for concerts and festivals. “With the lollipops, we could work on it day and night and never tire,” Malone said.

The pivot proved to be the right call. Still operating under the Vandra name, the team has built an entirely new brand around caffeinated functional lollipops and is now months away from their official launch. You can find them at thevandra.com and on Instagram at @vandralollipops.

Looking back, Malone credits the Accelerator with giving them the foundation to move fast and build smart. “I learned how to start a company in 12 weeks,” she said. “Never forget a name and talk to everyone. Those are lessons I carry everywhere.”

With their launch approaching in June and Roothman set to graduate, the team is focused on building Vandra into something profitable enough to support them both full time. 

Devscribe

For developers, one of the biggest headaches isn’t writing code, but keeping Application Programming Interface (API) documentation up to date. Co-founders Gianni Hart (Business Administration, ’25) and Samuel Solano (Computer Engineering, ’25) created an AI-powered platform that automates API documentation, generating clear, brand-tailored docs that update automatically as code evolves, saving developers time and keeping teams on the same page.

Since the Accelerator, Devscribe has been heads down building their product. The team spent three focused months perfecting their product before turning their attention to sales and growth. “We decided we wanted a great working product because our switch cost for customers might be high,” Hart said. That patience paid off, as Devscribe finished their product in March and within two weeks of outbound sales, had landed three paying customers, bringing in roughly $1,000 in monthly recurring revenue.

The team is also now part of Founder University, a 12-week accelerator hosted by Jason Calacanis and Launch Co., where they continue to sharpen their approach to growth. Despite working fully remotely across time zones, the team has found their rhythm through a daily 30-minute check-in to keep them aligned and moving forward together.

The Accelerator, Hart says, instilled a willingness to throw out what isn’t working and start fresh without hesitation. “During the Accelerator, Sam and I had multiple weeks in a row where we completely started our pitch over trying to find the right way to convey our vision,” he said. “Today we use that same approach to product and sales. If something isn’t clicking, no worries, try a new path.”

The lesson that has stayed with them most is to remain “simple, simple, simple,” Hart said. “To this day, I still catch myself trying to over-explain in a technical manner and have to slow down.”

Ecoplasticity

Ecoplasticity is on a mission to tackle two environmental problems at once: sargassum, an invasive seaweed that blankets coastlines from Florida all the way to the Caribbean, and the plastic lining on takeout containers that ends up in landfills. Mayela Fernandez (MBA, ’25) and polymers and coatings master’s student Michelle Cullen are developing a biodegradable coating that replaces that plastic lining, making paper food packaging fully compostable and anaerobically digestible.

Since the Accelerator, Ecoplasticity has been moving fast. The team found a lab in San Diego, expanded their advisory board with experts from the packaging and coatings industry, and are preparing for their first commercial pilot. They were also selected as finalists for AngelCon 2026, where they took home the Audience Choice Award, and have been active in competitions and events, including LA Climate Week, VenTech, and Pepperdine’s Most Fundable Companies. Fernandez also received the Young Leaders Award from Walking Softer, recognizing her work as a climate founder.

One of the biggest shifts since the Accelerator has been product refinement, driven directly by customer discovery. “With further talks with potential customers, we discovered that there is a market for an oil-only barrier coating, giving us a faster path to market,” Cullen said. The team has since narrowed their focus to fine-tuning that formulation, with plans to begin pilot trials within the next few months while keeping the full oil and water barrier coating in their long-term roadmap.

“The Accelerator prepared us by refining our value proposition, knowing the pain points of our customers through customer discovery and understanding the market,” Fernandez said. A key validation moment came when the team confirmed that their invasive seaweed material could be used specifically for paper packaging solutions.

Both founders are now balancing Ecoplasticity with their academic pursuits. Cullen is completing her master’s degree in Polymers and Coatings at Cal Poly with plans to graduate this June, while also in the midst of a nine-month internship as part of her degree requirements. Fernandez, now based in San Luis Obispo but planning a move this summer, is working on Ecoplasticity full time and is part of both the Cal Poly CIE Incubator and the LA Blue Accelerator. Both programs have proven to be incredibly helpful as the company grows more complex in navigating the bigger challenges of building a business, from product roadmap decisions to financial modeling. 

Elora

Drink spiking is a threat that millions of women navigate every time they go out. Elora is building a solution that doesn’t ask them to compromise style or safety. Co-founders Addison Bounds (Business Administration, ’25) and biomedical engineering master’s student Kiara Robichaud are embedding drug detection sensors into aesthetic jewelry, giving users a discreet way to test their drinks and receive an instant alert on their phone if date-rape drugs are detected.

Since the Accelerator, Elora has hit several milestones. The team has raised $85,000 toward their pre-seed round, incorporated as a C-corp, filed toward a provisional patent and are deep into polymer development for their electrode coatings. They also took first place at the Embark Collective pitch competition in Tampa, Florida, and were selected as one of 1,500 teams — out of 18,000 applicants from over 130 countries — to advance to the second round of the 2026 Hult Prize.

For Bounds and Robichaud, the motivation to keep pushing came into sharp focus right after Demo Day, when two young women reached out on Instagram to share their drink spiking stories. “Having these women reach out and share not only their stories, but their gratitude for what we are creating, sets us on fire to keep going as fast as we can,” they said. “It was a reminder of why we are taking risks and making sacrifices to solve this problem.”

The Accelerator gave them the foundation to move with both confidence and intention. Steady goal-setting, leaning on key mentors and learning to trust their instincts all became core to how they operate. Their pitch deck being refined over countless hours during the Accelerator has become one of their most valuable assets. “I am so grateful for the time that went into our deck,” Bounds said. “We use it so much, and it’s nice to feel so confident in it.”

Understanding their financials and how to build forward-looking projections for a scalable startup also proved critical as they began meeting with investors. The Accelerator gave them the foundation to walk into those conversations with confidence, such as knowing how to pitch, how to engage with investors, and how to make decisions under pressure.

The lesson that has stuck with them most is simple but powerful: focus on the next step in front of you, and trust your gut. “No one knows your company like you do,” they said.

Both founders have been balancing Elora with demanding academic and athletic schedules. Bounds is completing her MBA at the University of South Florida and wrapping up her final season as a Division I beach volleyball player, set to graduate in July. Robichaud recently defended her thesis to earn her master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and currently serves as the Graduate Assistant for the Cal Poly Beach Volleyball team. Their next plans are to go full time in August and complete validation testing of two Schedule IV drug-facilitated rape drugs.

NeuRelief

Insomnia affects millions of people, and most treatments haven’t evolved in decades. Biomedical engineering master’s student Rex Walker and Jeremy Laufer (Biomedical Engineering, MS ’25) developed a sleep mask that gently stimulates the vagus nerve through personalized earpieces, while tracking biometrics to optimize treatment for each user.

After the Accelerator, the team continued pushing early product development forward through the fall before Walker made the personal decision to step away from NeuRelief in December. It wasn’t easy, but working through that decision became its own kind of lesson. “You can’t always get what is 100% right for you on your first try,” Walker said. “If you trust yourself and stay focused on the same general direction, you will keep progressing, and the path might not look like anything you could have anticipated.” 

The Accelerator itself, Walker says, was the most valuable experience of his time at Cal Poly. “It pushed me harder than any coursework ever did, and I genuinely enjoyed it every day,” he said. The program sharpened his ability to identify problems worth solving, navigate FDA and market considerations for medical devices, leverage his network and prioritize progress when everything is pulling in different directions at once.

Today, Walker is finishing his master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and channeling his experience into a new area of focus: data gaps in women’s health. He has been exploring solutions around perimenopause care and postpartum reproductive health monitoring, working alongside industry professionals and researchers in the femtech space to identify where data-driven tools are needed most.

This Women’s History Month, the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is celebrating leaders who expand opportunities and open doors for others. April Baserga, director of development for the Orfalea College of Business with a philanthropic focus on the CIE, is doing exactly that. 

Baserga serves as the center’s frontline fundraiser, building relationships with alumni and supporters to advance key initiatives. Chief among them is the CIE Impact Campaign supporting the center’s new downtown hub at 1144 Chorro St., a future home for community collaboration, startup founders and local entrepreneurs. 

For Baserga, fundraising is about more than meeting campaign goals. It is about ensuring that entrepreneurship feels possible and accessible to every student through a new space designed to foster opportunity. “Entrepreneurship can feel intimidating,” she said. “It can feel like a path reserved for people from strong economic backgrounds. We want to cultivate a strong CIE program that supports students from every background and academic discipline so they feel encouraged, not discouraged, to follow their ideas.”

She references programs like the Summer Accelerator, which provides $10,000 per team that is fully philanthropically funded as proof of what is possible when support systems are strong. “We want all students to feel like they can apply for one of our programs regardless of their financial situation,” said Baserga. 

Donors play an essential role in making that access possible. Whether contributing their time through mentorship or their resources through philanthropy, supporters help ensure that the CIE can continue empowering students to test and build their ideas. 

Before joining Cal Poly, she worked in luxury hospitality and global event sales with the Four Seasons, following earlier experience in food, beverage and wedding planning. That background continues to shape how she approaches fundraising today through relationship-building and connecting people with opportunities. 

“I’ve always loved working with iconic, well-established brands,” she said. “Cal Poly is celebrating 125 years of impact, and with the CIE now more than 15 years strong and moving into a new flagship space downtown, we’re really cementing its legacy within the university and across the region.” 

Eight years ago, she moved to the Central Coast and began working for a large hospitality firm, serving as a consultant and business developer as they launched multiple regional brands. Through that work, she collaborated with the CIE on events like AngelCon, Demo Day and Innovation Quest, gaining firsthand exposure to the center’s public impact. When her current position opened, she pursued it intentionally because she knew it would allow her work to be deeply rooted in the community she now calls home. 

“What really drew me to this position was that I would get to focus on continually supporting the efforts of one of the university’s most impactful interdisciplinary programs,” she said. 

Baserga also credits the strong women around her for shaping her experience at Cal Poly. She points to Kelly Dye, assistant dean of development for the Orfalea College of Business, who brings decades of fundraising experience, and Karen Tillman, former interim executive director of the CIE, who she considers a powerful example of what it means to be a successful woman in leadership. 

Beyond current fundraising initiatives, Baserga is focused on broadening awareness of the CIE’s interdisciplinary reach to ensure that students and faculty across campus understand that entrepreneurship at Cal Poly is not confined to one college or major. 

Her commitment to Cal Poly is long-term. Rather than a stepping stone, the CIE is a place she intends to grow alongside. “I am committed to this project,” she said. “I want to stay as long as Cal Poly will have me. I’m not going anywhere.” 

Outside of her work at the CIE, Baserga is a mother of two young children and loves spending time at the beach, swimming and exploring with her family in Grover Beach. For her, Women’s History Month is a reminder to lead by example for her children while celebrating the accomplishments of the women around her.

This month, the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is proud to celebrate Black History Month by spotlighting some of the incredible Black-owned businesses right here in San Luis Obispo County. 

While February is a time for intentional reflection and celebration, true support means showing up year-round. Investing in Black-owned businesses is a direct way to help close the racial wealth gap, strengthen our local economy and ensure that the diversity of our community flourishes!

Check out some local favorite spots and make a plan to visit them:  

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Food and Drink: 

• Ebony SLO: Incredible Ethiopian cuisine that has become a local staple. They are currently looking for a new permanent home, so follow them for location updates!
• Tiki Hut: Fresh, healthy and customizable stir-fry bowls, founded on the belief that eating better leads to living better. 
• Indigené Cellars: Award-winning wines by Raymond Smith, located in downtown Paso Robles.

Health, Wellness and Beauty: 

• The Culture Salon: A downtown SLO salon specializing in all hair types and textures. 
• House of Brows: This boutique studio specializes in precision brow shaping and advanced skincare, known for a personalized approach to beauty. 
• Texture SLO: A program of R.A.C.E. Matters SLO offering high-end styling and salon experiences. 

Apparel and Retail: 

• A Satellite of Love: A curated boutique in SLO featuring vintage clothing, vinyl records and handmade goods. 
• Thrifty Beaches: A local favorite for vintage finds and sustainable style, founded by Cal Poly MBA student Adam Kemp.
• Opulence: A clothing store dedicated to curated, inclusive luxury that ensures everyone in the SLO community can find a piece that makes them feel their most confident.

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While we’re spotlighting these local favorites today, there are countless other Black-owned businesses across the Central Coast that deserve our collective support. Check out the R.A.C.E. Matters SLO directory to find and support even more incredible local businesses in our area.

For many people with food allergies or sensitivities, eating out can feel not only stressful, but also unsafe. This reality is what led three California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) graduates to build SafePlate Technologies, a startup working to improve food safety testing and restore trust in the food supply chain. 

Founded by Mitchell Dann (Mechanical Engineering,’24), Avery Taylor (Computer Engineering, ’24) and Nahal Sadeghian (Mechanical Engineering, ’24), SafePlate is developing a food contaminant testing solution designed to be easier to use and more informative than current methods on the market. By allowing food manufacturers to test more frequently and proactively, the team aims to reduce the risk of harmful contaminants reaching consumers. 

SafePlate began in a senior project class led by Dr. Thomas Katona and Dan Weeks in September 2023. Through the class, they discovered a shared common interest in addressing challenges within the food industry. As part of their project, the team conducted extensive interviews with individuals who had food allergies and intolerances. Those conversations became the foundation of the company. 

Through more than 100 interviews, the team repeatedly heard stories of people who avoided restaurants, restricted their diets or brought their own food to social gatherings because they didn’t trust food labels or preparation practices. Their interviews demonstrated that food safety concerns weren’t just about regulation—they were deeply personal. 

“A lot of people live very isolated lives because they don’t feel safe eating food prepared by others,” said Taylor, a Cal Poly electrical engineering master’s student CTO of SafePlate. “We believe if we can make testing better for the food manufacturer, they can change their labels to help people feel safe.” 

After completing their senior project, the team joined the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s (CIE) 2024 Summer Accelerator cohort. The Accelerator is an intensive 12-week program that provides Cal Poly students and recent graduates with the resources necessary to turn their innovative ideas into full-fledged startups. Participants in the Accelerator receive $10,000 in seed funding, as well as access to expert mentorship, entrepreneurial workshops and a dedicated workspace in the HotHouse, the CIE’s office located in downtown San Luis Obispo.

The Accelerator helped the team shift from an academic mindset to an entrepreneurial one, introducing them to the realities of running a business and communicating their value to potential partners and investors. 

“The Accelerator was really our introduction to what it means to run a company,” said Sadeghian, SafePlate’s COO. “It helped us understand where to go next and how to start building something sustainable.” 

Following the Accelerator, the team was invited to join the CIE Incubator program, a two-year program that includes everything needed for early-stage companies to develop into financially stable, high-growth enterprises by providing the tools, training and infrastructure that help facilitate smarter, faster growth.

Joining the Incubator gave SafePlate access to dedicated office space, a network of advisors and a community of fellow founders navigating similar challenges. The founders say that combination has been critical to their progress. 

“My experience in the Incubator, to sum it up in one word, is fun,” said Taylor. “I get to go into work every day, work on my product and bug the other teams when they’re not in a meeting. The community is the reason why I go to work every day.” 

One of the most impactful aspects of the program has been working with their assigned advisor, Jeff Erramouspe, who brings experience in sales and project management. His guidance has helped the team think more strategically about marketing and investor conversations. 

“At this stage, resources are limited, so having someone with real business experience who can help us avoid common mistakes has been huge,” said Dann. 

One aspect of the program the team values is its flexibility. While Dann and Taylor work on-site, Sadeghian works remotely from Los Angeles and travels to San Luis Obispo when possible. The program’s hybrid approach with both in-person and virtual offerings to programming and events has allowed the entire team to stay engaged and connected. “The Incubator does a great job of making sure I’m not missing out on anything,” Sadeghian said.

Earlier this year, the team attended the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Conference, the largest food science and food safety conference in the world, where they received strong interest from hundreds of manufacturers and suppliers eager for improved food safety testing solutions. “It really validated what we’re doing and where we’re going. It was a very fulfilling experience,” said Sadeghian.

SafePlate has also gained early validation through the VentureWell’s E-Team program, receiving a Phase 1 grant of $5,000 to support early development and customer discovery efforts. The team is currently applying for Phase 2 funding, which would provide up to $20,000 to further advance the technology.

The founders are cultivating investors and have been working with Ideaship to take the next steps in their journey. Ideaship has already made numerous strategic introductions and assisted the company in filing a provisional patent application. Ideaship is the venture capital affiliate of GTT Group.

“When people think about SafePlate, we want them to think about feeling safe and confident in the food they eat,” Taylor said. “Everyone deserves to enjoy food without fear.”

The Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) recently welcomed Peter Falzon as its new Executive Director. In a conversation moderated by CIE SBDC Economic Development Director Donica Forensich, Falzon shared his background, what excites him about this role and his vision for the future of entrepreneurship at Cal Poly and across the Central Coast.

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Q: Tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to this role.

Peter: I am a native of Michigan. We have been coming to this area for about 20 years, and it’s pretty easy to fall in love with San Luis Obispo. So we started making a plan to eventually land here, and we landed here about three years ago.

My background is in tech. Even though I am a graduate of the University of Michigan, my first real job was with a Silicon Valley company, which was a laser technology company that made medical devices for eye surgery. 

Along the way, I lived in Japan for about 10 years as a student and early in my career just after college, so a lot of my approach to life and business is influenced by my time in Japan.

Before I took this position, I mentored for the Summer Accelerator program and I was part of the CIE advisory council, so I’ve been familiar with the program as a whole, but stepping into this specific role opens up new opportunities for me to make a difference in the community. 

Q: How did you first get involved with entrepreneurship?

Peter: Working in the medical device industry, starting this company in Japan, was the beginning of a series of opportunities that took me down a path of being an entrepreneur. I kept taking detours because an opportunity came up and those opportunities were interesting more often than not.

For example, one of the engineers had an idea to build a hair removal laser and management didn’t want to fund the project. So he went out and got funding, built it in his garage, and when he had a product, he called me and said, ‘Do you want to come over here and help me build this business?’ We built that company and took it public in 2004. I wasn’t one of the founders but I was one of the early management team, and it was a great experience. 

When you go through an experience like that, it gives you the ability to then spend time with other people who are starting the experience, share your advice, give back and help them navigate the path. 

Q: What makes Cal Poly’s entrepreneurship offerings different from other entrepreneurship programs?

Peter: A couple of things. First, it’s so student-focused. Most of the large research universities are focused on faculty startups, but Cal Poly is different. It’s all about the students.

Number two is the quality of the student programs. I learned very quickly that what Tom Katona has built at the CIE is unmatched. The experience that the students get and the dedication and knowledge that Tom brings to all of the programs is critical.

And then third, the most important decision was to make it interdisciplinary. Even though it lives in the Orfaela College of Business, it’s interdisciplinary and my job is to make sure that it’s connected to programs in all of the schools.

Q: How do you plan to build bridges across campus and strengthen interdisciplinary entrepreneurship?

Peter: There is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity taking place right now, a decision to hire entrepreneurship faculty in every college over the next year. With entrepreneurship faculty in each college, it’s really only the CIE that can connect them to each other and make sure that they don’t become siloed resources, but a unified asset for the students and the community. I am not an academic so I have some learning to do, but bringing them together and giving them an opportunity to interact is a huge opportunity. 

Q: What’s driving the investment in entrepreneurship right now?

Peter: Research shows that one in five college-age people today wants to start and run their own business. With technology fueling their ambitions—especially the advent of AI—the design, the market research, the strategic planning cycles are just so compressed because AI does so much of the work. The interest in becoming entrepreneurs is only growing, and it’s very much in Cal Poly’s interests to showcase its entrepreneurship programs.

Q: What surprised you most about the CIE’s offerings beyond campus?

Peter: The CIE is also pretty unique in that it’s not just serving students, but it’s serving the community. The fact that the SBDC is embedded inside the CIE is really valuable and really unique. In addition to students, we provide them with the transition to take their learnings and build companies—along with community entrepreneurs. The goal is to diversify the economy. We also encourage more students to stay here and contribute to the Central Coast economy. 

Q: Where do you see the most opportunity for startup growth on the Central Coast?

Peter: I think it’s in three areas. First, tech, accelerated by everything that’s happening in AI. Second, biomed healthcare is approaching 20% of the economy, and we have a great biomedical engineering program. Third, ag tech is becoming more and more important for the health of the planet. Cal Poly’s at the forefront to help bring more of that innovation out into the community, which is a huge opportunity.

Q: How can local businesses and community leaders better support entrepreneurs, either coming out of Cal Poly or want to start their business across the Central Coast? 

Peter: Partner with the CIE. Visit, take a look at the programs, and spend time with the SBDC. If you’re running a business in town, economic development is important for your business too, and we’re trying to drive that. Supporting the CIE is really in your interest—and community donations and support is critical. 

Q: What are you most excited about in your new role at the CIE?

Peter: Obviously, the new space at the corner of Chorro and Marsh is going to give us a chance to really have a marquee and more of a presence in town.

Right now, people walking up and down the streets in San Luis Obispo have to kind of look for our tiny little sign and walk up the stairs. So we’re going to be much more visible in the community and therefore, have much more of a presence. I’m excited for that. 

Q: What’s your long-term vision for the CIE?

Peter: My three-week answer is probably going to be different than my three-month answer, but I’ll take a stab at it. 

The CIE will be much more impactful when we get to a place where we are endowed, so if you make a commitment to a five-year program, you’ll be able to see it through. Getting the CIE to a point where it’s an endowed enterprise with a strong economic foundation will make it a permanent asset in the community.

Q: Is there anything else you want people to know about you?

Peter: I am here because I am driven by a desire to connect to this community and do something positive.

I spent the last seven years raising venture capital and hiring people, but once I relocated to SLO, it became time to spend time with real people and get to know people in my community.

Whatever I do, my goal needs to be local, contributing to my community and connecting me to the people in my community. That’s my reason for being here.

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We’re excited to welcome Falzon to the CIE and look forward to the impact of his leadership on campus and across the Central Coast. To hear more about Falzon’s background and vision for the CIE, watch the full video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XPgqBUMFwQ&t=1s.  

When Bill Burns began experimenting with insect farming in his mom’s basement, he never imagined it would grow into a company tackling one of agriculture’s biggest challenges: food waste.

California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) materials engineering graduate Burns founded ENTEIN Alternative, a food upcycling company that helps food manufacturing facilities repurpose organic waste into sustainable products. ENTEIN installs on-site insect farming systems that convert leftover materials into protein, ideal for livestock, fish, pets and a frass fertilizer that can be returned to the same fields where the food was grown.

The idea for ENTEIN blossomed while Burns was an undergraduate student. “During my time at Cal Poly, we were working on a food waste program for my communications class,” he said. “Through some more research, I saw someone growing bugs in their backyard. They were putting in waste products, and out came food for their chickens. I thought that was really cool and wanted to do the same.”

That curiosity led Burns to start a small colony of insects in his family’s basement around 2019. Using local food waste, he produced protein to feed his mom’s chickens. What began as a personal project soon grew into a sustainable venture. Burns later secured a 2,000 square foot greenhouse space on campus, where he turned food scraps from Cal Poly dining halls into insect protein and fertilizer for Cal Poly’s agricultural fields.

In 2023, Burns joined the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE)’s Summer Accelerator, an intensive 12-week program that provides Cal Poly students and recent graduates with the resources necessary to turn their innovative ideas into full-fledged startups. Participants in the Accelerator receive $10,000 in seed funding, as well as access to expert mentorship, entrepreneurial workshops and a dedicated workspace in the HotHouse, the CIE’s office located in downtown San Luis Obispo. 

 “The Accelerator was a great experience,” Burns said. “I learned how to build a company and tell its story through my pitch at Demo Day.”

After graduating, Burns transitioned into the CIE’s Incubator program, where he began developing ENTEIN full-time. The Incubator is a two-year program that includes everything needed for early-stage companies to develop into financially stable, high-growth enterprises by providing the tools, training and infrastructure that help facilitate smarter, faster growth.

“Joining the Incubator felt like the next logical step,” he said. “We had built a lot of good momentum through the Accelerator and during the school year, and the Incubator gave me the space, mentorship and resources to keep it going.”

Through the program, ENTEIN gained access to experienced mentors, business coaching, and connections in the agriculture and agtech industries — resources that helped turn the startup’s pilot operation into a growing enterprise.

“The mentors that the Incubator provides have been essential in helping guide our mission, vision and day-to-day operations,” Burns said. “Through the CIE, we were connected to great folks in agriculture who helped us get our fertilizer onto the crops that most benefited from it. Those connections were instrumental in getting our company going.”

Since joining the Incubator, ENTEIN has begun collaborating with larger companies across California’s Central Coast, strengthening both sides of its business: the waste management partnerships and the sale of its upcycled products.

“It’s been really helpful in getting the customers we need,” Burns said. “The Incubator helped us build a strong pitch so people understand our story, our journey and the value we create for agriculture on the Central Coast.”

As a solopreneur who was once a student balancing a full course load and an operating business, Burns had to learn the importance of prioritization early. “It was a lot to balance going to school full time and having a company full time,” he said. “I spent a lot of late evenings at the greenhouse and early mornings on homework. You just have to focus on what’s most important at that moment.”

Now, with ENTEIN growing steadily, Burns is focused on scaling the company’s impact. “Moving forward, the plan for ENTEIN is to continue building relationships and increasing our capacity to turn food waste into new food products,” he said. “We’re experimenting with other crops in this region and getting our protein to customers who will really benefit from sustainable insect protein.”

For student entrepreneurs who want to follow a similar path, Burns says the Incubator can be a powerful starting point. “If you’re an entrepreneur, you should apply to the CIE Incubator program,” he said. “It’s a vibrant community that supports you with mentorship and resources and helps propel your business to a level you wouldn’t reach otherwise. It’s really helped us get our business where it is today.”