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Innovation News November 2021

Latest News, Upcoming Events and Great Opportunities to Innovate!

This Thursday:
7th Annual Brandeis Innovation Showcase

We're back in person this year for the 7th Annual Brandeis Innovation Showcase! Stop by the Shapiro Science Center on Thursday, 5:15PM - 6:45PM to meet some of Brandeis' top innovators in technology, social impact, and more. Learn about new apps invented right here at Brandeis that may one day make your life easier, hear about the latest medical breakthroughs, and see the difference Brandeis social enterprises are making around the globe.
Refreshments served.
Open to members of the Brandeis community who are currently compliant with Brandeis testing and vaccination policies. While drop-in attendees are welcome, RSVPs are strongly encouraged.

RSVP

Do you have an idea for a potential business? An app you wish someone would make (and that could be you!), a service that many people can use, or new fashion concept? What about a creative project such as a documentary or a new magazine, or a social enterprise?

Then, Spark is for you. Being in Spark helps no matter where you are in your project, whether it's just a cool idea or you've been working on it for a while now and need to take it further.

So what is Spark? It's:

Training on all the ins and outs of the business world
A community where you can meet people to be part of your project
A network of mentors to help you
And potential funding to get your idea off the ground or help it grow

Spark participants become eligible for funding, support from Brandeis alumni and industry mentors, and training. We know there are a lot of clubs and extracurriculars out there - why not join one that can make you a startup founder by next year, or help you turn your side hustle into a job that puts your future in your hands?

Apply to Spark and see where it takes you!

Applications due December 6!

Apply To Spark

Spark Participants in the News

What happens after (or, sometimes, during) Spark? Members of the Spark community have found that the sky is the limit for their entrepreneurial dreams. Here are some recent wins for past Spark winners as well as program staff, who are typically entrepreneurs themselves. It goes to show that you can start with a good idea, go through Spark, and go anywhere!

SparkTank Winners WorkAround Acquired
Platform Connects Refugees with Meaningful Work and Source Global Data Talent

Past SparkTank winners WorkAround, founded by Wafaa Arbash, Heller MS '16, were acquired by CloudFactory. CloudFactory is a leader not only in the data labeling space but also they are on a mission to connect one million talented people to meaningful work.

WorkAround is a platform that connects refugees with meaningful jobs in the growing field of data labeling. They won numerous startup awards before acquisition, including the Beantown Throwdown. The acquisition marks a successful exit for the Brandeis-born startup.

Spark Program Manager Juan Giraldo's Startup, Waku, Meets Ambitious Crowdfunding Goal

Waku is a plant-based probiotic drink that uses botanicals from Ecuador to create a unique healthier beverage. The brainchild of Juan Giraldo, who also serves as the program lead and lead instructor for the Spark program, Waku is taking the beverage industry by storm. Recently, the company started a crowdfunding campaign on Republic, raising money through crowd equity.

Within weeks, Waku raised over three times their initial goal. And funds are still coming in. The good news doesn't stop there. The company was also recently featured on TV. Boston's local WBZ News showcased Waku on their It Happens Here segment, which featured startups selected for MassChallenge. Waku has been a MassChallenge finalist, participating in the highly-competitive incubator program for its 2021 cohort.