The Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI) is proud to celebrate the achievements of the April cohort of the Accelerate UConn Propelus program. Over the course of this four-week initiative, as part of UConn’s National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps site, participants gained critical skills and resources to explore the market potential of their early-stage ideas.
During the program, teams took part in an in-person kickoff event, attended a series of three webinars, and conducted at least 20 customer discovery interviews. After meeting these requirements, each team was awarded a $1,500 stipend from the NSF to help advance their validation efforts.
We applaud these teams for their commitment and perseverance, and we’re excited to watch their ventures continue to grow.
April Accelerate UConn Propelus
CellRevert
Paola Vera-Licona (Faculty, UConn MED)
Identifying and selling pre-packaged cancer reversion targets to pharmaceutical companies.
ChromaShield
Haseeb Chaudhry (Undergraduate, UConn CLAS), Neha Shanavas (Undergraduate, UConn CLAS)
A smart, disposable, color-changing patch designed to monitor radiation dermatitis.
NoRD Bio
Ida Pavlichenko, Samuel Nussenzweig (Graduate Student, Brown University), Dimitri Livitz
An innovative, saliva-based MRD assay that provides a highly sensitive, cost-effective, and patient-friendly alternative for cancer monitoring.
InFuture
Sahith Maganti (Undergraduate, UConn BUS), Sriram Maganti, Sushma Maganti
AI-powered platform for soft skills growth, interview prep, and real-time feedback.
Track and Thrive
Angeliki Papakalodouka (Graduate Student, UConn CLAS)
Empowering college students and young adults to take control of their finances by teaching them simple, effective expense-tracking strategies that lead to financial freedom and smarter spending habits.
Mercas
Greg Pannone (Undergraduate, UConn BUS)
Aiming to be the bridge between U.S.-based small businesses and Central American manufacturers by handling critical operational functions from material sourcing to logistics – we remove barriers that often prevent U.S. businesses from exploring Latin American manufacturing, unlocking nearshoring opportunities with minimal friction.
PulseLend
Tarun Kumar Nattala (Alumni, UConn BUS)
Connecting individuals, small businesses, and startups seeking short-term loans with investors looking to earn returns through a secure, user-friendly interface.
Classwork Zoom
Eric Burton (Graduate Student, UConn School of Social Work), Ted Hancock
Helping teachers to get an overview of student effort and engagement in work assigned through Google Classroom.
Goldilocks Smart Solutions
Thomas Bittings (Undergraduate, Morehouse College), Nicholas Nguyen (Graduate Student, UConn ENG)
A smart shower system designed to make bathing safer, more accessible, and more sustainable—especially for seniors and caregivers. It’s easy to install, tracks water usage, and allows for hands-free control to improve safety and convenience.
MLC Nutrition
Vanessa Sena, Lucia Duenas-Bianchi (Graduate Student, UConn MED)
A data-driven platform designed to support healthcare providers in delivering personalized nutrition interventions. By integrating real-time patient data with evidence-based nutritional insights, the platform empowers clinicians to make timely, informed recommendations that improve patient outcomes.
Varda5, LLC
Andrea Shields (Faculty, UConn MED), Jacqueline Vidosh, Benjamin Laurence Sutton
Offering specialized training in Obstetric Life Support to improve maternal health outcomes.
Orbit Crates
Kim Conti (Quinnipiac University; University of Hartford), Gomathi Ramachandran (Graduate Student, UConn BUS)
A toy rental company focused on reducing clutter in homes and increasing intentional play (aged 2-5).
Fruitstreak
Shivani Vittal (Graduate Student, UConn BUS), Sohan Reddy Ganampeta (University of North Carolina Charlotte)
Leveraging a seamless digital platform to deliver fresh, high-quality fruits directly to customers' homes while tracking their nutritional progress. Our technology enables personalized health insights and recommendations through expert nutritionist support. Customers can choose from specialized packages, such as period pain relief and mother care, to meet their unique dietary needs.
Pagoda Labs
Matthew Yang (Alumni, UConn ENG), Nick Angell-Huynh (Alumni, UConn ENG)
Enabling salons to grow their online presence, increase bookings, and manage their digital workflows.
ColoniCzar
Ashiq Rahman (Graduate Student, UConn CLAS), Samarah Arjumand
A probiotic drink that helps alleviate IBS and imparts a host of other health benefits, due to action of deliberately chosen formula of helpful gut microbes and prebiotic fibers.
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This cohort benefited from the expertise of a talented group of instructors: Scott Alpizar, Jenn Burka, Leland Holcomb, and Claire Zick. Their guidance was fundamental in helping participants navigate the customer discovery process and strengthen their skillsets.
In 2024, UConn became a member of The NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) Northeast Hub — part of a national NSF-funded network designed to accelerate the real-world impact of federally supported research. The Hub drives innovation across sectors like healthcare, technology, and environmental sustainability, while also expanding access to entrepreneurial opportunities for researchers from diverse backgrounds.
To learn more about the Hub, visit icorpsnortheasthub.org, or explore our program details and upcoming cohorts at ccei.uconn.edu/accelerate-uconn.
For specific questions about Accelerate UConn, please reach out to Alycia Chrosniak at alycia.chrosniak@uconn.edu.