Launch X Summer Program at MIT
LaunchX is a highly selective, month long summer entrepreneurship program where teams of high school students reside at MITs freshmen Simmons dorm to ideate, select a problem, create a business plan and a prototype to solve it. Our team created reFIT – a prototype e-commerce marketplace that combined social media with online fashion. As lead developer, I created a collaborative filtering algorithm that used recommendations from similar users to suggest new stylistic choices from people’s favorite brands.
LaunchX’s immersion allowed us to actually approach and negotiate with real customers (local clothing stores) as well as conduct in-person interviews on the street. LaunchX really internalized the message of customer centricity, and ensuring your product is built for someone. ReFiT was a huge learning experience for me.
TiE Young Entrepreneurs (TYE) Boston Champions
Global Top 8 / 40 Teams
As the creator of the helmet hardware, I had to teach myself a lot more about circuit design and microcontrollers. From Arduino to PCBs, I built a bluetooth impact detection sensor that relayed data of the fall if above a set threshold. Additionally, through the program, I learnt the ins and outs of managing marketing strategy, financial projections, and customer outreach by writing a business plan, developing a product prototype, and interviewing several potential customers and partners (e.g. bike shops).
- 1st at TYE Boston, won $5000.
- Advanced from 40 teams worldwide to Top 8 Finals