THE NEXT BIG THING? Known as the launchpad for Oberlin entrepreneurs, LaunchU provides resources, training, advisors, connections, and capital to help start, accelerate, and grow student and alumni ventures. Twenty teams took part in a three-week accelerator course in January and then pitched their ventures to a panel of judges and potential investors for $50,000 in prize money. These are some of the participants. Devin Frenze ’15 [left] and Myles Emmons ’14 founded Real Boy Digital, a visual consulting group that creates immersive multimedia projections presented at live events. Jason Williams ’05 founded Get With the Program, which creates educational products and content that encourage interest in STEM fields. Ahmed Zia Wahdat ’10 won the Social Impact Prize for MyChair, a portable desk chair that doubles as a backpack. It’s aimed toward school kids in African and South Asian rural communities who don’t have access to proper seating. Ahmed’s venture partners are Suman Giri ’11 and Mazen Sakr. Shea Renusch ’16 [left] and Bronwen Schumacher ’15 cofounded Oberlin Collective Apparel, a design collective that creates and sells student-centered, Oberlin- themed clothing. 24 Juan Bolanos brews beer for the Drakonus Brewing Commune, which offers facilities and support to craft brewing entrepreneurs in Mexico City. His venture partners include Francesca Lichuaco ’04. Gabriel Pollack ’11 [left] and Taylor Greenthal ’15 founded Call- and-Response, a Cleveland-based summer festival of food, music, and the arts created to showcase emerging local artists.