{"681600":{"#nid":"681600","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Four Startup Lab Students Selected for 2025 Immersive Cohort at SXSW","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour students from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/learn\/startup-lab\u0022\u003EStartup Lab\u003C\/a\u003E have been selected to join the 2025\u0026nbsp;immersive cohort at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sxsw.com\/\u0022\u003ESouth by Southwest\u003C\/a\u003E (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. Alex Aridgides (mechanical engineering and economics), Shinhai Chen (industrial engineering), Varuni Chopra (industrial engineering), and Christie Peng (computer science) are the first Georgia Tech students to be invited to the program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe weeklong, all-expenses-paid program offers university-affiliated innovators the chance to refine their innovations, engage in customer discovery, and network with industry leaders and peers at SXSW. The annual festival celebrates technology, film, music, education, and culture. Students participated in a competitive application process, which involved submitting applications, meeting specific evaluation criteria, and being selected by a panel of industry experts, mentors, and SXSW organizers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYolanda Payne, the students\u2019 Startup Lab instructor, presented the SXSW opportunity in class.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022My goal is to be their biggest cheerleader,\u201d she explained. \u201cI had great teachers who helped me get to where I am today, and I strive to emulate their support. I\u2019m always willing to guide students toward new opportunities.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe learned about the SXSW immersive cohort from Nakia Melecio, director of the National Science Foundation I-Corps Southeast Hub. The $15 million initiative crosses nine major research universities in the southern U.S. and accelerates the translation of deep tech research into commercial ventures. The hub works closely with entrepreneurial faculty, students, and researchers to equip them with the tools, networks, and support to bring their innovations to market.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMelecio plays a central role in identifying and advancing strategic opportunities for university partners and their entrepreneurial teams. \u201cWhen the opportunity to participate in SXSW arose, I recognized it as an ideal platform to showcase the talent and innovation coming out of our region.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMelecio added that Startup Lab is ideal for amplifying NSF I-Corps\u2019 goals because of the course\u2019s proven track record of fostering hands-on learning and commercialization readiness. \u201cStartup Lab helps prepare students not just to think entrepreneurially, but to act on their ideas with confidence and a structured path forward. It was a natural fit for this opportunity.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPayne says the experience students gained in Startup Lab helped prepare them for the immersive cohort. \u201cThe knowledge is being solidified by an experience you\u2019re having in my class and the real world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChopra agrees that Startup Lab teaches essential business development fundamentals and customer discovery principles, skills that are relevant to the SXSW program. She recommends the course to other students and emphasizes the value of combining engineering or technical backgrounds with entrepreneurship skills.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe take a lot of classes that are directly related to our major, and they\u0027re very technical. But when it comes to wanting to start something of your own or even understanding how startups work, it\u0027s completely different than the rest of our coursework.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartup Lab is a three-credit course that focuses on evidence-based entrepreneurship. This hands-on class covers ideation, teamwork, customer discovery, minimum viable products, the business model canvas, and other topics. Students learn how to launch a startup by integrating in-class lectures with practical, out-of-class activities, including interviewing potential customers and refining their startup ideas based on real-world feedback.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program provides access to valuable resources, mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs, and a supportive community to help students develop their startups. Startup Lab and NSF I-Corps are also exploring other industry showcases for student entrepreneurs like SXSW.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChen chose Startup Lab to pursue his entrepreneurial interests. \u201cI knew that Georgia Tech had a really good startup culture, so I researched what they had to offer, and Startup Lab was the first step.\u0022 He also noted Payne\u0027s impact as an instructor. \u0022The best part is how much she cares about the topic. She has a lot of background knowledge and is passionate.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartup Lab is unique because it \u0022de-risks the business model,\u201d Payne says. Many entrepreneurs first build their products and then talk to potential customers. However, Startup Lab students perform customer discovery, sharing their ideas with potential end users, listening to their needs and feedback, and then building the product.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPeng recalls a powerful moment of pitching an idea for an app to streamline MARTA operations. \u201cI had a fun time coming up with this idea. We learned a lot about interviewing, coming up with possible solutions, and refining our idea,\u201d she says. \u0022Being surrounded by so many brilliant individuals at Georgia Tech makes it easy to get idea formation or networking connections you need for your idea to succeed.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAridgides has ambitious post-program goals, envisioning creating change through entrepreneurship. \u0022I want to start a company to change the world for the better and make a big impact. That\u0027s my life goal. I think through a company, I can achieve that.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPayne reminds students that they possess something many adults lack: time to explore different ideas. She also says Startup Lab can help students value and see their ideas in new ways.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey don\u0027t recognize that the product they\u0027re working on could be pursued through entrepreneurship or think of themselves as entrepreneurs. And even if they don\u0027t pursue it, it helps them in all aspects of life because business and capitalism are part of what we do every day.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re a student interested in adding entrepreneurship to your course schedule, registration for the summer and fall semesters opens on April 15. In addition to Startup Lab, students also have the opportunity to build a prototype with support through \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/make\/idea-to-prototype\u0022\u003EIdea to Prototype\u003C\/a\u003E and CREATE-X \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/make\/create-x-capstone\u0022\u003ECapstone Design\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour Georgia Tech students from Startup Lab\u2014Alex Aridgides, Shinhai Chen, Varuni Chopra, and Christie Peng\u2014have been selected for the 2025 immersive cohort at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. This weeklong, all-expenses-paid program allows university-affiliated innovators to refine their innovations, engage in customer discovery, and network with industry leaders. The students were chosen through a competitive application process and are the first from Georgia Tech to be invited. Their instructor, Yolanda Payne, emphasizes the importance of hands-on learning and entrepreneurial skills gained through Startup Lab.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Four Georgia Tech students\u2014Alex Aridgides, Shinhai Chen, Varuni Chopra, and Christie Peng\u2014have been selected for the 2025 immersive cohort at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, where they will refine their innovations and network with industry le"}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2025-04-04 14:05:14","changed_gmt":"2025-04-16 19:42:44","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676751":{"id":"676751","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech 2025 SXSW Immersive Cohort","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELeft to right: Yolanda Payne, Christie Peng, Shinhai Chen, Alex Aridgides, and Varuni Chopra. Four Georgia Tech students from Startup Lab\u2014Alex Aridgides, Shinhai Chen, Varuni Chopra, and Christie Peng\u2014have been selected for the 2025 immersive cohort at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. This weeklong, all-expenses-paid program allows university-affiliated innovators to refine their innovations, engage in customer discovery, and network with industry leaders.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1743774730","gmt_created":"2025-04-04 13:52:10","changed":"1743775328","gmt_changed":"2025-04-04 14:02:08","alt":"Yolanda Payne, Christie Peng, Shinhai Chen, Alex Aridgides, and Varuni Chopra.","file":{"fid":"260581","name":"Startup-Lab-SXSW-Cohort--Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/04\/Startup-Lab-SXSW-Cohort--Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/04\/Startup-Lab-SXSW-Cohort--Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":883105,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/04\/Startup-Lab-SXSW-Cohort--Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png?itok=F81_Vjna"}}},"media_ids":["676751"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/learn\/startup-lab","title":"Register for Startup Lab"},{"url":"https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/make\/idea-to-prototype","title":"Apply for I2P "},{"url":"https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/make\/create-x-capstone","title":"Register for CREATE-X Capstone Design"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"168101","name":"startup lab"},{"id":"173596","name":"SXSW"},{"id":"40701","name":"innovators"},{"id":"180425","name":"customer discovery"},{"id":"1144","name":"networking"},{"id":"3472","name":"entrepreneurship"},{"id":"194405","name":"hands-on learning"},{"id":"2530","name":"application"},{"id":"194448","name":"NSF I-Corps"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"2579","name":"commercialization"},{"id":"194449","name":"entrepreneurial skills"},{"id":"6713","name":"business development"},{"id":"166994","name":"startups"},{"id":"193593","name":"gt-commercialization"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EContact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArticle by Alyson Key\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECREATE-X Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}