On April 10th, Rev: Ithaca Startup Works hosted members of the local community, including students from Cornell University, Ithaca College, and other participants in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. This event celebrated Ithaca’s thriving economic energy and all that the community has to offer for entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.
The night began with guests streaming in to mingle and enjoy local light bites and beverages. After guests began to settle in, Ken Rother, Director of Rev, welcomed the crowd and introduced the presenters of the evening.
Zach Schulman, ’87, J.D. ’90, director of Entrepreneurship at Cornell was the evening’s keynote speaker. He explored the rich history of Ithaca’s economic development, shining a spotlight on the key milestones that cultivate its success.
“The economic prosperity of Ithaca is driven by the startup community,” said Schulman.
In addition to Schulman, the event featured three pitches from other startups in the community. Alexa Schmitz of REEgen, a startup engineering bacteria to extract rare earth elements with less environmental damage, led the series of pitches. Romy Fain of Rev member Heat Inverse, which has developed a cooling film technology using thermodynamics innovation, followed. Jeremiah James rounded out the presentation portion of the evening with a pitch for Adaptive Rentals, a business connecting students with rental apartments with resources to promote student success. Presenters shared the highlights of their business and their journeys, shouting out the resources and mentors that helped them succeed.
Networking Night served as a kickoff to Entrepreneurship at Cornell Celebration, a two-day event that appreciates the hard work of students, staff, alumni, and the community. The celebration includes speakers, pitch events, and a variety of networking opportunities for the Cornell community.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Rev: Ithaca Startup Works’ dedication to supporting and inspiring the entrepreneurs in the community. For the last 10 years, Rev has committed itself to offering mentorship, workspaces, networking opportunities, and other valuable resources that have played a key role in fostering the success of the startups we support. Join us on June 13 for Networking@Rev: Women in Entrepreneurship for a night devoted to addressing ways to move the entrepreneurial ecosystem towards gender equity!