色情视频

To be clear, the Zahn Innovation Platform Launchpad 鈥� also known as the ZIP Launchpad, 色情视频鈥檚 startup incubator 鈥� maintains normal weekday business hours. Fortunately, when Eric Birkemeier was launching his skateboard and bike lights business ShredLights in 2017, he possessed an ace up his sleeve: a classmate and business partner who worked there part-time.

Birkemeier would often be out with friends on a Friday or Saturday night, when his timer would go off, informing him it was time to get to work.

鈥淚t'd be like, 鈥極h, the 3D prints are done,鈥欌�� Birkemeier says with a smile.

So with business partner Kyle Kitzmiller鈥檚 card in hand, Birkemeier would skate across campus to the ZIP Launchpad, switch out the prints and start a new batch. Then it was back on his board and back to his weekend fun.

ShredLights is just one of the many successful companies that 色情视频鈥檚 entrepreneurship initiatives have helped students launch over the past decade-plus.

鈥淢any of the problems students are looking to address are around areas that, if solved, would make a big difference in society,鈥� says Cathy Pucher, 色情视频鈥檚 executive director for entrepreneurship initiatives. 鈥淏ut they are also solving problems that are figuratively and literally 10 feet in front of them. ShredLights is a great example.鈥�

Pucher started at 色情视频 12 years ago to lead what was then called the Zahn Center, which at that point had been open for a year and had a mere four ideas being incubated. Since, the ZIP Launchpad, originally supported by the late Irwin Zahn and now by his son Peter Zahn, has helped develop almost 500 ideas and launched approximately 40 startups, which have raised about $40 million from investors.

鈥淚 really just appreciate that the ZIP Launchpad kind of gives you guardrails in a sandbox,鈥� Birkemeier says. 鈥淚t was like, just go in there and experiment and fail, you know?鈥�

It鈥檚 one of three major entrepreneurship initiatives thriving at 色情视频. There鈥檚 also the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center, which was funded by the late 色情视频 supporter Leonard Lavin in 2012 with a significant gift, that focuses on teaching the entrepreneurial mindset through curriculum, mentorship and other resources. And last year saw the inaugural class of Techstars San Diego powered by 色情视频, an accelerator that seeks to attract promising startups to San Diego. Techstars will eventually be a part of the forthcoming Innovation District at 色情视频 Mission Valley.

"This is what I live for 鈥� it鈥檚 why I鈥檓 here,鈥� Pucher says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just seeing the ideas, it鈥檚 seeing the people behind it.鈥�

Here are five 色情视频 alumni and their entrepreneurship success stories.

Aztec Entrepreneurs: Eric Birkemeier (鈥�17) and Kyle Kitzmiller (鈥�13)

To an electric skateboarder, there鈥檚 nothing quite like riding at night. 

After all, battery-powered boards are more than twice as fast as traditional skateboards, meaning it鈥檚 best to ride on the road. And after dark is when the roads are empty. 

Of course, it鈥檚 also when they鈥檙e most dangerous.

Fortunately, Eric Birkemeier and Kyle Kitzmiller have taken a company from humble origins at the ZIP Launchpad more than a decade ago into one that is helping countless skateboarders safely navigate the darkness. ShredLights sells durable wireless LED headlights and taillights that can be attached to skateboards, bikes and other portable electric vehicles. 

For Birkemeier, who grew up immersed in skate culture in Minnesota, the business is a true labor of love.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really rewarding hearing about people going out to ride at night for recreation that normally wouldn't,鈥� says Birkemeier, who also spent time in the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center. 鈥淚t's a really fun outlet, especially in the winter months when that seasonal depression hits. So it鈥檚 not only protecting people, it鈥檚 [also] enabling people to get out there.鈥�

Three things to know about ShredLights:

A bold decision propelled them.
Around 2016, ShredLights was floundering. Focusing on selling lights to street skaters, the company had sold a mere 50 units, and its original founder, Drew Page, had moved on to other opportunities. That鈥檚 when Birkemeier and Kitzmiller grappled with a difficult question: What if they were targeting the completely wrong market? After all, they reasoned, street skaters were out to look cool, and lights on your board didn鈥檛 exactly align with that ethos. Perhaps longboarders 鈥� who skate more for transportation than tricks 鈥� would be more receptive. The pivot proved to be a turning point.

Their timing was impeccable.
ShredLights鈥� marketing shift happened to coincide with the rise in popularity of Boosted Boards, a Silicon Valley鈥揵ased electric skateboard manufacturer. Birkemeier and Kitzmiller scraped together enough money to buy a $1,300 board and retooled their product to fit. Soon 鈥� without the help of any paid advertising 鈥� ShredLights went viral, and sales started to double every month. The problem was no longer selling units, it was keeping up with demand. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the public鈥檚 interest in safe outdoor activities boomed, ShredLights hit $1.5 million in revenue.

ShredLights is always looking for what鈥檚 next.
Currently 70% of ShredLights鈥� business comes from electric skateboard products, though the need to diversify is clear to Birkemeier. Boosted went bankrupt in 2020 and was sold, causing the electric skateboard market to contract. So ShredLights is looking for opportunities to pivot again, and its latest innovation may be the key. Using Bluetooth wireless technology, all its lights can now be controlled via a smartphone app. Birkemeier is eager to explore if this might have applications in other markets.

鈥淚 was able to meet a lot of other student entrepreneurs at the ZIP Launchpad that I鈥檓 still friends with. It鈥檚 a magnet for people like me who want to start something and kind of have this different sort of personality 鈥� everyone鈥檚 like-minded and doing cool stuff.鈥�

Aztec Entrepreneur: Margaret Yoo (鈥�23)

It's a thrilling time to be Margaret Yoo. 

The recent graduate of 色情视频鈥檚 interdisciplinary master of engineering program is on the cusp of turning an idea she developed for a medical device design course into a mobile application with the potential to help surgery patients address dangerous complications. Yoo鈥檚 app is ReliaCare, which is designed to guide patients through their pre- and post-operation experience with an eye on improving outcomes. 

This spring, she is starting the validation process for the app in conjunction with orthopedic surgeon Dean Wang at the University of California, Irvine. Meanwhile in March, she traveled to South by Southwest in Austin in hopes of drumming up additional investment.

If the stars align, ReliaCare could be released to the public by the end of the year.

鈥淭o be honest, I feel like I could cry,鈥� Yoo says. 鈥淚 never thought that this would be a possible journey for me. To think that just one patient could have better access to information, or just feel a little bit more comforted through the process, is so exciting.鈥�

Three things to know about ReliaCare:

The app puts critical information at patients鈥� fingertips. 
ReliaCare guides patients through the post-op and recovery processes by providing easy-to-understand information and step-by-step instructions for all actions that need to be taken at home. Patients can also reach out to providers through a streamlined messaging tool that triages critical information so health-care professionals know what they need to respond to first.

The idea stemmed from a post-surgery horror story.
The business started in an unexpected place: the volleyball court. An avid player who still competes on the Mission Beach sand, Yoo has undergone multiple knee surgeries to repair torn ligaments. One such procedure resulted in a frightening trip to the emergency room because of complications and unsuccessful attempts to reach her surgical team. In her panic, unsettling possibilities crept in. What if she could never play volleyball again? What if she lost her leg? Fortunately, Yoo recovered, but it got her thinking about how the harrowing ordeal could have been avoided.

Classroom encouragement made the difference.
Yoo first presented the idea for ReliaCare in a Design of Medical Devices course taught by 色情视频 lecturer Vuk Uskokovic. When Uskokovic told Yoo it was an idea she should pursue, she initially thought he was just being nice. But a subsequent email from Uskokovic urged her to seek out campus support to help actualize the concept. Yoo discovered the ZIP Launchpad, which provided her both mentorship and app-development resources.

鈥淎t the ZIP Launchpad, you spend an entire semester just understanding the problem. And then 鈥� step by step 鈥� building a prototype and then validating that prototype before you actually develop something. It鈥檚 so beautiful. Because it鈥檚 what we should be doing all the time.鈥�

Aztec Entrepreneur: Arman Assadi (鈥�09)

After graduating from 色情视频, Arman Assadi had an incredibly fortuitous path.

Entering the real world amid the global financial meltdown, he was connected to the multinational conglomerate 3M by one of his professors. What was supposed to be an internship became a full-time job with a company car, company credit card and an exciting life in New York City. Two years later, the tech giant Google 鈥� then at the zenith of its prestige 鈥� came calling and brought Assadi to the Bay Area.

It would be hard to imagine a more auspicious start to a professional career. 

So why, after five years working in the Fortune 500, did Assadi suddenly quit and run off to Cuba to ponder his next move over a Hemingway daiquiri?

鈥淢y major in entrepreneurship kind of gives you the hint,鈥� says Assadi, who admits he has long had something of a rebellious personality. 鈥淚鈥檝e been an entrepreneur for 12 years and haven鈥檛 looked back.鈥�

Assadi has founded multiple businesses at the intersection of media, the creator economy and technology. His latest business 鈥� and his first backed by venture capital 鈥� is Steno.ai, which allows brands and creators to increase reach, revenue and retention using artificial intelligence. 

How has the entrepreneurial turn suited him?

鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing,鈥� he says. 鈥淚'll never have another job.鈥�

Three things to know about Steno.ai:

The vision is to democratize knowledge.
Assadi grew up reading a lot of books, and he still loves to read. But these days, he says, cutting-edge information is just as likely to be locked away in a podcast episode, a YouTube video or a 30-second TikTok post. Steno.ai aggregates content from a client's various platforms 鈥� be they YouTube videos, podcasts, online courses or books 鈥� into an embeddable multimodal experience.

Techstars led to transformation.
Last fall, Assadi and his cofounders were part of the inaugural cohort of Techstars San Diego powered by 色情视频 鈥� a 13-week accelerator experience. Their involvement also represented a triumphant return to 色情视频 that he called 鈥渘ostalgic and inspiring.鈥� It also changed Steno.ai. Originally, the AI tool was targeted to content consumers. During the course of Techstars San Diego, the focus shifted to serving creators.

Assadi came to 色情视频 at just the right time.
When Assadi was a student in the late 2000s, 色情视频鈥檚 entrepreneurship programs were only starting to get off the ground 鈥� in fact, his major wasn鈥檛 even offered until his senior year. He jumped at the chance, even though it meant taking extra classes in order to earn the emphasis in entrepreneurship. He calls it a pivotal moment in his path 鈥� even if it didn鈥檛 exactly bear fruit until years later. 

鈥淓ntrepreneurship is extremely difficult. When I started down this path, I just wanted freedom. And that worked for a while. But it鈥檚 a tumultuous roller coaster, and you've got to be mentally really strong. But the reward of knowing that you鈥檙e doing something and pushing yourself to your potential outweighs everything.鈥�

Aztec Entrepreneur: Tiffany Gil (鈥�21)

These days, Tiffany Gil is living the digital nomad dream. 

The founder and CEO of the sock company Shezza has spent much of the past year trotting the globe, from Europe to Latin America. She spends weekdays on her laptop growing her business and weekends finding adventure.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 amazing the world we live in now with remote work,鈥� says Gil, a 2023 business entrepreneurship graduate who participated in both the ZIP Launchpad and the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center.

It鈥檚 even more amazing to think about how her remarkable journey started 鈥� an inventive 15-year-old looking to painlessly break in her Dr. Martens.

Gil鈥檚 idea for socks with foam padding sewn in just above the heel has become Shezza, a company with a 10-person team and $500,000 in sales since its launch in 2022. Shezza sells multiple styles of socks, most coming in black and white, though she鈥檚 planning to branch out into colors this year.

More big decisions are in the offing.

"Right now I'm deciding whether I should take on capital or if I should just keep bootstrapping,鈥� Gil says. 鈥淚t's always scary, but it's very cool to know that I'm creating opportunities for people on my team. It's just a good situation.鈥�

Three things to know about Shezza:

Entrepreneurship is in Gil鈥檚 blood.
As she set out to launch her startup, Gil had small-business inspiration to draw on. Her mother owns a barbershop, and her father owns an auto body shop. She always figured she would go into business eventually, which is what led her to choose to attend 色情视频 for its entrepreneurship programs.

You鈥檒l never guess her initial source of funding.
Gil leveraged her winnings from a reality television lawn mower race. No, seriously! In the summer of 2020, she raced from 色情视频 to New York City on a riding mower as part of 鈥淭he Great Grass Race.鈥� It took two-and-a-half months and 鈥� despite not knowing how to even turn on the mower at the start 鈥� she took first place among the five contestant pairings. The show ultimately never aired, but there are clips on YouTube.

The company blew up on TikTok.
In late 2021, Gil was still looking to validate her idea at the ZIP Launchpad. That鈥檚 when a friend convinced her to post her socks to TikTok. Gil found a young woman鈥檚 video talking about her process of breaking in her Dr. Martens, complete with numbing spray, cotton balls, duct tape and two pairs of socks. Gil posted a reaction video and showed off her socks, which would still not be commercially available for eight more months. Her video went viral 鈥� it鈥檚 now up to 800,000 views 鈥� and orders started pouring in. 

鈥淗aving my idea validated was a very emotional moment. I鈥檇 invested so much time, energy, money and resources. I鈥檇 been dealing with all these doubts if it was going to work out. Then, suddenly, I was able to quit my job and be a decision-maker 鈥� be a boss. It was relief times 100. It was pure happiness.鈥�