Aspiring Entrepreneurs Take Center Stage at Embry-Riddle’s TREP Expo

Aiden McCollum got the idea to launch his own business in the middle of the night while wrestling with the finances for a club, where he served as treasurer.  

“It was at 2 a.m. and I was struggling with a project budget for the club, and I thought, ‘There’s got to be a better way,’” said McCollum, a senior Aerospace Engineering student, who founded Postillion, an online club management system.

The event’s keynote speaker was Kiro Abdalla, CEO of The AI Dudes, who talked about his journey as a serial entrepreneur. (Photo: Embry-Riddle/Daryl LaBello)McCollum, whose company previously was a finalist in the Launch Your Venture competition, was one of five student entrepreneurs who shared their experiences on a panel at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University’s TREP Entrepreneurship Expo. The Nov.13 event, hosted by the college’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, brought together aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned innovators.

“Embry-Riddle entrepreneurial ecosystem is alive and thriving, said Dr. Bert Zarb, interim dean of the David B. O’Maley College of Business.

Student entrepreneurs on the panel shared the ups and downs of launching their own businesses, while also juggling their studies.

“The biggest challenge as a college student is 100% time,” said Jacob Fleming, a senior Accounting and Finance major who co-founded JRK Supplements.

Fleming and two other friends developed a caffeinated fruit strip that they say is a healthier alternative to energy drinks, particularly for student athletes. Their company, JRK Supplements, was a Volusia Innovation Challenge finalist.

Connor Vukelich — a junior Management in Business Administration student who is CEO of Poppin’ Jobs, a platform to connect students and other young people with entry-level career and volunteer opportunities —said “it takes motivation because a lot of negatives and issues pop up.”

 “So you need to stay motivated and moving towards your goal,” he added.

Nick Anderson, an Aeronautical Science student, was just 16 years old when he founded Texan Airplane Store, which sells diecast model aircraft and 3-D printed custom models. 

“I saw a need from my own experience for a business offering great customer service,” said Anderson, an aircraft model enthusiast himself.

Seth Miller, a senior Aerospace Engineering major, founded Rise Technologies LLC, which is developing an upper-body rehabilitation exoskeleton device for stroke victims. His startup won $5,000 at last year’s Launch Your Venture entrepreneurship competition. He said the experience has helped him grow as an engineer, particularly when it comes to focusing on customer feedback early in product design.

Connie Garzon, site manager for the Volusia Innovation Hub, talks about resources for local entrepreneurs at Embry-Riddle’s Trep Expo. She was on a panel with (from left to right): Lucas Cohen, CEO of Beyond Bounds Studios; Lou Paris, director of Economic Development for Volusia County; and Nathan Sullivan, CTO for MapWare. Ronnie Mack, director of the MicaPlex and Embry-Riddle Research Park Operations, served as moderator. (Photo: Embry-Riddle/Daryl LaBello)“As an engineer, you can add a lot of bells and whistles, but do customers want it?” he said. “It’s about what the customer needs and is willing to pay for.” 

The event featured keynote speaker Kiro Abdalla, CEO of The AI Dudes, which helps businesses automate work using AI to save time and get clients.

Abdalla talked about his journey as a serial entrepreneur, including his first business, selling video games, when he was a 12-year-old student living in Cairo, Egypt. After moving to the Daytona Beach area as a teenager, he continued his entrepreneurial pursuits, successfully selling three businesses over five years for a profit.

“You can find ideas and business opportunities everywhere,” Abdalla said.

Another panel, called Resource Ecosystem for Entrepreneurship, featured: Lou Paris, director of Economic Development for Volusia County; Connie Garzon, site manager for the Volusia Innovation Hub; Nathan Sullivan, CTO for MapWare, which is a partner at the university’s MicaPlex; and Lucas Cohen, CEO of Beyond Bounds Studios. They discussed funding, mentoring and other opportunities offered by the university and Volusia County, home to the Daytona Beach Campus. 

“There are just so many resources here at Embry-Riddle,” said Cohen, a senior Aerospace Engineering student at Embry-Riddle. “It has helped me to grow my business.”

Beyond Bounds Studios, which specializes in Minecraft server development, management and hosting, was a $10,000 Volusia Innovation Challenge winner and $1,000 winner at the Embry-Riddle TREP Expo.

“I went from being a client to a consultant,” said Cohen, who is a currently a business development consultant for the university’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

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