I’m incredibly honored to have received the OORI Student Empowerment Award, which is helping us advance both our entrepreneurial and social impact goals with my startup, Veyra. With this support, we’re able to incorporate and expand our product development and build new voice AI and email communication tools that empower people to save money on their medical bills—especially since nearly 80% of bills in the U.S. contain costly errors. This award not only helps us grow as a company but also enables us to do meaningful work that makes healthcare more affordable and accessible for the communities that need it most.

Dhruv Deshmukh, Student

Bachelor of Science, Computer Science
USC Viterbi School of Engineering

The OORI Student Empowerment Award has been a crucial catalyst for Treffa’s next stage of growth. With this support, we’re on track to bring Treffa to hundreds of thousands of users in the next year. I’m so grateful to USC for not just supporting student innovation, but for propelling me to build something that creates impact far beyond the walls of our school.

Anantika Mannby, Student

BS, Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation
Iovine and Young Academy

As a PI at USC, I have interacted with the OORI through the SBIR/STTR planning award, garnered support for both large and small proposals, and received outstanding students through the ECI program. RSD has benefited me by providing more opportunities to develop proposals for projects with relevant and state-of-the-art companies in industries that we can work with through research. My entrepreneurial venture off campus has also benefited, as RSD has showcased how mergence with major research university resources and students can help accelerate innovation and therefore growth in the commercial sector. The motivation of the personnel in the office, their ability to help keep proposal deadlines on track, their ability to reach out to other universities and academic institutions to get letters of support (honestly the things that as a researcher we need help on to translate our technology and concepts into reality), have been invaluable in my collaborations with the office. I highly recommend participating in the SBIR/STTR planning award for PIs here at USC. It’s an outstanding way to bridge the unique transition from pure academic research to connectivity into the industrial and entrepreneurial workspace. As a personal note, the folks at OORI helped to recharge my focus on seeing my group’s research flourish, as they are super motivated and positive. The idea of “transition” is not an easy one and is not always on a researcher’s mind, but this group at USC is in an office that should get accolades for helping get our ideas out into the world, which aligns with USC’s goal of world-class knowledge generation and impactful research amongst our faculty… Steve/Robyn/Jordan/Aaron and everyone behind the scenes, I can’t thank you enough!

David Barnhart, Faculty

Research Professor of Astronautics
Department of Astronautical Engineering
Viterbi Information Sciences Institute

As a senior in my final semester, I fell in love with the start-up ecosystem but worried it was too late to gain real experience before graduation. I was eager to dive into the investing side of the industry, and the OORI Early Career Innovator Award gave me the opportunity to do just that. Through USC Techstars, I worked alongside 10 visionary founders, each building radically different companies. I witnessed the grit it takes to fundraise, the clarity required to craft a compelling vision, and the humility needed to iterate constantly. These lessons weren’t theoretical like the ones I learned in the classroom. I now have the practical experience and exposure needed to take the first real steps toward launching my own venture one day, I can confidently say there’s been no experience more valuable.

The Early Career Innovator is the perfect title for this award as the interns have proved that innovation isn’t reserved for the seasoned or the titled, it belongs to the curious, the relentless, and those bold enough to believe they can build something better. I am grateful to have worked with USC Techstars this semester and I hope it marks the beginning of a lifelong journey in entrepreneurship.

Wednesday Satterlee, Student

BS, Business Administration
Marshall School of Business

We are extremely grateful to have received the Student Empowerment Award for our healthtech startup, Veyra. This funding will be crucial in letting us advance our startup to the next level and it will directly go towards technical development, incorporation costs, and marketing. It’s amazing that USC is supporting student-led ventures and we’re thrilled to be recipients of this award!

Miki Safronov, Student

BS, Human-Centered Design, Technology, Entrepreneur, and Communication
Iovine and Young Academy

The program offered by OORI played a crucial role in speeding up the growth of my startup. It connected me with my founding team, provided grant funding, and gave us access to a vast network of mentors and resources. These resources helped us conduct customer discovery, run small experiments, and identify product-market fit, giving us everything we needed early on. The Techstars program offers founders invaluable support, providing funding, the tools, mentorship, and the network needed to accelerate startup growth. It’s especially beneficial for entrepreneurs looking to scale quickly and effectively while avoiding common pitfalls.

Rex Ordonez, Student

Bachelors, Computer Science & Business
USC Viterbi School of Engineering

What truly stood out was the diverse expertise and support we received from the Techstars team and mentors. In a short period, we connected with many different mentors whose practical insights helped us pivot swiftly when necessary and tackle various early-stage obstacles. The collaborative atmosphere also facilitated valuable relationships with other founders, fostering a community of mutual support. I highly recommend applying for the Student Empowerment Award. The funding it provides is incredibly valuable in the early stages, helping you experiment, validate ideas, and make key progress without the stress of securing outside investment. Beyond funding, it boosts your credibility and opens doors to networking, mentorship, and partnerships. You won’t realize how impactful it is until you experience it.

Jessie Tran, Student

Master of Science, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
USC Marshall School of Business

Through USC’s Office of Research and Innovation, I’ve had the pleasure to work closely with a few units, including Research Strategy and Development, Research Initiatives and Infrastructure, and the Stevens Center for Innovation. These units have helped me secure grant funding, providing writing and editing support, and have helped me see-through commercialization and IP efforts with my company. With each, I’ve been met with nothing but continuous support and guidance, with a clear dedication shared amongst staff and personnel to ensuring the success of USC faculty in their research and innovation activities. I continue to recommend faculty to engage with OORI’s units, as the support they provide as a resource to faculty is unparalleled.

Mark Humayun, Faculty

University Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering
Cornelius J. Pings Chair in Biomedical Sciences, Director, USC Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics
Co-Director, USC Roski Eye Institute
Keck School of Medicine of USC