Six student ventures earn $50,000 each in 2026 President’s Buckeye Accelerator

An error occurred while preparing your download

Six student ventures earn $50,000 each in 2026 President's Buckeye Accelerator

Pitch event featured 12 teams presenting their ventures to a panel of judges

Six student-led startups were each awarded $50,000 in funding at The Ohio State University's 2026 President's Buckeye Accelerator (PBA) finale, led by the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship.

The pitch event featured 12 teams presenting their ventures to a panel of judges representing a cross-section of entrepreneurs and business professionals. Teams delivered timed pitches followed by a timed question-and-answer session, and judges selected six ventures to receive funding. The ventures will advance as the President's Buckeye Accelerator Cohort 5 companies.

The finalists were chosen from more than 50 student ventures that took part in Boost Camp, the Keenan Center's semester-long, pre-accelerator program, earlier this spring. A preliminary pitch competition narrowed the group to the 12 teams that competed in the pitch finale.

"What impresses me most is our students' instinct to tackle real problems. They're not just imagining what the future could look like - they're building it," said Cheryl Turnbull, senior director of the Keenan Center. "Through the President's Buckeye Accelerator and the resources of the Keenan Center, these founders gain the skills and confidence to transform challenges into viable businesses and solutions that can create meaningful impact."

Student founders said the program's support helped them strengthen their ventures and plan for what comes next.

"Throughout Boost Camp, we were able to build and improve SimVive based on user feedback with the help of incredible mentorship," said Kevin Ravakhah, SimVive co-founder. "Now, with PBA funding and support, we'll be able to expand our patient- scenario library, pursue accreditation, and help more EMS providers prepare for real-world emergencies."

The six selected ventures are:

• Coachable, a digital platform that lets coaches create, animate and share plays while giving players instant, secure access to their team's playbook. Founder: Eric Ishekwene (Engineering).
• Colectic, a curated marketplace that helps vintage resellers manage online sales and operations. Founders: Bria Isaacson (Fisher College of Business); Ritika Chakraborty (Fisher College of Business; Public Health).
• PathoTrace, a passive gel tape that captures airborne microbes and changes color to flag contamination, with app-based tracking. Founders: Hannah Myers (Engineering); Meredith Kuhlman (Fisher College of Business); Cynthia Song (Engineering).
• Side Coach Sports, building an operating system for youth sports where scheduling, payments and athlete interactions happen in one place. Founders: Luke Carrell (Fisher College of Business); Nick Sawyer (Education and Human Ecology).
• SimVive, a browser-based clinical decision-making simulator for EMTs and paramedics, allowing providers to practice realistic emergency scenarios with dynamic vitals, interventions and feedback. Founders: Kevin Ravakhah (Arts and Sciences); Nick Ravakhah (Engineering).
• Viera Wellness, developing an at-home screening kit combining immediate symptom relief with long-term prevention for common, overlooked vaginal health conditions. Founders: Sandy Ilangovan (Arts and Sciences); Ajay Gopalan (Arts and Sciences); Sridurga Karthik (Arts and Sciences).

For the founders, the experience also brought new perspective on business models, customer discovery and the impact they hope to create.

"PBA has been an incredible opportunity for me," said Luke Carrell, Side Coach Sports co-founder. "It's pushed me to rethink my business model, engage more deeply with customers and ultimately grow into a stronger entrepreneur. The Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship has provided tremendous support, both financially and through invaluable mentorship and guidance, which has been instrumental in Side Coach's growth. We truly would not be where we are today without it."

"The President's Buckeye Accelerator showed me the potential I have in entrepreneurship," said Eric Ishekwene, founder of Coachable. "It provided real mentorship, real engagement and tangible financial results. Being able to build something that creates meaningful impact made the experience even more rewarding. I'm honored to be selected as one of the winners."

The finale was held April 8 at the Ohio Union's Archie M. Griffin Ballroom West. Additional finalist teams that pitched included Ding!, Harrigan Systems, Mango, Overturn, QR Connect and SpaceReg Navigator. All ventures will receive the opportunity for continued mentorship and support from the Keenan Center.

Watch a recording of the President's Buckeye Accelerator finale and learn more at the Keenan Center website.

More Ohio State News