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A TIA seed grant enabled Graham Stearns ’26 to upgrade equipment for his startup, Up Island Photo, elevating his professional client work and inspiring him to pursue the venture full-time.

Through the 2026 TIA Summer Accelerator, three student-led ventures spent the summer scaling their businesses. Backed by grant funding and alumni mentorship, these young founders turned ambition into real-world momentum.

Nine incoming first-year students got a head start on their ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ journey through five action-packed days of entrepreneurship, community building, and regional site visits.

The new ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ Arts Launchpad provides students, faculty, and staff with $10,000 in milestone funding, dedicated mentorship, and TIA Incubator resources to help transform creative concepts into high-impact, sustainable enterprises.

Discover how ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s student innovators spent their summer taking ownership of real-world projects, building tools, and navigating early-stage ventures to drive lasting organizational impact and power their own future entrepreneurial ambitions.

Game designers Xalavier Nelson Jr. and Ashlyn Sparrow visited ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s Vault to share how they forged their own paths in the video game industry. Drawing on very different backgrounds, both spoke about overcoming industry barriers and creating opportunities that gave them greater creative freedom. Their careers highlight the role of innovation and persistence in building spaces where games can have both artistic and social impact.

Thomas Sfikas ’28 and Anthony Bolivar ’28 joined the TIA Incubator to develop Raider Market, an AI-moderated marketplace app for ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ students. Backed by mentorship and support from TIA, the platform aims to empower student entrepreneurs and streamline campus commerce.

Following a productive three-day intensive workshop, the TIA Summer Accelerator kicked off with three ventures: PLNT, Oasis Running, and SoundSync.

Despite studying abroad in Copenhagen, Sophie Martin ’27 maintained progress on her venture SoundSync by focusing on technical development and testing her concept with locals. This international perspective sparked a crucial pivot toward organic, human-driven music discovery.

13th Hour Espresso provides a convenient, new on-campus option for ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ students lacking quality coffee. The student-run venture uses locally-sourced espresso beans from FoJo Beans and homemade syrups to deliver a premium experience.