“You’re not building a startup. You’re really charting into the unknown.”
Bhavna Kumar
Head of Accelerator
William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership
SMU
…addressing the 11 founders in the first cohort of SMU’s new Spears Launch Accelerator at last week’s accelerator kickoff.
SMU’s inaugural Spears Launch Accelerator kicked off last week with eleven student founders receiving custom flags bearing their startup logos—tangible symbols of the entrepreneurial territory they’re about to explore over the next 12 weeks.
“Some of your trajectories will be smooth. This will require mid-course corrections. That’s all part of the journey of being in uncharted space,” Bhavna Kumar told the founders as Spears Institute’s Managing Director Joshua Taylor looked on.
The first cohort culminates on August 21 at Demo Day, where after each founder pitches their company to 150-plus attendees, they’ll plant their flag “on the moon”—a ritual Kumar described as “a tribute to exploration, to courage, and to SMU’s own legacy of innovation.”
It’s a fitting tradition for these 11 teams as they venture forth with business ideas from quantum-enhanced drug discovery platforms to customizable skincare with “boba” add-ins to AI-powered water distillers.
The full expedition roster includes:
- Pablo Macias and Manny Garcia of En Casa
Real estate tech for Hispanic homebuyers - Adrian Torrebiarte of FitCheck
Social polling for fashion decisions - Ben Wolber and Hadee Haque of InsightX
Business intelligence platform - Vanessa Fernandes of My Kin & Co
Concierge services for aging in place - Theresa Shigemura and Monica Lee of PetWell Solutions
Integrated app and CRM for pet parents and vet clinics - Kwanghyun Kim and Taezja Phelan of Popkle
Customizable skincare with targeted add-ins - Jay Rajkumar, Bharti Gupta, and Aashish Khandelwal of SynChronos
Hybrid watchbands connecting classic timepieces to fitness trackers - Bethany Gaddy and Kevin Gaddy of The Eleve Group’s Ellie
AI-powered estate planning - Josh Baier and Julian Cabrera of TIMIO News
bias-spotting news platform - Ayesh Madushanka Mahamada Kalapuwage of Universal Drug Discovery
AI and quantum mechanical drug development - Bryce Harper and Isabella Fleet of Urban Crusader Technology’s Oasis
Water distiller and electric generator for disaster preparedness
Bhavna Kumar heads the Spears Launch Accelerator program at SMU.
According to Kumar, the program provides comprehensive mission support: $10,000 upfront funding for each startup with potential for up to $100,000 more through SAFE notes, plus access to a curated community of mentors, investors, and partners, such as Vela Wood and JP Morgan.
The 12-week intensive covers everything from customer discovery to MVP development and growth marketing to fundraising strategy, she says.
“They’ve already learned how to do an elevator pitch effectively, all within the last three days of the new program. Things are moving fast for them,” Kumar said. “They’re moving at the speed that we see in Silicon Valley or Europe or any other startup ecosystem, and we’re helping them progress at that level and speed.”
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