2024 Student Startup Residents

2024 Student Startup Residents

FORGE is proud to announce the 2024 Student Startup Residents. These students submitted outstanding proposals for startup concepts to improve patient health outcomes, advance AI, and support the semiconductor industry.  

“It was incredibly exciting to see the breadth and depth of the student proposals.  We received a large pool of applicants that demonstrated innovative, solution-focused thinking,” commented John Achoukian.  Achoukian serves as a FORGE Biomedical Mentor in Residence (MiR) and has over 15 years’ experience in healthcare, including technology, health plan, inpatient, and outpatient provider spaces.

Student Startup Residents will begin the Startup Bootcamp on May 13th where they will engage in an intensive 8-week program with regular director check-ins, mentor sessions, weekly guest speakers, industry talks, and regular team meetings.  All participating students will receive stipends upon completion of milestones.  The boot camp culminates in a live pitch to a panel of angels and VCs where students will gain extraordinary insight and experience. 

Congratulations to our 2024 Student Startup Residents!  

2024 Student Startup Residents

Mehri Aghdamigargari

Mehri Aghdamigargari

Mehri is pursuing a degree in Mining Engineering at the College of Engineering, with a minor in Operations Research and Optimization. An international student from Iran, Mehri enjoys engaging with diverse cultures and landscapes. Mehri looks to connect with fellow students and expand her knowledge base as part of the Student Startup Residency at FORGE.

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Ritul Banerjee

Ritul Banerjee is a freshman pursuing a degree in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science with a minor in Business Administration at the College of Science. Hailing from Kolkata, India, She is deeply passionate about applying an entrepreneurial mindset to revolutionize healthcare. She is eager to leverage my creativity and entrepreneurial spirit to transform healthcare delivery.

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Kartik Bihani

Kartik is a sophomore pursuing Computer Science and Entrepreneurship at the College of Science University of Arizona. Originally from Kota, India, he is a huge wanderlust who loves to explore new countries. Going further, he aims to enter the world of Generative AI in the Fintech space.

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Ali Elbekov

Ali Elbekov is a Computer Science senior at the College of Science at the University of Arizona. Originally from Uzbekistan, he is passionate about software development and building applications. He frequently participates in Hackathons and is currently developing an AI startup.

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Jackson Grove

Jackson Grove is a first-year student studying Information Science and Computer Science at the iSchool and W.A. Franke Honors College. He currently works as an AI Engineer for AI Core, a program under the university’s Institute for Computation & Data-Enabled Insight, where he builds AI products and delivers workshops on AI and its industry applications. 

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Ali Taha Habiboglu

Ali Habiboglu is an international student from Istanbul, Turkey. He is a PhD candidate majoring in Physics and minoring in Materials Science and Engineering at the College of Science. His primary expertise is fabricating Spintronic devices and optimizing their properties to meet specific requirements.

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Sarthak Hajirnis

Sarthak is a Graduate Student at the College of Science at the University of Arizona. He is majoring in Physics and minoring in Electrical Engineering. According to him, an entrepreneurial mindset means identifying real-world challenges and developing an innovative solution. He is excited to understand the workings of an entrepreneurial world with FORGE.

Gorantla Sai Laasya

Gorantla Sai Laasya

Gorantla Sai is currently pursuing a Master's in Information Science with a focus on Machine Learning at the University of Arizona. Originally from India, she finds her favorite moments on campus deeply rooted in her different involvements. To her, a startup embodies an individual's vision, coupled with creativity and expertise, driving innovation towards success.

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Ray Lee

Ray Lee is an MBA student at the Eller College of Management. He is a founding team member of a biotechnology startup at the University of Arizona. He plans to expand his startup by leveraging his experience, clinical/medical background, and business school education. 

Bryan Lomeli

Bryan Lomeli

Bryan Lomeli is a Graduate Student at the R Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. For Bryan, an entrepreneurial mindset means having a set of attitudes, skills, and qualities that drive individuals to identify opportunities, take calculated risks, and create value. He looks forward to networking with colleagues, staff, and mentors.
 

Gaurvendra Pratap Singh Pundhir

Gaurvendra Pratap Singh Pundhir

Gaurvendra Pratap is a Computer Science freshman in the College of Science. Currently, he holds positions as a Student Researcher in transformative AI for safety and digital humanities. As the CEO and Co-Founder of KeyVoid, he spearheads the development of 'The Purpose Application', designed to assist individuals in discovering and pursuing their career goals effectively. 

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Melisa Kafali

Melisa, an international student from Eskisehir, Turkey, is a  PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering at the College of Engineering, University of Arizona. With an entrepreneurial spirit, she is committed to pushing the boundaries of biomedical technology to improve patient care. 

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Sameeka Maroli

Sameeka is a junior in the College of Science, majoring in Mathematics with an emphasis in Computer Science with a minor in Business Administration. An international student from India, she uses her exposure to various cultures to bring fresh perspectives. Sameeka's experiences, philanthropic initiatives, and passion for using technology to solve problems align with FORGE's mission of inspiring and cultivating pioneers.

Yash Nileshkumar Mirani

Yash Nileshkumar Mirani

Yash Mirani is currently pursuing dual master's degrees in Business Administration and Management Information Systems at the Eller College of Management. His professional journey includes a pivotal role as a Technical Program Manager at Amazon, where he led initiatives to automate and streamline financial processes, significantly enhancing operational efficiencies. 

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Garegin Mazmanyan

Garegin Mazmanyan, originally from Russia and ethnically Armenian, is a junior pursuing a degree in Computer Science at the University of Arizona. As a teaching assistant at the university, he is deeply involved in the academic community, where he embraces the opportunity to share his knowledge and inspire others. He is excited to collaborate with like-minded peers and industry mentors at FORGE.

Ibrahim Rafiq

Ibrahim Rafiq

Ibrahim is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in information science (Data Science emphasis) with a minor in Computer Science at the University of Arizona. Exploring new ideas that use emerging technologies to tackle contemporary challenges is a key interest of his. He's eager to start the student startup residency, dive into his project, and gain valuable insights with FORGE.

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Noor Shaheen

Noor is a first-year student at the College of Engineering at the University of Arizona. He loves learning and taking on challenges that push his limits. He has previously worked as a student assistant. He is also a co-founder of General Pacific Retail.

Neeraj Shiledar

Neeraj Shiledar

Neeraj Shiledar is a sophomore at Eller College of Management. He is originally from Nagpur, India. Neeraj serves as an Outreach Lead at the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship and as Vice President of the WildCat Fusion Network. He's currently developing GroSales, sales generation software designed to empower firms with enhanced lead generation and sales efficiency.

 

Sara Sheikhlary

Sara Sheikhlary

Sara is a biomedical engineering PhD student from the College of Engineering, with a minor in pharmaceutical sciences from the R Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. She has worked on Nanomedicine and drug delivery for treating Alzheimer’s disease, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases. At FORGE, she hopes to connect with people and learn more to develop a startup venture

Akshat Singh

Akshat Kumar Singh

Akshat  is a sophomore in the College of Science.  Originally from Delhi, India, Akshat studies in the Computer Science department and works as a Student Software Developer at the Center for Digital Humanities. He has a passion for technological innovations with impact and created QuirkTalk AI, an app designed to improve communication in remote work scenarios.  

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Varun Soni

Varun is a graduate student at iSchool pursuing a Master's in Information Science with an Emphasis on Machine Learning. Based out of Jalore, Rajasthan, he is deeply passionate about learning new technologies and skills. With his graduation approaching, He aims to channel his passion into the world of AI innovation startup with FORGE.

Shreyas Mani Tripathi

Shreyas Mani Tripathi

Shreyas is currently pursuing dual Master's degrees at the University of Arizona, engaged in Business Administration and Management Information Systems. When not immersed in academic or professional pursuits, you'll likely find him delving into philosophical literature, enjoying movies, tuning into music, and sometimes dabbling in painting and sketching.

 

Ny'Kol Turner

Ny'Kol Turner

Ny'Kol is a student athlete at UA, with a Bachelor's of Science in Pharmaceutical Science from the R Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, and currently a PharmD Candidate for the Class of 2025. She also plays wheelchair basketball for the University of Arizona and volunteer in her free time.

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Vyshnavi Vanamala

Vyshnavi Vanamala is a graduate student undertaking a dual degree in Business Administration and Management Information Systems at the Eller College of Management. Her startup experiences have fueled her desire to join the FORGE program and deepen her understanding of startup dynamics.