2026-2028 James R. Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellows
Aastha Agrawal
Heinz College
Aastha Agrawal is a graduate student pursuing her Master of Science in Information Systems Management at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College. With a background in computer science, psychology, and product development, she brings together technical knowledge, creativity, and a human-centered approach to problem-solving.
Aastha's approach to building is rooted in her belief that some of the best ideas come from understanding what people actually need. As an undergraduate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, she founded the Public Interest Technology Undergraduate Club at UMass, growing it into a community of over 300 members and raising more than $900 to support its initiatives. Through this experience, she discovered how much she enjoyed bringing people together around a shared vision and turning an idea into something tangible.
Aastha is currently building OnboardAI, an AI-powered platform designed to simplify employee onboarding by transforming scattered communications into clear, prioritized action plans. Through this venture, she hopes to make onboarding more intuitive and less overwhelming for new employees.
As a Swartz Fellow, she looks forward to learning from founders and fellow entrepreneurs, exploring new opportunities, and developing the skills to build and grow businesses that challenge the status quo. Her long-term ambition is to create products people love and build ventures that leave a lasting impact.
Outside of work, Aastha loves exploring new places and has traveled to around 15 U.S. states so far. She also enjoys playing the ukulele and meeting people who introduce her to different perspectives. She's always up for a good conversation, a new adventure, or an interesting idea worth exploring.
Alec Alameddine
M.S. in Artificial Intelligence and Innovation
Alec wants AI to be helpful, accessible, and practical for the people who need it most.
Over the last few years, he has founded several companies to solve real problems people face. Alec is currently building Tokenslash after running into exorbitant token costs as a machine learning engineer and wanting to make capable agents more affordable for more people. Tokenslash cuts agent costs by identifying where expensive models can be replaced with cheaper alternatives. Previously, after noticing how many straightforward personal workflows still required tedious manual effort, he founded Scout, a platform for turnkey AI agents that automate daily tasks for non-technical users. Y Combinator flew him out to San Francisco after selecting the company for an in-person funding interview.
Alec began his quest to solve problems with AI through neuroinformatics research at WashU, his alma mater (B.S. in Computer Science and Finance, magna cum laude), where he built image recognition models to help diagnose brain injuries. Wanting to get closer to the people benefiting from his work, he interned twice at Nvidia, building solutions that made AI easier for customers to use. He then returned to research at Kensho (the AI arm of S&P Global) as an NLP research scientist, co-authoring “Tokenization Is More Than Compression.” Published at EMNLP, one of the leading conferences in natural language processing, the paper was selected for a main conference oral presentation and has been cited hundreds of times since. Continuing at Kensho, Alec spent more than two years as a machine learning engineer building agentic products for employees and external customers. He wrote about starting from customer problems to innovate in rapidly changing environments in Building on Moving Ground, an article Kensho later featured on its site.
Outside of work, you’ll often find him shooting the breeze at a poker table or listening to music on a long walk. Alec cashed in the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event while enrolled at CMU, outlasting nearly 8,000 players.
Kishan Angadi
College of Engineering, ECE
Kishan is a first-year graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Driven by curiosity and a desire to challenge the boundaries of what is possible, he has always been drawn to exploring the unknown and questioning the status quo.
Kishan earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Connecticut, where he explored the frontiers of regenerative medicine through research on piezoelectric biomaterial implants, investigating both their regenerative potential and safety. His curiosity also drew him beyond the laboratory to Hillside Ventures, where he explored early-stage healthcare startups developing innovative approaches to medicine and care delivery. Learning how founders identify overlooked problems and transform ambitious ideas into viable businesses further fueled his fascination with entrepreneurship.
At CMU, Kishan is expanding his interests in robotics and intelligent systems, particularly how machines can perceive, learn from, and interact with the physical world. He is especially interested in the challenge of making these systems useful in the complex and unpredictable environments of everyday life. Beyond advancing technology itself, he hopes to find opportunities to apply these innovations to solve real problems and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
Outside of his professional interests, you can find Kishan weightlifting, hiking, running, and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen. He also enjoys spending time with his husky whenever he’s back home. Kishan loves meeting new people and learning about their interests, so feel free to reach out if you’d like to chat!
Shi Chen
School of Computer Science, MRSD
Shi Chen is a first-year master’s student in Robotic Systems Development (MRSD) at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute and co-founder and CTO of Intuition Core. He develops AI models and software that enable industrial robots to perform work previously done by hand.
At Midea’s dishwasher factory in Shunde, Intuition’s technology runs on KUKA robots around the clock, automating quality-control tasks, with Midea paying a monthly subscription per robot. He leads the technical work from collecting training data to deploying models and connecting robots to factory systems. He is building Intuition’s U.S. presence, with a focus on making deployments reliable and repeatable.
Before joining CMU, Shi earned a B.S. in Computer Science and Technology from Fudan University and was an exchange student at the University of California, Berkeley. His research background includes 3D LiDAR perception, and he is the first inventor on three patents in that field. At CMU, he is also working on a Nissan-supported project exploring how humanoid robots can learn manipulation skills from human videos.
As a Swartz Fellow, Shi looks forward to learning from fellow founders and sharing practical lessons from bringing robots into factories. His broader interests include laboratory automation and using robotics to accelerate scientific discovery.
Obawole Idowu
College of Engineering, MIIPS
Wole builds for the talent that’s easy to miss on paper.
At 15, he enrolled at Carnegie Mellon and was named a Thiel Fellowship Finalist the same year. He earned his electrical and computer engineering degree with two minors in Tepper and IDeATe at CMU at 20, and by 21 he’d worked at two Fortune 500 companies, building VR for Madden NFL at EA Sports at 18 and commercial banking software at Capital One. He recently completed the CMU Robotics Institute Pathways Fellowship.
Wole learned to build the way DahVarsity teaches. His father, Damola, trained him through hands-on projects long before a resume could say what he was capable of. Today they lead Toyz Electronics and DahVarsity AI together, with Wole as co-founder and CTO, and they’re scaling that same approach. Students tell their story, take on real challenges, and connect with alumni mentors, and every challenge they finish becomes proof of skill that employers, graduate programs and investors can actually inspect. Instead of searching for a needle in a haystack, they meet people who’ve already shown what they can do, including the next founders worth backing.
More than 9,000 learners have built profiles, with repeat customers like Hyundai and PPG Paints. This fall the DahVarsity Scholars Challenge launched at Howard, Texas Southern, Carnegie Mellon and other campuses, with Stellantis, Microsoft and Epic Games delivering challenges at the first events.
Wole has been building in the Pittsburgh community for more than a decade, from Project Olympus and NSF I-Corps at the Swartz Center to Innovation Works’ AlphaLab, with support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. Three students he mentored in a row became Swartz Innovation Scholars, and the first graduated from CMU with honors. As a Swartz Fellow, he’s turning that track record into something every student can reach.
Outside of work, Wole draws in graphite and digital, music, basketball, anime, and utilizes that as the same eye behind DahVarsity’s superhero platform. He’s always happy to talk about game development, AI or building in Pittsburgh, so feel free to reach out!
Ailen Kazakevich
Tepper
Ailen is a first-year MBA candidate at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business and a Swartz Fellow, passionate about entrepreneurship, technology, and building innovative solutions to solve real-world problems.
Originally from Argentina, Ailen has spent her career at the intersection of strategy, technology, and operations across Latin America. She began her career in management consulting before joining high-growth tech startups, where she discovered her passion for building businesses and turning complex challenges into scalable solutions. At Kavak, one of Latin America's leading unicorns, she helped launch and scale new business lines. Most recently, she served as Director of Customer Experience at Rappi, a leading Latin American delivery platform, where she led cross-functional initiatives across eight markets, leveraging data, automation, and AI to improve customer experiences and drive operational efficiency.
Working in fast-paced startup environments alongside entrepreneurial teams inspired Ailen to pursue her own entrepreneurial journey. She is particularly interested in how artificial intelligence can transform the way businesses operate and unlock new opportunities for innovation. Through the Swartz Fellowship, she hopes to deepen her understanding of the startup ecosystem, learn from founders and investors, and connect with people who share her passion for building impactful companies.
Outside of her professional interests, Ailen loves playing soccer, traveling, and discovering new cultures. As a proud Argentine, she enjoys bringing people together, watching a good soccer match, and connecting with people from different backgrounds and perspectives. She is always excited to meet fellow entrepreneurs, exchange ideas, and learn about what others are building. Feel free to reach out!
Namya Lakkavalli Giridhar
School of Computer Science, Robotics Institute
Namya is a first-year Master of Science in Robotics student, driven by a strong belief that technology is most valuable when it solves real, practical problems. Growing up in Bangalore, she watched her father build Nuvepro Technologies and later worked alongside him, experiences that drew her to entrepreneurship early on.
During her undergraduate studies, she spent two and a half years on applied data privacy research, developing methods to protect sensitive data while preserving its usefulness. She went on to work as a software engineer at Google, Amazon, ThoughtSpot, and Samsung, building products at scale, and later co-founded a startup at the intersection of AI and fundraising that helps early-stage founders raise capital. The experience taught her that a paying customer is the ultimate validation of a product.
Now, as Physical AI takes off, she is working to build the intelligence layer for robots in high-value niches, bringing autonomy to industries facing labor shortages, unsafe working conditions, and repetitive work. At CMU, she is part of the FARM Lab, where she is bringing autonomy to agriculture, starting with precision herbicide spraying in nurseries.
Outside work and research, Namya spends much of her free time outdoors, whether running, cycling, or swimming. A half-marathoner, she hopes to complete an Ironman someday. Trained in Carnatic music, she also enjoys performing on stage. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to chat!
Samantha Lucas
Tepper
Samantha Lucas is an entrepreneur, artist, educator, and Tepper MBA candidate, and Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellow interested in building ventures at the intersection of the arts, technology, and business. In 2021, Samantha founded SHL Voice and Coaching Studio, growing a solo practice to more than 35 clients and developing partnerships with organizations including The Smith School, Neighborhood Playhouse, and Tunelark.
Her background as a performer, recording artist, and voice coach has shaped her interest in how people practice, communicate, build confidence, and improve through feedback. As Samantha's studio grew, she recognized the limitations of a service model dependent on one-to-one sessions and began exploring how technology could make personalized coaching more accessible and scalable, with potential applications in performance, executive communication, public speaking, and education.
Beyond her studio, she has led collaborative creative projects, secured grant funding, coordinated multidisciplinary teams, and brought artistic ideas from concept to launch. At Tepper, Samantha is strengthening her strategic and analytical skills while learning how to translate creative ideas into scalable ventures. Through the Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellows Program, she hopes to deepen her understanding of customer discovery, product development, and venture creation while collaborating with founders from diverse backgrounds.
Long term, Samantha aspires to build businesses that expand the reach and impact of creative ideas. She sees her artistic background not as a separate chapter from her entrepreneurial career, but as a foundation for the ventures she hopes to build.
Jenil Makwana
School of Computer Science
Jenil Makwana is a first-year Master of Software Engineering student in the Embedded Systems track at Carnegie Mellon University. Raised in India, he grew up watching his father build Madhav Engineers from the ground up, which sparked his own drive to build companies. He earned his degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
After paying too much for summer storage as a student, Jenil founded Boxmate, an "Airbnb for storage" that connects students with local hosts who have unused space. He led product design and grew the business by listening closely to students and hosts, using their feedback to rework pricing, add pickup and delivery, and simplify the experience. Boxmate has served over 150 students, grown revenue more than tenfold since its first season, and raised $17.5K through pitch competitions. Building it taught him how understanding customers deeply leads to both a better product and a growing business.
He is now building Interlock, which uses AI to help electrical engineers at water and wastewater equipment manufacturers check their drawings and submittals against customer specifications before submission. The idea comes from his time as an electrical engineer at USEMCO, where he saw firsthand how easily client requirements get missed.
Outside of school, Jenil enjoys a good game of poker, hitting the gym, and exploring new cafes around Pittsburgh.
Jenil is always happy to talk about startups, product design, or practical uses of AI in engineering. Reach out to swap ideas or share what you're building!
Toby Obodoechine
College of Engineering, Public Policy
Toby Obodoechine is a first-year Master of Science in Engineering and Public Policy student at Carnegie Mellon University and a CMU Rales Fellow. Originally from metro Atlanta, Toby is passionate about using technology to solve real-world problems and building ventures that make a meaningful difference in people's lives.
Toby earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Technology, with a minor in International Business and a concentration in Data Science, from the University of Miami. After graduation, she joined Lincoln Financial, where she grew from a data analyst into a role leading the company's third-party AI intake and due diligence process. She also initiated conversations about aligning responsible AI practices with the company's sustainability goals. After several years of working as an intrapreneur, identifying opportunities and building solutions within an organization, Toby decided to pursue entrepreneurship more directly at CMU, drawn by its collaborative entrepreneurial ecosystem and resources for aspiring founders.
Toby is currently building WasteCurb, a technology venture focused on reducing household food waste. WasteCurb helps people keep track of their groceries, anticipate when ingredients may spoil, and find recipes and preservation methods to make better use of the food they buy. She is also working on MemoryViz alongside two CMU student founders. MemoryViz aims to help people living with Alzheimer's maintain independence and connection by helping them recognize loved ones and revisit shared memories through short, gentle activities at home. The venture also seeks to help families and caregivers feel more connected to and informed about their loved ones' experiences.
As a Swartz Fellow, Toby looks forward to learning from fellow founders, testing her assumptions, and developing the skills to turn early-stage ideas into sustainable businesses. Outside of entrepreneurship, she loves traveling and has visited 27 countries. She also enjoys reading fiction, running a book club, cooking, and watching reality TV.
Neal Ramaswamy
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering
Neal wants to leave the world a more capable and abundant place than he found it. He left his 4-year journey at Tesla with one question: how do we make manufacturing radically more autonomous?
Robots are getting cheaper and more capable every year, yet eating well is harder and pricier than ever. Neal is building an autonomous food manufacturing company focused on healthy abundance: a world where a nutritious meal is as convenient as junk food is today.
Outside of entrepreneurship, Neal is a researcher at CMU’s FORGE Lab, building AI thermal surrogate models for laser powder bed fusion. You’ll find him at the CrossFit box or out on a mountain, skiing or hiking.
Harsh Sahay
Heinz College, AI Systems Management
Harsh Sahay is a graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree in AI Systems Management at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Data Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His academic and professional interests focus on the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and entrepreneurship, with a particular emphasis on leveraging technology to address significant real-world challenges.
Before joining Carnegie Mellon, Harsh worked in information security with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, where he gained firsthand experience navigating the complexities of cybersecurity governance, risk, and regulatory compliance. He later worked as an AI Engineer at mcSquared.Ai, developing enterprise AI solutions using large language models, multi-agent systems, and retrieval-augmented generation. Together, these experiences shaped his belief that meaningful innovation requires not only technical expertise but also a deep understanding of the people and problems technology is meant to serve.
Harsh is the co-founder and CEO of Obsinto, an AI-native compliance platform that simplifies how organizations prepare for security audits and navigate regulatory requirements. Inspired by the manual, time-intensive processes he encountered in cybersecurity, he co-founded Obsinto to make compliance more accessible, efficient, and intelligent through AI.
Beyond academics and entrepreneurship, Harsh is naturally curious about people, cultures, and new experiences. He enjoys traveling to broaden his perspective through the people he meets and the cultures he encounters. He also enjoys playing badminton and is currently learning golf, a sport that is teaching him patience, persistence, and the value of continuous improvement. Above all, he cherishes spending time with his two dogs back home.
Harsh believes that some of the best ideas emerge from conversations with people who see the world differently, and he is always eager to connect with fellow entrepreneurs, technologists, and curious minds who share a passion for learning and building something meaningful.
Lidia Solomon Seyoum
College of Engineering, MSIT (CMU Africa)
Lidia Solomon Seyoum is a Master of Science in Information Technology student at Carnegie Mellon University Africa in Kigali, Rwanda, currently on exchange at CMU in Pittsburgh. She is the founder of Kairos, an LLM-powered investor simulator that helps early-stage African founders practice investor conversations based on collected data from investors themselves. Before Kairos, she founded Lssya, Ethiopia’s first online psychotherapy platform, and ran it for nearly six years, serving over 2,000 users. Lidia is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar and served as the Scholars Representative at CMU-Africa in 2026-2027. She is also a member of the Global Shapers Kigali Hub.
Thank you to our Swartz Center Patrons
