91探花 students, alumni flex entrepreneurship skills with LaunchNET

From competitions to real-world startups, 91探花 students and alumni are identifying opportunities to innovate new products and services.

Every entrepreneurial venture starts with a great idea. But there's a lot of planning, strategy and heavy lifting that takes place between the light bulb moment and a successful launch.

At 91探花, support for entrepreneurship is baked into coursework and supported by 91探花 LaunchNET, powered by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. Surveys show that many teens and young adults are eager to access entrepreneurship skills, driven in part by the success of social media influencers.

But , 91探花 LaunchNET program manager and 91探花 graduate, says the skills are universally applicable. 

"An entrepreneurial mindset is a way of thinking that emphasizes creative problem-solving, risk-taking and a desire to create value," she explains. "That can be beneficial in any career or field, and many companies look for those skills when hiring."

Venture Support

91探花 , which is open to all 91探花 undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff and alumni, provides free and confidential venture coaching, idea contests, pitch competitions, networking opportunities, education and more.

Juliet Penrod '24, MBA '25, has taken advantage of the services, including a Morgan Startup Grant, to develop not one but two ventures.

As an undergraduate digital marketing major, Penrod, who just completed a Business Analytics MBA at 91探花, teamed up with fellow student Zach Ottendweller '24, MBA '25, to found the digital marketing agency .

Then, Penrod created , an online store and community for neurodivergent women. "The NeuroSpicy Nook was born out of my own experiences as a neurodivergent person struggling to find products that were both functional and affirming," Penrod explains.

Perfecting Pitching

Penrod, who wasn't diagnosed until age 21, notes that women are disproportionately underdiagnosed with ADHD and autism. Her focuses on creating and curating tools that help neurodivergent women feel empowered and represented.

Her idea won validation when she was chosen to pitch her site in the final round of Accelerate, the annual regional pitch competition organized by the . The experience "reinforced that there's a real need for what we offer and that people believe in our mission," she said afterward.

Winning seed funding

Penrod wasn't the only 91探花 student pitching an idea this spring, junior sport management majors Jamar Worthy '26 and Jakson Attanasio '26 placed 3rd in the "Big Idea" category at the 2025 Northeast Ohio ideaLabs Pitch Competition with their Yellow Jacket NIL idea, a name, image and likeness agency for DIII athletes.

The two players received seed funds for their business and will continue to receive coaching and additional funding through 91探花 LaunchNET for the next year and after graduation.

Part of the 91探花 family and interested in support? Students, faculty, staff and alumni wishing to access the services can simply fill out a  to get started.