i.Lab Incubator Kicks Off Summer of Entrepreneurial Excellence

The University of Virginia’s i.Lab Incubator this summer will provide 23 founder teams with a dynamic opportunity designed to propel their ventures’ early growth.

Hosted by the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology at the UVA Darden School of Business, and supported by UVA Innovates, the incubator provides a goal-oriented, guided-learning program for entrepreneur teams led or co-founded by a full-time UVA student.

This year’s 23 teams represent seven schools at UVA: Darden, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Law, the School of Medicine, the McIntire School of Commerce and the School of Data Science.

“The student and alumni founders from across UVA Grounds in this year’s cohort separated themselves in a rigorous evaluation process — and have already blown us away with their innovative potential, passion and energy, and sheer desire to put something new into the world,” said Omar Garriott, executive director of the Batten Institute. “We’re humbled to help them accelerate progress on their ventures this summer — but more importantly, to accelerate their own development as entrepreneurs, leaders, and the best versions of themselves.”

Incubator participants receive: $5,000 in base funding provided by UVA Innovates along with additional grants offered by their home schools at UVA; a dedicated mentor and peer accountability group; access to the UVA founder community network; entry to workshops and seminars on key venture frameworks and tactics; and eligibility to apply for the Kathryne Carr Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

Teams will gather in-person for two week-long intensive sessions in June and July plus a gathering in August in the Rotunda for a “Demo Showcase” featuring final pitches from each of the ventures. Faculty experts, alumni and guest entrepreneurs, and practitioners from marketing, law and other industries share their wisdom during the workshop weeks. In between, founders keep in touch with their accountability groups, mentors and Entrepreneurs-in-Residence as they make progress toward benchmarked goals.

To follow the ventures’ progress this summer visit the Batten Institute on LinkedIn.

2025 i.Lab Incubator Ventures

AdmissionsAcademy, founded by Paul Clancy (Darden Class of 2026, School of Medicine) is an online platform helping premedical and medical students reach the next step in their education.

AugVu, founded by Justin Muhlhauser (MBA ’25), is a platform for capturing your travels by pinning photos, videos and captions to a digital map that can be shared with friends and family.

Cabell Jones, founded by Cabell Zakas (MBA ’25), Cabell Jones merges university allegiance with modern storytelling‚ crafting high-end, one-of-a-kind jewelry that connects people to tradition and legacy through sophisticated, fashion-forward design.

Catch, founded by Lex Beyer (Col Class of 2026) and Thomas Van Pelt (Engineering Class of 2028), is a location-based multiplayer app that turns the classic game of tag into an ongoing, real-world challenge lasting multiple weeks.

Charleston Pickleball Club, founded by Carrie Dajani (MBA ’21), is a premier, community-driven pickleball hub designed to meet the surging demand for high quality courts and social experiences.

Cléry, founded by Julien Simonin (McIntire ’25) and Jacob Taylor (McIntire ’25), is a natural skincare brand that utilizes antioxidant-rich ingredients, namely fruits.

Dwello, founded by Ramkrishna Sharma (SEAS Class of 2026) and Edvin Gusinac, is an all-in-one property management solution that streamlines operations and communications between tenants and landlords.

Hanebun, founded by Chiebuka Onuoha (Col Class of 2028) and Achuthan Menon, leverages an AI-powered translation platform dedicated to manga (Japanese, Chinese, Korean) comic books. Hanebun streamlines the tedious translation and redrawing process to near-instantly mass translate and redraw comics panel to vernacular English.

Hardshell, founded by Andrew Schoka (Darden Class of 2026), is the model-agnostic security layer that protects AI systems with sensitive, proprietary and mission-critical data from evolving threats.

Kurbsy, founded by Rashidah Lawson (EMBA ’25), has a mission to make accessibility the standard — not the exception. It offers reliable and accessible transportation services to underserved and overlooked populations like the elderly and the disabled.

MetricMatters, founded by Dahler Battle (MBA ’25), provides any CEO full clarity and control of their business in 10 minutes or less.

Mother&, founded by Stephanie Massucco (EMBA ’25), is a premium birth and postnatal retreat space.

[Ori], founded by Christina Washington (Darden Class of 2026), is a non-alcoholic beverage and event brand that creates fun, faith-centered spaces for Christians to celebrate and connect without compromising their faith, health or values. Our mission is to redefine what it means to party in a way that honors both faith and wellness.

Proco, founded by Akshita Tiwari (SEAS Class of 2028), Aditya Sengar and Grace Jagga, is a mentorship-driven networking app that utilizes your existing connections to build a dependable network you can trust — crafted for your career guidance and professional development.

Salmos AI, founded by Psalms Morales (Darden Class of 2026) and Layla Ranjbar (DS Class of 2029), is an AI-powered fashion tech platform that transforms images into 2D clothing patterns. The technology eradicates all pre-production steps so garment workers can make clothing on demand. It empowers users by making personalized style accessible and ethical, one outfit at a time.

ScentSatori, founded by Stefan Calin (SEAS Class of 2026) and Alton Kirk, is a biotechnology startup specializing in providing wearable, controlled-release scent delivery systems and educating the public about the therapeutic applications of scent.

SRGE, founded by Alex Zuffoletti (Col Class of 2025) and Jonas Reutzel (Col Class of 2026), addresses challenges franchise organizations face when developing entrepreneurial capabilities across their network.

StorybookU, founded by Jake Adler (Col ’25), transforms your photo into a personalized cartoon storybook in minutes, making you the star of your own animated adventure.

StudyStay, founded by Mahati Vedula (Col Class of 2027 and Ryan Nguyen (Col Class of 2027), is a secure and streamlined subleasing platform for students. StudyStay facilitates the process of finding and listing temporary leases on college campuses.

T14 Advisors, created by Darien Pierce (Law ’25), is making law school admissions assistance affordable and redefining the experience for applicants and advisors through creation of the first-ever law school admissions assistance marketplace.

TableBud, founded by Sarah Doss (MBA ’25) facilitates restaurant and bar recommendations in a simple way: you don’t need to know the city — you just need to know your friends. By surfacing places through people you trust, TableBud makes discovering where to eat faster and more personal. No more digging through Notes app lists or texting people for recommendations.

Travi, founded by Pawlos Belay (Col Class of 2027)

WTD, founded by Ryan Girgash (Darden Class of 2026) and Lauren Girgash, is a digital platform reimagining the PreK and educator experience. Amid record-high educator turnover in the U.S., WTD offers educators a more effective alternative to traditional professional development. Through personalized content and community connection, WTD empowers educators to grow, collaborate and thrive in their careers.