Founders on a Mission: UVA’s 2026 i.Lab Cohort Tackles Real-World Challenges

Launching a new venture during a time of rising uncertainty might seem counterintuitive, but the 22 founding teams selected for the University of Virginia’s i.Lab Incubator are choosing to transform ambiguity into opportunity as they develop innovative solutions to pressing challenges and market needs.

One of this year’s i.Lab founders, Malorie Black (Class of 2027), quit her job, sold her house and applied to The University of Virginia Darden School of Business to build GoGood, the mobile-first volunteer management system and donor CRM for small and mid-sized nonprofits. “Eighty-five percent of nonprofits still run their volunteer programs on paper, spreadsheets and email,” says Black. “Sign-ups live in one place, schedules in another, and the people who show up get forgotten the moment the event ends. That last part is the real cost. Volunteers are the most likely future donors a nonprofit will ever meet, and almost no one is set up to turn a one-time shift into a lasting relationship.”

While several organizations already use her platform, Black has set a goal of having 35 Charlottesville-based nonprofits actively running their programs through GoGood by summer’s end. She credits much of the venture’s momentum to the i.Lab. “It’s been incredibly generous in giving me time, fabulous mentorship, connections and space to be able to really take off,” she says.

Established in 2000, the summer incubator is hosted by the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology at Darden. It provides a goal-oriented, guided-learning program for founding teams of UVA students and alumni.

This year’s startups represent five UVA schools: Darden School of Business, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Medicine, the McIntire School of Commerce and the School of Engineering & Applied Science.

“It’s remarkable to see such a diverse group of founders in one place,” says Dasha Tyshlek (Engineering ’15), founder of StratCraft, a boutique consulting firm, and entrepreneur-in-residence at the i.Lab. “Their ventures span industries ranging from surgical robotics and fashion to software and government services. I’ve had the opportunity to work with many of them through workshops and one-on-one coaching, and I’m continually inspired by their optimism, intellectual curiosity and commitment to solving meaningful problems.”

James Mbualungu (MBA/MD Class of 2027), for example, is working to bridge the gap between patients who could benefit from clinical trials and the often-complex process of finding, understanding and pursuing them. To address this challenge, he founded ClinicalMatchMate, an AI-powered platform that helps patients and clinicians quickly identify, evaluate and navigate relevant clinical trial opportunities. “My goal at the i.Lab is to move ClinicalMatchMate from an early-stage product to a validated, focused and scalable venture,” says Mbualungu.

The founders of Girls Who Innovate are committed to breaking down barriers that often prevent young women from turning ideas into ventures. “As a nonprofit, we provide more than entrepreneurship education,” says co-founder Parker Walls (College Class of 2029). “We’re building a community where aspiring founders can learn from and support one another. Through bootcamps, competitions and networking opportunities, we equip girls ages 14–22 with the skills, connections and confidence to transform ideas into impact.”

Girls Who Innovate co-founders Miya Livingston and Parker Walls (not pictured: Tina Yao).

Participants in the immersive 10-week program receive base funding from the Batten Institute, additional grant support from their UVA schools, a mentor, a peer accountability group, access to the i.Lab founder network, entry to key venture workshops and seminars, and eligibility for the Kathryne Carr Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

The annual i.Lab program is a vital launchpad for UVA founders, strengthened by the support and resources of the UVA Innovates ecosystem.

Founders meet in person for two week-long intensives in June and July, then return in August for a Demo Showcase in the Rotunda spotlighting final venture pitches. The in-person intensives provide a unique opportunity for the founder cohort to support one another and learn from a wide array of UVA and community founders, faculty experts and investors. Throughout, founding teams stay connected with their accountability groups, mentors, and Entrepreneurs-in-Residence as they progress toward benchmarked goals.

Matt Dunovant (EMBA Class of 2027), has set ambitious goals for his startup Operative Insights, which is building Nimbus, the first intelligent surgical lighting system that uses cameras and sensors to keep the surgical field properly illuminated. “We’re on track to file software patents that complement our utility patents and IP portfolio, establish pilot agreements with Mid-Atlantic hospital systems and reach 70% of our $5M pre-seed fundraising round,” says Dunovant.

In addition to eliminating the need to manually adjust overhead lights in the operating room, Nimbus collects valuable information about what happens during surgery, data that hospitals have never been able to capture on a large scale. By improving visibility and providing better insights into surgical procedures, Nimbus aims to help reduce infections, shorten hospital stays, and improve patient outcomes.

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

2026 i.Lab Incubator Ventures

Aro by D1 Solutions, founded by Ishita Yameen (Darden EMBA ’25), provides automated requirements and a traceability platform for IT modernization.

Ascend Performance, founded by Walker Ferguson and (McIntire Class of 2026) and Hampton Tanner (Georgetown CAS ’25), is a mental performance platform that helps athletes build focus, confidence and competitive readiness through short, structured mental training integrated into daily routines. It gives coaches simple, team-level insights into readiness and engagement, enabling programs to improve performance at scale without adding staff, time, or complexity. Instagram: @theascendapp LinkedIn: Ascend.

Cambrient AI, co-founded by Armaan Chakrabarti (College ’25), is an AI-powered email security platform that helps businesses and MSPs catch phishing attacks missed by traditional filters. It connects directly to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, analyzes emails in real time, quarantines threats, and explains risks in plain English inside the inbox.
LinkedIn: Cambrient AI.

Cardinal, founded by Aaditya Kotadia (Engineering & Applied Science Class of 2028), is an AI Communication Coach. From preparing you for a hard conversation with your partner to training you to be a better negotiator, Cardinal supports and guides you through your entire life. With Cardinal, you can say what you mean and mean what you say.  LinkedIn: Cardinal.

ClinicalMatchMate, founded by James Mbualungu (MBA/MD Class of 2027) helps patients and clinicians quickly find, understand, and evaluate relevant clinical trials using AI-powered matching and plain-language guidance.

CorridorIQ, founded by Zave Greene (McIntire Class of 2027) and Luke Anderson (Engineering & Applied Science Class of 2029), is a migration intelligence platform for real estate professionals. We use machine learning and market signals to show where people are moving from, helping real estate agents and multifamily operators identify high-value corridors, build referral pipelines, and act on relocation demand before it becomes obvious. LinkedIn: CorridorIQ.

Girls Who Innovate, founded by Tina Yao (McIntire Class of 2027) and Parker Walls (College Class of 2029), is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering high school and college girls interested in entrepreneurship through bootcamps, competitions, and networking.
Instagram: @GirlsWho_Innovate.

GoGood, founded by Malorie Black (MBA Class of 2027), is the mobile-first platform where the rising generation serves with friends, earns recognition, and builds a civic identity — while giving nonprofits and universities the tools to manage, measure, and scale every act of good.

hobski, founded by Fares Habbab (Engineering & Applied Science ’25) and Tala Habbab, is an app for skill-sharing that allows you to choose from the skilled people in your area to guide or coach you through any hobby and even share tools and resources, all in person. Instagram: @hobski.app.

Iron Wallet, founded by John Konidaris (McIntire Class of 2028) and Teddy Vaughan (Engineering & Applied Science Class of 2028), allows you to carry cards, keys, and cash in a form factor that is the size of half a deck of playing cards.

Katalyze LLC, founded by Andrew Katz (MBA Class of 2027) and Matthew Katz (McIntire ’21), is a mission-driven IT staffing firm specializing in supporting defense and intelligence modernization efforts across the U.S. national security landscape. We connect highly vetted technical talent with critical government and contractor programs, enabling secure, scalable, and forward-looking IT capabilities.

Lazo Collective, founded by Brenna Meehan (College ’25), is a direct-to-consumer jewelry brand bringing the bold, vibrant aesthetic of Spanish street style to women in the U.S. Born from a study-abroad experience in Valencia, LAZO crafts personalized, bold pieces designed to feel luxurious with an affordable price tag. TikTok: @lazo.collective Instagram: @lazo.collective.

Muro, founded by Hamzeh Hammad (Engineering & Applied Science Class of 2026), Michael Benfield and Kevin Villaabos, is marketplace for physical indoor ad space.

N-of-1 Health,  founded by Sarah Goggin (Medicine ’25), is building an AI-powered platform that helps individuals take a more rigorous, data-driven approach to their personal health. By combining intelligent guidance with real-world personal data, the app delivers actionable insights tailored to each user.

OrchardOps, founded by Rohan Boyapati (MBA/MD Class of 2027), Balaji Peddakalappa Reddy (MBA Class of 2027) and Aaron Talbert (MBA Class of 2027), is an operational intelligence platform that helps hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers improve operating room efficiency by turning surgical workflow data into real-time, actionable insights.

Operative Insights, founded by Matt Dunovant (EMBA Class of 2027), is developing Nimbus, the first AI-powered autonomous surgical lighting system‚ and the foundation of a perception and data infrastructure platform for the operating room. Computer vision and infrared sensing track the operative field in real time, eliminating the manual light repositioning surgeons endure today (32+ events per case) and capturing the structured workflow data that operating rooms have never produced at scale. The result: fewer infections, shorter stays, better outcomes. Backed by a patent pending, a Northwestern Memorial HealthCare Letter of Support, validated demand across five institution types, and two 2026 UVA Entrepreneurship Cup wins in Healthcare and Wellness. LinkedIn: Operative Insights.

Refresh Routine, founded by Dan Levetown (MBA Class of 2026), provides professional residential, short-term rental, and commercial cleaning services, including standard, deep, and turnover cleans. We provide insured, background-checked teams and handle scheduling, quality control, and operational management to deliver consistent, high-quality results at scale. Facebook: @Refresh Routine.

Safe Steps, founded by Jack Limongelli (Darden MBA Class of 2027), provides customized step by step emergency response plans for families to respond to household emergencies; housefire, medical emergency, weather events, home invasion.

Sage, founded by Vaibhav Choudhary (College ’25), scans food, explains it, and scores it for your diet and goals.

Salty Air Cleaning Company, founded by Landon Tulk (MBA Class of 2026), is a digital forward cleaning company that makes high-quality cleaning effortless for both homeowners and short-term rental operators. The venture uses simple, modern technology to seamlessly connect reliable, vetted cleaners with customers, enabling fast scheduling, transparent communication, and consistent results.

TendConnect, founded by Miaoxin Wang (Darden MBA Class of 2027), is an AI-powered intelligence system designed to help you nurture stronger and more meaningful relationships. It’s all about being there for the people who matter at the right time.

Vantage, founded by Wesley McCoy Ferguson (McIntire Class of 2027) and Kean Thurman Harrison (College Class of 2027), is an agentic operating system for startup founders.