Shore Entrepreneurship Center News - Coles College of Business

Keomaria Camon of Esoteric Healthcare holding a check for $10,000

Kennesaw State’s Mookerji Innovation Fund Hits 50 Startups in Just Over Five Years

(Jul 15, 2026)
Nearly $700,000 invested in student ventures has helped attract more than $5 million in follow-on funding

A little more than five years ago, Kennesaw State University set out to prove that student entrepreneurs could build real, fundable companies. Today, the University’s Robin and Doug Shore Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center Mookerji Innovation Fund achieved this goal by investing in its 50th startup company, Esoteric Sync. Since 2021, the Center has deployed nearly $700,000 to support high-potential ventures founded by KSU students and recent alumni, helping transform innovative ideas into scalable businesses capable of attracting investment, creating jobs, and driving economic growth.

KSU Alum Raises $2+ Million for AI Startup

(Nov 22, 2024)
HappyDoc, a business founded by Kennesaw State University alumnus Emerson Smith with support from the University’s Mookerji Innovation Fund, raised $2.2 million during a recent round of funding, positioning the company to increase its investment in technology and grow its staff.

Emerson Smith pitching HappyDoc at a Coles College Entrepreneurship Showcase in 2023.

Robin and Doug Shore Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, Mookerji Innovation Fund Recipient - Featured on WSB

(Feb 27, 2024)
Senior engineering major Jordan St. Louis is leading a team of KSU students in developing a 360-degree camera system for police cars, enabling officers to see an approaching threat.

Kennesaw State programs help alumnus grow app that rewards students

(Dec 6, 2023)
Juggling school, extracurricular activities and earning spending money will be easier for students as a new phone application developed by a Kennesaw State University alumnus allows them to focus on learning while earning gift cards for good grades.

Kennesaw State senior bridges safety gap for law enforcement with tech startup

(Nov 15, 2023)
Kennesaw State University engineering senior Jordan St. Louis is using high-tech imaging technology to improve the safety of law enforcement officers and the community. His company, Generalized Robotics, founded during his freshman year, has created a 360-degree police camera called Patrol Buddy Go and has found its first client in the Clayton County, Ga. Police Department.

Kennesaw State entrepreneurship center funds high-tech student start-ups

(Sep 12, 2022)
KSU Students and Alumni are proving to be successful in their Entrepreneurial Endeavors utilizing the Robin and Doug Shore Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center along with the Mookerji Innovation Fund.

Kennesaw State entrepreneurship center funds high-tech student start-ups.

Teaching Entrepreneurship Means Teaching Uncertainty

(Oct 26, 2021)
Popular belief is that teaching students to be entrepreneurs means providing them with an introduction to business, (i.e. the parts of a business, how to calculate a break-even, etc.). While those topics are definitely important, teaching those alone assumes that the students’ ideas are feasible/viable and that getting started is a simple algorithm.

Kennesaw State’s new business incubator funds six high-tech projects

(Jun 22, 2021)
Six innovative technology startups formed by Kennesaw State students and alumni are now one step closer to thousands of dollars in funding, having cleared the first milestone in the University’s Igniting New Companies (INC) business incubator.

Alumni join forces to launch design-focused software startup

(Aug 12, 2020)
Joey Ruse knows that the secret to a successful startup company involves generating a truly innovative idea and assembling a strong team of industry connections, the latter of which he said were forged during his time at Kennesaw State University.

New Fund Supports Student Entrepreneur Innovation

(Nov 12, 2020)
Student entrepreneurs soon will have more opportunities to innovate and grow their businesses with financial support from technology entrepreneurs Sid and Sophie Mookerji.

Owl Venture Competition Winner Morgan Turne

Student Entrepreneur Creates Safe Binding Alternative for Trans Community

(May 1, 2020)
Entrepreneurship is about more than having a desire to start a business. It is also about finding solutions to real-world problems.

Student Entrepreneurs Launch Gig Economy Payment App

(Jul 11, 2019)
Gilbert, who is a junior in the electrical engineering program, is preparing a beta test of his unique payment platform in August. He and his team have been working alongside the Robin and Doug Shore Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center to develop the project, and are now pitching to investors.

Caleb Gilbert pitching Esgro at the INC Pitch Competition

Student Entrepreneurs Plant Seeds of Sustainability

(Jun 26, 2019)
A student-run business has found success transforming aluminum cans into home decor, while also enhancing sustainability education at local elementary schools.

Student Entrepreneurs Dream Big at INC Pitch Competition

(Apr 26, 2019)
From flushable wet wipes to a restaurant where patrons dine alongside live rabbits, the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of Kennesaw State University’s students was on full display at the Igniting New Companies Pitch Competition, where five teams of students competed to receive funding for their business ideas.