Entrepreneurial Spirit Takes Hold at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

Strategic Insights -

Aiden Polinsky '27, an accounting and finance double major, and his peer Jacob Feigenblum '27 have leveraged the university's entrepreneurial ecosystem to turn their ideas into reality through two ventures: CampusAI and Connyct. Polinsky, founder of CampusAI, an AI chatbot for student life, has received support from faculty members, including Tejwansh Singh Anand, Balaji Padmanabhan, and Mary Beth Furst, who have guided him on data architecture, AI ethics, and marketing strategy. Meanwhile, Feigenblum's leadership role at Connyct, a social platform connecting students to events and clubs, has overseen 120 undergraduates from 40 universities, with participation from over 50 Smith students. The duo's proactive approach, including cold-emailing professors and deans, has resulted in significant connections and resources.

Key Takeaways:

  • Aiden Polinsky '27 and Jacob Feigenblum '27, accounting and finance double majors, have founded two ventures, CampusAI and Connyct, using the University of Maryland's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
  • Polinsky's CampusAI, an AI chatbot for student life, has received support from faculty members, including Tejwansh Singh Anand, Balaji Padmanabhan, and Mary Beth Furst, on data architecture, AI ethics, and marketing strategy.
  • Feigenblum's leadership role at Connyct, a social platform connecting students to events and clubs, has overseen 120 undergraduates from 40 universities, with participation from over 50 Smith students.
  • The duo's projects have grown significantly, with CampusAI set to launch exclusively at UMD this fall and Connyct reaching a wide user base through short-form videos and an events feed.
  • Polinsky and Feigenblum credit their success to the students working alongside them, referring to them as "mentors" rather than interns.
  • The entrepreneurial ecosystem at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business has provided Polinsky and Feigenblum with a unique opportunity to turn their ideas into reality.

Statistics:

  • 70 master's students are powering CampusAI, an AI chatbot for student life.
  • 120 undergraduates from 40 universities are participating in Connyct, a social platform connecting students to events and clubs, overseen by Jacob Feigenblum.
  • Over 50 Smith students are involved in Connyct.
  • 25 graduate students, including Sachin Jadhav, Aman Sahu, Dhanush Sukruth, Supriya Kadam, Sarang Shibu, and Yashvi Vora, have taken on leadership roles in data, backend systems, and early AI development.
  • 50 Smith students are participating in Connyct.

Sources:

  • University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
  • About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business