Ohio State students win $40,000 to fund startup businesses

Student entrepreneurs capped off The Ohio State University’s summer accelerators, BOSS for Space Ventures and BOSS for Student-Athletes, by sharing a combined $40,000 in funding to advance their startups. 

Innr Wellness received the $10,000 top prize in the Student-Athlete track. Founded by Ohio State junior Thomas Weis and University of Chicago senior Sydney Raths, the venture is creating a spa-inspired marketplace where women can access trusted wellness products. 

“It focuses on being a space that makes finding the right products effortless,” said Weis, a forward on the Ohio State men’s ice hockey team. “Sydney was looking for solutions to invest in her health and couldn’t find the right fit. We saw a gap in the market, and after a lot of customer discovery, we launched Innr Wellness.” 

The team plans to reinvest its award directly into growing the business.

“We’re going to put a lot of it into marketing and advertising and hopefully drive more sales,” Weis said. 

PathoTrace earned the $10,000 top award in the Space Ventures track. The startup, co-founded by computer science and engineering major Hannah Myers along with Ayden Gardner and Devin Yeager, is developing a tape that detects bacteria, viruses and fungi. 

“These students show us what’s possible when you combine real-world challenges with imagination and entrepreneurial grit,” said Cheryl Turnbull, senior director of the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship. “Their ventures reflect the kind of creativity and drive that will make a real impact far beyond the university.”