Our Impact

Jacob Nyamu participated in the Blank Center’s 2023 Fast Track program and started Kipekee (unique in Swahili) to empower adults who have been diagnosed with autism, like himself, with community and resources.  Jacob understands that there is a lot of shame and misconceptions in communities worldwide that prevent families from seeking the care and treatment they need.  Recent studies have revealed that the incidence of autism in black and brown communities has now superseded white communities.  Additionally, women are diagnosed at a far lower rate than men.

Inspired by the loss of her beloved poodle mix, Cookie, due to late disease detection, Tina Lee co-founded PETCH to simplify pet health and shift from reactive to proactive care.  PETCH transforms complex medical data into easy-to-understand insights, enhancing care quality and supporting veterinarians.  By promoting proactive health measures, PETCH aims to increase pet longevity and improve veterinarians’ high-stress environments by using their time more efficiently.  Tina participated in the 2024 Fast Track cohort and the 2024 Summer Venture Program.

Brothers Tadeo and Mateo Acosta-Rubio are passionate about creating and recording music, but they often struggled to find space to create.  They joined forces with Carlos Emanuele to create Stuvi, a music-studio-sharing platform that connects artists to spaces—think Airbnb for music studios.  The team participated in the Blank Center’s Rocket Pitch in 2023 and in the 2024 Summer Venture Program. Stuvi was acquired, but the team stayed together to found Clave, an AI-powered platform that provides real-time actionable insights to operators of quick service restaurants. 

Aleksandr Malashchenko participated in many of the Blank Center’s programs, including Fast Track in 2023 and 2024 and the Summer Venture Program in 2024.  He was also the Graduate Winner of the 2024 B.E.T.A. Challenge.  Aleksandr founded ReviMo after his grandfather became paralyzed by a stroke.  The company’s mission is to help people with disabilities regain their freedom and care for themselves.  He uses his engineering experience in the aerospace industry to create robotic mobility devices that allow users to leave bed and go to the bathroom with dignity.  Ultimately, he aims to help people with mobility difficulties be more independent and reduce the burden on caregivers. 

Mawena Tafa participated in the 2025 Fast Track program and was an Undergraduate Finalist in the 2025 B.E.T.A. Challenge.  She founded Pickup Buddi, a startup that provides reliable afterschool pickup services for busy parents in NYC.  Pickup Buddi connects parents with trustworthy, vetted students who safely escort children from school to home or extracurricular activities.  The service is designed to offer flexibility, peace of mind, and personalized care, ensuring children are engaged and supported until parents arrive home.  Mawena implements rigorous screening processes, including background checks, reference checks, and interviews, to ensure the safety and reliability of her Buddis.

Anastacia Yefimenko has suffered from severe allergies and asthma her whole life, triggered by harmful chemicals found in many home care products.  This prompted her to create Elcove, a line of zero-waste home care products that aims to make a sustainable and non-toxic lifestyle more affordable and accessible.  Elcove offers reusable glass bottles and highly concentrated compostable refill pouches that can be mixed with water to create your own product at home.  Anastacia was an Undergraduate Finalist in the B.E.T.A. Challenge in 2023 and participated in the 2024 Summer Venture Program.