The Basement is the campus-wide incubator operated by the Alumni & Community Engagement office, and an article in the Jacobs School of Engineering blog showcased four of the ventures now using the facility to expand on their entrepreneurial ambitions.
Among the students profiled in the article: Ryan Hill (left), a computer engineering sophomore, who is part of a CSE-heavy team focusing on "providing a platform that allows users to explore the world and share their adventures via a Google map-like interface that results in a photo/video map of the world," Hill told the blog. "We want you to see breaking news, historical wonders, local celebrations and much more, all through the eyes of those who are there to experience them live." Hill's teammates on the project include Thomas Chang (human computer interaction), Mike Shi (math and computer science), and Joseph Le (computer science). "The concept is brand new and we are only a recent admit to The Basement, so it's hard to tell exactly where my team and I will end up," admitted Hill. "However, I know our entrepreneurial spirit will push us to continue working, even if the idea doesn't." Hill is also juggling duties as an officer of the Triton Engineering Student Council and as professional development chair for the Computer Science and Engineering Society. But he has talked with a few large venture capital firms in the Bay Area, "and the idea really found traction with two of them," added Hill.
Read the full article about The Basement ventures in the Jacobs School blog.