20k in Founder Grants awarded in Fall ‘25
The EZ-Hook team: Gretel Huss ’27, Francesca Stamati ’27, Samhitha Vallury ’27, Anjali Phadnis Thayer ’28, Virginia Dickson ’27, and Ellie Mattox ’27.
This fall, the Magnuson Center awarded $20,000 in Founder Grants to seven early ventures. Founder Grants are open to current students, faculty and staff, and help provide funding to help make progress on their startups.
The wide variety of ideas across campus made it extremely tough to compare and judge, but these founders stood out in their commitment to making progress and learning from their efforts, clearly conveying their passion and plans to move forward:
Spirits Go Blah - $5,000: César Alvarez, Assistant Professor of Music, is growing their unique performing arts production engine. Alvarez notes, “I've been visioning and building this company alongside my research at Dartmouth for the last 2 years, and it is a tremendous boost to receive a Founder Grant. As a theater maker and artist is very empowering for my company to have the support of the Magnuson Center.”
Peppermist - $5,000: Joel Falknor, Tuck ’27, is creating a new solution to combat bad breath at the source, solving it in seconds with a new portable spray. "Part of what makes Dartmouth incredible is its willingness to back student ambition. Thanks to the Magnuson Center Founder Grant, my cofounder and I can take our vision and actually bring it to life," Falknor says.
Origin Bio - $3,000: Shaamil Karim ’26 is building frontier AI for biology, unifying generative design and functional prediction of regulatory DNA.
H1 - $2,000: Hamza Najam ’26 is actively piloting a vision-based operations platform that helps manufacturers visualize and optimize factory performance in real time. “We’re excited to keep growing H₁ and expanding our impact in factories. The Magnuson Center’s support means a lot and helps us build with even more momentum,” Najam says.
EZ-Hook - $2,000: Anjali Phadnis, Thayer ’28, offers some background on EZ-Hook and the use of the funds: “Our team came together over the summer with the ambition for hobbies to become more accessible to those with arthritis in their hands and wrists. Over the past 6 months, we have been iterating and testing a mechanical crochet hook for crocheters with arthritis. With the help of the Founder Grant this year, we will be able to obtain a provisional patent, develop a final prototype, and advance our product to market with more user testing and market feedback."
XClip - $1,500: “The XClip is a simple product that’s made a huge impact at practice with the Dartmouth Ski Team. Our bike-mounted carrier makes it easy for coaches to bring backup equipment and allows athletes to commute safely to practice with their poles. We’re thrilled to bring this solution to the broader Nordic ski community with support from the Magnuson Center!” says Thayer MEng student Rachel Zafren.
Spongify - $1,500: Jonah Bard ’27 is building an edtech platform for instructional content delivery that improves teaching and learning outcomes.
“We received so many great pitches introducing us to amazing innovations happening around campus. It’s energizing to know so many people are taking the path toward making their vision reality,” says Roy Schmidt, Program Manager, Startup Support. “What I enjoy most about startups is the combination of storytelling and experimentation. There is no perfect grade. There aren’t right or wrong answers. It’s more about your how you message your vision and push it forward, building support and making progress through execution. When you are learning and growing, any time spent pursuing a startup can be valuable no matter the outcome.”
Working on your own startup idea?
The next Founder Grant applications will happen in Spring 2026, so make sure you subscribe to the Magnuson Center newsletter for updates. Faculty, staff and students who have a compelling case for up to $5k in startup funds are encouraged to apply.
Regardless of where you are in your journey, any new founders in the Dartmouth community looking for support should schedule office hours with Roy Schmidt to learn how the Magnuson Center may be able to help.