Six student ventures will participate in this year’s BASE Camp summer accelerator
In 2022, Entrepreneurship@DU debuted its flagship summer accelerator program: BASE Camp. Six student founders spent the summer learning from industry mentors and immersing themselves in their startups. This July, BASE Camp is back with new ventures, all created by current DU students.
Helio
Helio, founded by Annika Sisac (BSBA 2024), is a sustainable apparel company that challenges the unethical facets of the fast fashion industry. By creating unique clothing and cultivating a purpose-driven brand, Helio aims to connect with young fashion enthusiasts while creating a “counterculture” to the corporate fashion world.
Icebox
ICEBOX Controllers, created by Luca Gacy (MS 2023), creates ergonomic gaming controllers designed for competitive eSports players. His customizable designs are already making waves in the gaming community. Gacy and ICEBOX were recently featured on the Entrepreneurship@DU Podcast.
Strother Gaines
TheraPlay is an experience at the intersection of business, mental health and the arts. Created by long-time theater producer Strother Gaines (MSW/MBA 2024), this long-term project will produce immersive experiences designed to evoke therapeutic outcomes, and plans to incorporate a wide range of industries, including food/beverage, retail and entertainment.
Stoked LA
Stoked LA, founded by Leah Sullivan (BSBA 2024), is an apparel brand creating clothes that are both stylish and comfortable. With more people than ever before working from home, Stoked LA’s sweatpants and sweatshirts are designed for people to “look good while feeling good,” instead of sacrificing comfort for fashion or vice versa.
Custom Shoe
Kairos Customs works with their customers to create personalized, hand-painted art for their shoes. Created by Zak Mbereko (BSBA 2024) and Callie Garcia (BSBA 2023), Kairos has already been commissioned to make shoes for the DU women’s gymnastics team, as well as many personal commissions that can be seen on its Instagram page. Mbereko and Garcia were also featured on the Entrepreneurship@DU Podcast, where you can learn more about their work with Kairos Customs.
Ned Lockwood
RYZ Golf is a brand that aims to create easy-to-use equipment for beginners to learn the ins and outs of golfing. RYZ Golf was co-founded by Nate Pallat (MBA 2024) and Ned Lockwood (MBA 2024). Their team includes Lilly Rumsey (MBA 2024) and Colton Hiler (MBA 2024) as partners of the company. Lockwood and Rumsey will represent the four-person team at this summer’s BASE Camp.