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Please join us in welcoming the Fall '24 NYU Female Founders Circle members!
The NYU Female Founders Fellowship provides community support, training, mentorship, networking, and grant opportunities to entrepreneurs at NYU building scalable, differentiated ventures who are committed to advancing gender equity in entrepreneurship. Fellows get fully plugged into NYU’s ecosystem of resources, and are invited to apply for student loan alleviation grants of up to $25,000 each following their graduation from NYU. These grants help to reduce financial burdens, which can be significant barriers to starting a startup. The financial assistance is made possible through the generous support of the program’s lead donor: Entrepreneur and NYU alumnus Mark Leslie (WSC ‘66, Trustee), and his wife, Debra.
In addition to the Fellowship, we run a sister program for founders whose ventures are at an earlier stage: The Female Founders Circle. The Circle comes with several benefits, including:
- Invite-only monthly peer group events with other members of the Female Founders Circle
- Invites to special social and networking events
- 1:1 mentorship with external mentors and priority office hours with Entrepreneurial Institute coaches
- Automatic interviews for the next Summer Launchpad Accelerator or Tech Venture Accelerator
- Automatic interviews for the Max Stenbeck Venture Equity Program
- The opportunity to apply for up to $25,000 in grants to help pay down their student loans after graduation from NYU
We're looking for extraordinary entrepreneurs to join our Female Founders Community! Interested in joining the Circle or Fellowship's Spring ‘25 cohorts? RSVP for an info session on 10/22, 11/1, or 12/10 and submit your application by December 16 at 6pm ET.
This Fall, we're thrilled to welcome the following 16 members into the Circle:
Adelaida Kim (Steinhardt ‘25), Founder of MasterMinds
Masterminds is an AI-driven online platform for teachers to book mentors from underrepresented communities for classroom visits through an expedited process. Teachers get access to diverse voices, bridging the representation and opportunity gap to foster motivation in school settings.
Binyan (Michelle) Xu (Tisch ‘23), Founder of OPlay
Oplay is an XR game designed to enhance the health of older adults by encouraging physical activity.
Charlotte Zhang (Steinhardt ‘24), Founder & CEO of Moonbean Nutrition
Moonbean Nutrition is dedicated to transform the menopause experience through balanced and natural diet changes, helping women to fuel the energy they need for their next stage in life.
Gladys Henriquez (Steinhardt ‘26), Founder & CEO of Discover and Glow
Discover and Glow is a central AI platform is an optimal solution designed to empower and support families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). By seamlessly connecting families with essential resources, services, and providers, we aim to alleviate the stress and challenges associated with navigating the complex world of ASD support.
Haula Nakakembo (GSAS ‘25), Founder of Herli/Herly
Herli/Herly is a health app for women with reproductive health challenges such as PCOS/Fibroids that offers insights and guidance on blood sugar, hormonal balance, fertility, fitness, nutrition, and stress management with the aim of improving women’s health holistically. Integrating with CGM sensors we want to empower women to navigate their reproductive health & wellness journey with confidence and control, by providing personalized, science-backed insights and enable women to advocate for themselves within the healthcare system through data.
Kareen Ndema (Stern ‘24), Founder of period.(dot)
Period.(dot) exists to give menstruators more non-insertive options in a world that is already holding them back and show them, and others, that every body is different so that the choices we make about our bodies can reconnect us to ourselves.
Laura Gagiliano (Stern ‘24), Founder of Corsa
Corsa is the world's most social fitness app; we empower clubs and creators to launch scalable revenue streams and build engaged, active follower communities.
Lidia Diaz (GSAS ‘25), Founder of Plant Powered
Plant Powered is a food-tech company that develops and manufactures sustainable protein alternatives and gluten-free snacks.
Riho Hagi (Tisch ‘24), Founder & CEO of Accessibility AI
Accessibility AI is a tool that automates accessibility compliance to help e-commerce startups and SMBs avoid lawsuits related to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) violations.
Sarah Mok (Tisch ‘24), Founder of Motion Sync
Motion Sync leverages self powering mechanism of textile systems to accurately capture & monitor relative motion of joints.
Sara Weitz (Stern ‘24), Founder of period.(dot)
Period.(dot) exists to give menstruators more non-insertive options in a world that is already holding them back and show them, and others, that every body is different so that the choices we make about our bodies can reconnect us to ourselves.
Tolu Ojo (Tandon ‘23), Founder of Endire Eyewear
Endire is an eyewear brand focused on bringing well-fitting and bold eyewear to black and brown long term eyewear users.
Trisha Gupta (CAS ‘26), Co-Founder of Ave
Ave is a community support group for undergraduate girls majoring in STEM and finance programs. It aims to address the prevalent sense of isolation among members by establishing a supportive community, fostering a collaborative environment, and ultimately enhancing their academic experiences.
Valentina Vencato, PhD (Postdoc, NYU Center for Neural Science), Entrepreneurial Lead of PsyMod
PsyMod is a startup that aims to develop a device to combine electroencephalography and neuromodulation technology, with the goal of curing treatment-resistant depression.
Verena Podolskaia (GSAS ‘25), Founder of Free Bird
Free Bird is a non-profit charitable foundation helping victims of Putin's regime that caters to small - and medium-scale discerning and safety-conscious private donors who are skeptical of large charities and wary of retaliation from the Russian government enabling them to choose where their donations go and protect their identity in the process.
Zahava Weissbuch (GPH ‘25), Founder & CEO of Minx
Minx is a sexual health platform app and website that provides curated content libraries for young women ages 18-28 and adapts to them according to their needs.
