North Columbus News

Student entrepreneurs at The Ohio State University have received a total of $40,000 in funding to support their startup businesses after completing the university’s summer accelerator programs, BOSS for Space Ventures and BOSS for Student-Athletes.

Innr Wellness, co-founded by Ohio State junior Thomas Weis and University of Chicago senior Sydney Raths, was awarded the $10,000 top prize in the Student-Athlete track. The company aims to create a spa-inspired marketplace where women can find trusted wellness products. Weis explained the motivation behind the venture: “It focuses on being a space that makes finding the right products effortless. Sydney was looking for solutions to invest in her health and couldn’t find the right fit. We saw a gap in the market, and after a lot of customer discovery, we launched Innr Wellness.”

Weis added that they plan to use most of their award money for marketing and advertising efforts to help grow sales. “We’re going to put a lot of it into marketing and advertising and hopefully drive more sales,” he said.

PathoTrace won the $10,000 top award in the Space Ventures track. This startup is developing tape capable of detecting bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It was co-founded by Hannah Myers, an Ohio State computer science and engineering major, along with Ayden Gardner and Devin Yeager.

Cheryl Turnbull, senior director of the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship at Ohio State, commented on the achievements: “These students show us what’s possible when you combine real-world challenges with imagination and entrepreneurial grit. Their ventures reflect the kind of creativity and drive that will make a real impact far beyond the university.”