From those who present on national stages like CES to those who tap into the university’s robust ecosystem for startup support, countless entrepreneurs have grown their ideas at Case Western Reserve University.
They often turn to the Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship, which offers educational programming, funding opportunities, fellowship programs and more, as they form ideas into something tangible. These resources extend to innovators from all disciplines, with programs like THINKFast available to help those who don’t consider themselves to be entrepreneurially minded problem solve at a rapid pace.
Tumi Adeeko and David Sarver are just two of the many students to benefit from the Veale Institute’s support. Adeeko, a second-year PhD student in materials science and engineering, and Sarver, a third-year undergraduate student, each founded companies designed to help people save time—be it with braiding hair or folding silverware.
In honor of National Entrepreneurship Week, we sat down with Adeeko and Sarver to learn more about their startups.
Read more success stories to come out of the Veale Institute to spark an idea of your own.
Answers have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Tumi Adeeko
Tumi Adeeko is a second-year PhD student in materials science and engineering from Lagos, Nigeria. She founded MAWE Technologies, which features her invention, the Electric Unbraider, a tool that reduces the time and effort needed to loosen braided hair.
1. What inspired you to make this product?
In high school, I helped a friend take out her braids and thought, “there has to be a faster way.” That moment eventually led me to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering in the U.S.
2. Did you ever think of creating a product or company prior to your current venture?
Not at all—I was skeptical about entrepreneurship and never imagined starting my own venture. But here I am!
3. What has been the most surprising part of the process?
I think just how many resources are out there for student entrepreneurs. I did not realize how much my university supports entrepreneurship, and I am extremely grateful for the people that make programming, and provide sponsorship and mentorship to the CWRU community.
4. What is your vision for where to take it from here?
I want to create a line of products that truly addresses a pain point for millions of people, making haircare easier and more enjoyable for those who love braids.
David Sarver
David Sarver is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in finance, psychology and English from Marietta, Ohio. Inspired by his experiences as a server at Bob Evans, he created WrapSpin, a mechanical silverware wrapping machine that cuts the time to wrap silverware from 12-15 seconds to 2-3.
1. What inspired you to make this product?
I was a server at Bob Evans and found the process of rolling silverware tedious and time consuming. I noticed that other servers shared the same dislike, with some people skipping out on the process. Even at the second-best performing location, we would experience bottlenecks due to silverware shortages. I knew this was a problem, and was inspired to make a solution that was attractive to servers, managers and corporate.
2. Did you ever think of creating a product or company prior to your current venture?
Yes. I have always been an entrepreneur at heart. I’ve bought and sold shoes, T-shirt designs, teddy bears, ran my own tutoring business, and started a real estate company before becoming a founder of WrapSpin.
3. What has been the most surprising part of the process?
The most surprising part of the process has by far been the amount of capital necessary—paying for parts, supplies, equipment and travel expenses adds up when chasing a dream.
The Veale Institute of Entrepreneurship has been monumental in providing dilution-free capital and connections. Without them, we would not have been able to make it to CES, one of the world’s largest tech shows, and would not have been able to get in touch with customers and angel investors across the country.
4. What is your vision for where to take it from here?
We are currently working with an accelerator program, MAGNET, leveraging their engineering expertise to bring a fully functional prototype back to Bob Evans. Once we are able to get WrapSmith in the hands of our customers, we can gain invaluable feedback and proceed to mass manufacture a product that has been long overdue in the restaurant industry: a mechanical silverware wrapping machine.
The restaurant industry is all about the customer experience; that is, making the little moments count. As a former server, I know the struggles that come with having to spend those moments wrapping silverware instead of tending to my tables. WrapSpin will give servers not some of those little moments back, but all of them. We’re going to enhance the user, manager, corporate, and customer experience with one solution: WrapSpin.