Success Stories

students laughing in huddle room

Empowering Students through Dynamic Programming

With its unwavering commitment to student innovation, Tsai CITY is constantly seeking to meet the needs of a dynamic and innovative community at Yale. Here are just some of the ways in which Tsai CITY has responded to the demands of the Yale community.

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banofi leather wins $130k

Maggie Boreham (SOM ’24) and Jinali Mody (YSE ’23) represented Banofi Leather (formerly Aatma Leather) at this year’s Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC) and placed 5th out of 42 startup teams. RBPC is the largest startup grant competition in the country in terms of dollars awarded, distributing over $3M in prizes.

Banofi Leather took home four prizes totaling $130k. Banofi is a material innovation company developing plant-based leather from banana fibers and other crop waste.

 

female students receiving large checks

How Tsai CITY Venture Advisors Support Student Founders

When students enter the Tsai CITY Venture Development Programs, they’re looking for guidance on how to move their ventures forward. These student founders have a range of backgrounds and interests, and no two ventures are alike. On the surface, supporting them all may look like an impossible challenge, but Tsai CITY is all about finding innovative solutions. Meet the Venture Advisors.

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a vision for future indie animation

Tsai CITY has supported Yale’s newest and most exciting animation production company, Studio Heartbreak, founded by Alice Mao (YC '24). The trailer for their debut film, The Lovers, was released this year, alongside its successful Kickstarter campaign–reaching over $130,000 in under twenty-four hours.

The Lovers takes place in a dark fantasy version of Manila, where a young sushi chef, Sara Lim Baylon, struggles to run her father’s restaurant. 

illustration of hands touching through glass