Built in Community, Fueled by Curiosity: Meet the Students Who Keep Coming Back to Tsai CITY

Some Yale students visit Tsai CITY once for an event or a workshop. Others find the people, programs, and energy so electric they keep coming back—again and again.

Yeabsera Agonfer (DIV '26) is one of them. 

Even before arriving at Yale, Yeabsera applied to work as Tsai CITY’s Funding Coordinator. As a humanities student interested in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, she was especially drawn to Tsai CITY’s emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. She landed the role before even setting foot on campus, and things took off from there. Soon after she was hired, Zoe Hunter, Tsai CITY’s Managing Director, encouraged her to apply for the Tsai CITY Student Fellowship. She was offered that role, too. 

As a funding coordinator, Yeabsera helped make grant funding decisions and improve the grant-making process. As a student fellow, she spread awareness about Tsai CITY and led innovation-related workshops. Fellows also receive unique learning opportunities, including professional development, peer support, and 1:1 coaching. 

In fact, Yeabsera credits that coaching with changing her trajectory. 

“I always had interest in starting my own business, and the sessions at Tsai CITY really empowered me to,” she says. 

With that new confidence and support, Yeabsera began developing an idea that blended her cultural roots with her entrepreneurial curiosity. The result was ChaCha Butter, a food venture inspired by kibbeh, a spice-infused, clarified butter central to Ethiopian cooking. Since then, she’s taken part in Launch Pad, received mentorship, and tapped into nearly every Tsai CITY resource available. 

“I feel like I’ve used almost every single Tsai CITY resource," she shares. 

After just one year, Yeabsera has not only contributed to Yale’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, she has become part of it. Now her sights are set on Startup Yale 2026 and next year’s summer fellowship. 

Programs That Nurture Innovation 

For students like Yeabsera, Tsai CITY isn’t a one-stop-shop–it’s a playground where each visit creates new opportunities. Bailey Ehrens (SOM '26) was another early and intentional Tsai CITY user. Even before arriving at Yale, she was watching the Tsai CITY programming calendar. As soon as the applications opened, she went for it.

“I was able to hit the ground running immediately when I got to campus by applying to the Launch Pad,” she says.

Through the Launch Pad, she developed a minimum viable product for her company, Tennie, a professional women’s clothing platform for the next generation. She later postered at Startup Yale, where she pitched the company to others in Yale’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and joined the front desk crew at Tsai CITY, getting a front-row seat to other students’ ideas. 

“I tried to use all the resources I could at the start because I was clueless,” she says. “The biggest benefit that I got was the network of other entrepreneurs around campus. I've met a lot of really great people through it, and I've valued the opportunity to learn from my peers.”

Nataliia Nevinchana (SOM ’27) had a similar experience. What began as a student job quickly evolved into deep involvement across multiple programs. For her, Tsai CITY became a go-to space for support, connection, and creative energy. 

“It's designed to work for you, rather than for some other external metrics. It's this space where, if I need inspiration, I can come to a talk. If I need some advice, I can ask to be connected with a mentor. If I need someone to listen to me. I can come to the space and see a friendly face and share what I'm working on.”

Both Bailey and Nataliia demonstrate what’s possible when students use Tsai CITY not just as a resource, but as a platform to explore, iterate, and grow.

A Playground for Experimentation

Students like Nataliia, Bailey and Yeabsera thrive at Tsai CITY because they’re encouraged to learn by doing, not by perfecting. Here, exploration is just as important as execution, and students are supported at every step, whether they’re refining a pitch or starting from scratch. 

Benjamin Ringel (SOM ’25) brought that spirit of experimentation with him. After trying a few different ideas, he launched Schmear, a cream cheese company that channels the creativity and personality of a New York bagel shop.

Through Tsai CITY, he participated in Launch Pad, presented at Startup Yale, and attended hands-on workshops on web design and financial modeling. He also received support through the Tsai CITY Milestone Fund, which helped Schmear expand through a new partnership with a regional bagel chain.

But for Benjamin, the most powerful resource was the staff.

“The Tsai CITY staff are really, really excellent and top notch,” he says. “They want to know you. They want to help out however they can.” 

That support, he says, helped him move from idea to execution. “They never made me feel like I had to have it all figured out. They just helped me move it forward, one step at a time.”

Through funding, Schmear partnered with a regional bagel chain to expand its reach; showcasing proof that even small-scale funding can create meaningful momentum. 

Yeabsera echoes that same feeling of support. 

"It’s so beautiful, and sometimes it's overwhelming,” she says. “I'm like, wow, these people really believe in you, and it's not even about whether your idea is good or not. It's just about the fact that you have something that you're chasing."

For Nataliia, the first answer wasn’t a yes and that turned out to be a good thing. She quickly realized that at Tsai CITY, even a “not yet” comes with an open door. “Tsai CITY gives you feedback on your applications. It’s not just a ‘no and goodbye,’ it’s a ‘not yet, and here’s how to make it stronger,’” she says. 

That kind of care fueled her momentum. Nataliia kept applying, kept refining, and kept showing up. Now she's completed two Launch Pad cohorts, received funding through Tsai CITY’s Exploration Fund, and served as a Venture Associate. Her venture, Grow Your Impact, is building an online community for sustainability-minded changemakers, and she’s not done yet. 

Innovation Is a Practice, Not a Moment

Whether they’re staffing the front desk, pitching a new venture or project, or applying for the next program, the students who consistently engage with Tsai CITY embody how innovation at Yale looks. It’s not about perfect ideas or polished decks. It’s about showing up, trying things out, and learning through the process. 

Students like Yeabsera, Bailey, Nataliia, and Benjamin return again and again, drawn by the understanding that innovation is an ongoing process. In Tsai CITY’s supportive, welcoming environment, they’re encouraged to take risks, learn out loud, and experiment alongside their peers. 

As Yeabsera puts it:

“There is a place for you. It's not even a question. Whether you want to be an entrepreneur, be part of something bigger, or explore how to innovate from within–there is, literally, room for you."