Stormy skies and torrential rains didn’t stop our eLab Summer Accelerator students—or our community—from coming together in New York City last week to celebrate entrepreneurship, collaboration, and innovation at the Keller Center’s annual Demo Day.

Four teams of student entrepreneurs took the stage to pitch their ventures to a panel of industry experts and an engaged audience of startup enthusiasts.

“We have an outstanding cohort of young entrepreneurs this year who are doing the hard work of taking their business solutions from ideas to viable ventures in nine short weeks,” said Keller’s Entrepreneurship and Design Fellow Ben Lehnert. “I’m proud of all the hard work they have done this summer—not only in business development, but also in the critical thinking they’ve applied to mitigate unintended consequences with the entrepreneurial agency needed for success.”

Each team delivered a polished presentation, complete with a marketing video, and fielded tough questions from our knowledgeable feedback panelists: seasoned entrepreneur and former Keller Center advisory board member Bruce Lincoln '79; Dianna Raedle, founder and CEO of Deer Isle Group; and Bruce Hack, founder of BLH Ventures. The panelists raised provocative questions about both big-picture aspirations and the nuts and bolts of business development.

“I want to watch the first episode as soon as possible,” said Hack to the founders of House of Bones Theater Company, who are reimagining the theater experience through innovative film production paired with original dark cabaret storytelling. He also challenged the team on the viability of their pricing model.

After the presentations, attendees explored demo stations where they could interact directly with the student innovators.

InstantReplay, which transforms high-end fashion waste into opportunities for brands to engage Gen Z consumers, showcased a rack of clothing to demonstrate what users might find on their app. Many audience members signed up on the spot, eager to walk away with high-end goods.

LoveStruck Games, whose mission is to relive untold history and preserve Native culture and languages, struck a heartfelt chord with the audience. Their stunning imagery and narrative gameplay, paired with their cutting-edge gaming technology, were a highlight of the evening.

Eval Gaming is developing a data-driven ranking system for esports players to help them earn college scholarships and professional opportunities. The team received enthusiastic feedback from the audience and cheers of support from fellow eLab participants.

This year’s Demo Day was a testament to the eLab Summer Accelerator’s immersive, collaborative environment, where student entrepreneurs learn not only from our experts but also from one another.

Watch the presentations on YouTube.