Akash Verma

Founder, President

Derek Cuzco-Santacruz

Director of Finance

Maui Schwartz

Director of Operations

Rishi Raghav Suresh

Director of Strategic Initiatives

Startup Initiative Foundation (SIF) is a novel club at Penn that provides valuable opportunities in cutting-edge fields for students across all departments and schools. This club functions by partnering with local startups in Philadelphia to create exciting initiatives for Penn students. Through these initiatives, students gain opportunities ranging from skill-based internships to volunteering campaigns in the greater Philadelphia community. The aim of this club is to serve as the hub for student exposure and exploration in groundbreaking areas of study poised to advance humanity in the near future.&nbsp;
This organization is for ambitious students across all departments and majors ranging from healthcare to business to computer science and more. Students should join according to one or more of the following criteria:
<ul>
<li>You seek opportunity</li>
<li>You want to scale your startup</li>
<li>You are ambitious, motivated, passionate</li>
<li>You have the desire to explore cutting-edge fields</li>
<li>You wish to make a significant impact in your community</li>
</ul>
Spring 2024: Proscia Series 
The first partnership through SIF will be with Proscia – a software company at the forefront of the digital AI pathology revolution. Located in Philadelphia, Proscia has made waves in the fields of diagnostics and life sciences, gaining traction through various alliances around the world with major pharma companies and pathology labs and obtaining millions of dollars in investments. With the evident potential of Proscia, the founders have received immense recognition including an appearance in Forbes 30 under 30.&nbsp;
This Spring, Proscia will be coming to Penn with the aim of teaching students about the implications of AI in healthcare through periodic talks and demonstrations provided by the CEO, AI development team, etc. Additionally, through this partnership, various initiatives targeting students across all majors will be created including internship and volunteering opportunities, hackathons, AI education, and much more.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Future Partnerships and Initiatives: 
The leadership team of SIF continuously searches for local startups to partner with and strives to offer opportunities for students in the fields of highest advancement. This club also aims to scale Penn-student-led startups through strong partnerships and initiatives. With each partnership and initiative, we work to provide cutting-edge opportunities for students, setting them up to be leaders of the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;

President

Abraham Friedman

Leheng Yu

Chief Student Advisor of Research and Development

Vice President

Rishi Suresh

Aarfa Sheikh

Member

Aenaviah Amna

Ashton Karim

Krishna Chemudupati

Max Davidoff

Neil Pereira

Pietro Fossati

Sean Donovan

Yara Ahmedfiqi

Startup Initiative Foundation (SIF)

Partnering with Philadelphia-based startups to provide valuable opportunities for students through various initiatives.

Startup Initiative Foundation (SIF) Alumni