BURGESS BUILT ANNUAL REPORT
2025-2026
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INSIDE THE REPORT 2
Letter from Leadership
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Impact at a Glance
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Venture Summit
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Builder: Ismael Jabar
10 Year in Review 12
Innovator: Angela Leach
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Events, Programs, and Opportunities
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Creator: Yuktha Pulavarthi
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Partners & Supporters
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VISION To be the top destination for inspirational, entrepreneurial learning and to champion innovation and resiliency during the lifelong journeys of our students and alums.
MISSION To empower Spartans to succeed by providing an inclusive space for cross-disciplinary programs, courses, and resources to develop emotional intelligence, foster the entrepreneurial mindset, and to create ventures.
ANNUAL REPORT 2025–2026
LETTER FROM LEADERSHIP Every year reminds me why our work matters. Whether students pitch an idea for the first time, launch a venture, discover the confidence to lead or return years later to invest in the next generation, these moments demonstrate what’s possible when Spartans are empowered to create.
of the Entrepreneur Leadership Camp, expanded the Spartan Founders Club and hosted another successful 517 Entrepreneurship & Innovation Week alongside valued community partners. Together, these collaborations created even more opportunities for Spartans to learn, build and lead.
This year, the Burgess Institue celebrated remarkable achievements. We were recognized as the #8 undergraduate
This year also marked the closing of the MSU Hatch. While saying goodbye to a space that launched thousands of entrepreneurial journeys was bittersweet, it reaffirmed that entrepreneurship at MSU has never been defined by a building. It is defined by the people who learn together, challenge one another and create what’s next. As we look toward the future home of the Burgess Institute in the Leinweber Center for Engineering and Digital Innovation, we’re excited to build on that legacy.
entrepreneurship program in the nation by The Princeton Review. Spartans won the prestigious Rice Business Plan Competition, shared their entrepreneurial journeys on Shark Tank and represented MSU in competitions around the world. These accomplishments reflect not only the talent of our students, but also the faculty, alumni, donors and partners who invest in their success. Across the Institute, students from every college developed an entrepreneurial mindset through the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Minor, while Venture Creation participants transformed ideas into products and businesses and our events and programs provided opportunities to test ideas, build connections and grow. Our partnerships also continued to strengthen MSU’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. We celebrated five years
Thank you to every student, alum, faculty and staff member, donor and partner who continues to believe in our mission. Your support makes these achievements possible, and I look forward to all we’ll build together in the year ahead. Go Green!
LAUREL OFSTEIN SENIOR DIRECTOR
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OUR IMPACT
8 1.1m
UNDERGRADUATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM
WON IN EXTERNAL COMPETITIONS
THE PRINCETON REVIEW, 2026
5.5x MORE THAN 2024-25
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79 1.3K
UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP COURSES
COMPANIES STARTED BY ALUMNI
5% INCREASE FROM 2024-25
SINCE 2021
For a more comprehensive look at the Burgess Institute’s impact, including demographics and annual metrics, scan the QR code to access the full Impact Report.
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This year’s Venture Summit brought Spartans together to explore how competition, adaptability and perseverance fuel innovation.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2025–2026
THE BUILDER
ISMAEL JABAR CREATIVE ADVERTISING ‘26 Food wasn’t just something Ismael Jabar’s family shared around the table— it was a way of life. His parents owned From Scratch, a Mediterranean food truck inspired by their Lebanese heritage, and from a young age, Ismael helped prep food, serve customers, and work events alongside them. Working in the family business taught him the value of hard work, creativity, and connecting with people through food.
“Watching my parents navigate long hours, take care of their customers, and grow something of their own gave me the confidence to start something of my own,” ismael says. That confidence became Get Loaded, a build-your-own comfort food concept centered on creativity, delicious food, and giving customers an experience they could make their own. From the beginning, he wanted Get Loaded to be more than just another restaurant. He wanted to create a place where customers could be part of the experience. The build-your-own
concept allows people to customize their meals based on their own tastes, and traditions. Every detail, from the quality of the food to remembering returning customers and taking the time for a conversation, is focused on making people feel welcome. Ismael still remembers serving under a small tent at local farmers markets and meeting customers. Those first customers believed in Get Loaded before it had a reputation, and those experiences continue to shape how he thinks about growth today. Over time, Ismael fell in love with the rush of entrepreneurship: the long hours, the smell of fresh food in the air, and the smiles from happy customers. Since officially launching Get Loaded in 2023, the business has served thousands of customers and built a loyal following across the Lansing area. But what means the most to Ismael is seeing people return with their friends and family, recommend Get Loaded to others, and continue supporting the business. To him, that’s the greatest compliment he can receive. While growing Get Loaded, Ismael
was also pursuing a degree in creative advertising with minors in business, entrepreneurship and innovation, and leadership at MSU. Through the Burgess Institute, he strengthened the entrepreneurial mindset that continues to shape how he approaches challenges, grows his business, and creates opportunities for others.
“ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS ABOUT MORE THAN MAKING MONEY,” ISMAEL SAYS. “IT’S PASSION, PERSTISTENCE, AND PURPOSE. SUCCESS DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, BUT IF YOU PUT YOUR HEART INTO WHAT YOU DO AND STAY CONSISTENT, GREAT THINGS HAPPEN.” Today, Get Loaded is more than a successful business—it’s a familydriven dream come full circle. Ismael has been able to apply everything his parents taught him while putting his own creative twist on it. As the business continues to grow, he remains committed to creating meaningful connections through food and making every customer feel welcomed and appreciated.
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A YEAR AT MICHIGAN STATE
MSU STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS LAND DEAL ON ABC’S SHARK TANK Madhav Aggarwal (‘26) and Tanvi Gadamsetti (‘26) were offered a $300,000 investment from guest shark Fawn Weaver and Daniel Lubetzky to help accelerate BRCĒ’s growth.
SCALE Conference Brings Student Innovators Together at MSU
MSU RANKS TOP 10 IN US, NO. 3 in the midwest for entrepreneurship
MSU hosted the inaugural SCALE Conference by Student-Made, welcoming student creators, entrepreneurs and educators from across the country to explore creative entrepreneurship.
This is the university’s highest Princeton Review ranking yet and its eighth straight year of national recognition.
FAREWELL TO THE MSU HATCH The MSU Hatch closed after more than a decade, making way for the Burgess Institute’s future home in the Leinweber Center for Engineering and Digital Innovation.
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Material-tech STARTUP FROM MSU TAKES HOME grand prize at Rice Business Plan Competition BRCĒ earned first place and 11 awards totaling $611,500 at the world’s largest and richest intercollegiate graduate student startup competition.
Ag3 Labs AWARDED Student Startup of the Year AG3 Labs was recognized as the 20th Annual Student Startup of the Year during MSU Innovation Celebration, held as part of 517 Entrepreneurship & Innovation Week.
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Michigan’s Future Entrepreneurs Build the Skills to Lead at MSU’s Entrepreneur Leadership Camp More than 60 aspiring entrepreneurs from across the Midwest participated in MSU’s fifth annual Entrepreneur Leadership Camp.
SIX WEEKS OF INNOVATION THROUGH THE 2026 MOMENTUM ACCELERATOR Seven student ventures completed the six-week MOMENTUM accelerator, gaining mentorship, real-world experience and the tools to advance their ventures.
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THE INNOVATOR
ANGELA LEACH MBA ‘27 Inspired by their own experiences with Alzheimer’s, Angela Leach and her team founded Memory Sketch, a venture exploring how patient drawings could help recognize Alzheimer’s Disease progression earlier. After founding Memory Sketch during 2DAY VENTURE, Angela and her team continued building the venture through the Burgess Institute’s Venture Creation Program. As she progressed from her undergraduate studies into her MBA, mentorship and customer discovery helped refine both the concept and business model while teaching the team to validate assumptions through research and realworld testing. A turning point came while pitching Memory Sketch at the University of Georgia’s Next Top Entrepreneur Competition, where a judge encouraged the team to stop trying to perfect the idea and instead focus on testing it early and often. That advice fundamentally changed how they approached entrepreneurship. Rather than trying to have all the answers, they learned to put ideas in front of customers sooner, embrace feedback and let each conversation shape the venture’s next step.
“I CAME IN thinking entrepreneurship was mostly about having the right idea, but i learned it is far more about execution, resilience, and the people around you,” ANGELA SAYS. “IDEAS ARE ONLY THE BEGINNING. THE ABILITY TO NAVIGATE AMBIGUITY, TEST ASSUMPTIONS AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD IS WHAT TURNS IDEAS INTO VENTURES.” Putting that mindset into practice became one of Angela’s greatest learning experiences. Navigating clinical validation, intellectual property, equity structures and changing business needs required learning by doing while staying focused on the mission as the company evolved. Conversations with neurologists at Mayo Clinic challenged the team to think differently about the product roadmap while reinforcing the importance of evidence-based innovation. Each new challenge pushed the team to refine not only the technology itself, but also how they communicated its value to clinicians, patients and investors.
Angela later represented MSU at University Pitch Madness, strengthening her skills in financial modeling, risk mitigation and stakeholder communication while pitching alongside student entrepreneurs from across the country. The following spring, Memory Sketch was named a semifinalist in the Burgess New Venture Challenge, earning both the Unique Idea Award and the People’s Choice Award. Inspired by the mentors who had invested in her own growth, Angela began investing in others. As a Venture Creation Intern with the Burgess Institute, she helped optimize venture milestone systems used by fellow student founders. She also served as president of the Entrepreneurship Association and a graduate assistant for both the Burgess Institute and the MBA Program, supporting students while reinforcing many of the same lessons she was learning through her own entrepreneurial journey. While Memory Sketch continues to evolve, so does its potential to make a meaningful difference for families navigating Alzheimer’s disease. Reflecting on the journey, Angela says “the most rewarding part has been watching that idea grow into something that could actually matter to people.”
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HAVING A UNIVERSITY-BACKED INSTITUTE LIKE BURGESS BEHIND ME GIVES ME A FOUNDATION OF ACCOUNTABILITY, MENTORSHIP, STRUCTURE, AND COMMUNITY. I’M NOT JUST BUILDING THIS IN ISOLATION, I’M BUILDING IT WITH A NETWORK THAT SEES ME, SUPPORTS ME AND CHALLENGES ME TO GO FURTHER.” - NTHANDA MANDUWI MBA ‘26
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR EVERY SPARTAN MINDSET ENTREPRENEURSHIP INNOVATION MINOR
INNOVATE STATE SPEAKER SERIES
A 15-credit interdisciplinary minor that combines flexible coursework with realworld learning to prepare students from any major to launch ventures, lead teams and drive change.
Brings emerging and accomplished Spartan entrepreneurs—innovators, builders, creators, and visionaries—to campus for live, unscripted conversations on entrepreneurship and innovation.
Venture Summit An annual gathering of leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators dedicated to discussing emerging topics in entrepreneurship education at MSU.
CREATION 2DAY VENTURE A 36-hour entrepreneurial experience where students, regardless of home college, major, or background, develop early-stage ideas with the space, structure and support to turn them into reality.
BURGESS NEW VENTURE CHALLENGE
MOMENTUM ACCELERATOR
The premier pitch competition for student entrepreneurs at MSU, providing a transformational experience to compete for $50,000 in funding.
A free, six-week program that helps Spartan entrepreneurs build their ventures through seed funding, mentorship and preparation for future accelerator and investment opportunities.
STUDENT-MADE
Venture CREATION PROGRAM
Venture KITCHEN
An online and on-campus marketplace supporting student makers and creators through a centralized storefront, six campus locations and pop-up events.
From Discovery to Launch, the Venture Creation program is designed to support students ready to explore an idea and start their own business.
A licensed commercial kitchen in the MSU Union that provides students with the space, equipment and guidance needed to develop, test and commercialize food and consumer packaged goods.
ALUMNI VENTURE SUPPORT
SPARTAN FOUNDERS CLUB
SPARTAN ANGEL NETWORK
A program that connects alumni with the resources, mentorship and opportunities needed to grow their ventures beyond graduation.
A community of accomplished Spartan entrepreneurs that provides strategic guidance, mentorship and philanthropic support to strengthen MSU’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
A network of alumni investors that provides capital, mentorship and industry connections to help Spartan-founded ventures grow and scale.
ALUMNI
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THE CREATOR
YUKTHA PULAVARTHI MARKETING ‘26 Yuktha Pulavarthi’s college experience was shaped by a series of opportunities, each opening the door to the next.
campus pop-up events through the Venture Kitchen made her a natural fit to help grow the program.
She first became involved with the Burgess Institute during her freshman year through MSU Women in Entrepreneurship while pursuing the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Minor. That fall, she earned third place pitching macaronza!, her specialty macaron business, in the organization’s annual pitch competition. The experience introduced her to Lori Fischer and opened the door to her first opportunity with the Burgess Institute.
As Student-Made’s Events & Partnerships Manager, she hosted more than 20 pop-up events and helped expand the program’s on-campus marketplaces. What began with two locations at 1855 Place and the Kellogg Hotel grew to six marketplaces across campus, creating more opportunities for student entrepreneurs to showcase their products, connect with customers and grow their businesses.
“IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I TRULY FELT LIKE MY PASSION PROJECT COULD BECOME SOMETHING REAL,” YUKTHA SAYS. Lori encouraged Yuktha to become involved with the Venture Kitchen, and when an opportunity opened the following spring, she stepped into the role, managing the space in the MSU Union and supporting food entrepreneurs as they brought new products to life. That experience naturally led to another opportunity. When Student-Made launched at Michigan State, Yuktha’s experience managing
Beyond the hands-on experience, the founders Yuktha met through the Institute helped shape her perspective as an entrepreneur. A Lunch & Learn with Ariana Ferwerda, founder of Halfdays, introduced her to a brand she now closely follows, while meeting Alexa Ryan, founder of Bakr, gave her a firsthand look at building and growing a successful consumer brand. Those conversations offered valuable insight as Yuktha continued building macaronza!. Yuktha also pushed herself beyond her comfort zone by competing in the Burgess New Venture Challenge, where she strengthened her confidence as a founder and continued developing her entrepreneurial mindset.
“I can confidently say that getting involved with the Burgess Institute has been the most impactful part of my college experience,” Yuktha says. “It shaped my growth through building my own business, connecting with founders and saying yes to opportunities that I never would have experienced otherwise.” After graduation, Yuktha joined Good Peeps, a New York City-based venture capital firm and marketing agency serving consumer packaged goods brands. During the interview process, her experience building macaronza!, along with her work through the Burgess Institute and StudentMade, distinguished her as a candidate and prepared her for a career working alongside growing consumer brands. Yuktha arrived at MSU determined to become more involved than she had been in high school. She made a commitment to embrace new opportunities—a decision that shaped her college experience, her business and the career she is beginning after graduation.
“IF YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT STARTING A BUSINESS, NOW IS THE TIME,” SHE SAYS. “YOU Never know WHERE IT MIGHT LEAD OR WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THE PROCESS.”
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BEHIND Every entrepreneur IS SOMEONE who believed in them first. Throughout the past year, alumni, mentors, faculty, partners and donors invested their time, expertise and resources to help students grow their ideas, build their ventures and discover what’s possible. Together, they’re opening doors for the next generation of innovators.
Scan the QR code to explore ways to support the next generation of Spartan entrepreneurs.
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THE VISIONARIES
AARON RYAN LETZEISER POLITICAL THEORY ‘05 HORTICULTURE ‘02 Entrepreneurship often begins with a spark—an idea shared between friends, a side hustle, or simple curiosity. For brothers Aaron and Ryan Letzeiser, that spark became Obie, a real estate technology company acquired by The Baldwin Group. Today, the brothers are giving back as members of the Spartan Founders Club, supporting the same entrepreneurial community that helped shape their journey. Neither brother followed a traditional business path at MSU. Ryan studied horticulture before building a landscaping company and later moving into real estate equity, where he discovered a gap in the market. Aaron, a James Madison College graduate, had planned to attend law school before joining Ryan to build a software platform for property owners.
Like many startups, their early days were filled with uncertainty, customer conversations, and more rejection than success. But by listening closely to customer feedback, they uncovered an opportunity hidden within their business and pivoted toward what would become Obie’s core offering.
Today, Aaron and Ryan invest that same honesty, experience, and encouragement into Spartan entrepreneurs. Through the Spartan Founders Club, they’ve mentored ventures including Protein Pints and BRCĒ, supporting founders long before national recognition and major milestones.
That experience now shapes the advice they share with aspiring founders.
“Any success story includes luck,” Aaron says. “And for us, a lot of that luck came from people who believed in us early. We want to be those people for the next generation.”
“Ask your customer if they’d take out their credit card right now for what you showed them,” Aaron says. “IF the answer‘s no, you still have work to do.” The brothers also credit their success to the strength of their partnership. Their different perspectives— and willingness to challenge one another—became one of their greatest competitive advantages.
For the Letzeiser brothers, success isn’t measured only by the company they built—it’s reflected in the entrepreneurs they now help build. Their story embodies the lasting impact of the Spartan entrepreneurial community, where one generation of founders helps launch the next.
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This year’s Burgess New Venture Challenge awarded more than $50,000 in non-dilutive funding, supporting Spartan entrepreneurs as they advanced their ventures. Scan the QR code to learn more about this year’s competition and its winners.
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