Our First Cohort

Cohort 1

50+ participants. 4 weeks of building. 3 winners. This is what happens when immigrant students get the opportunity to build.

The Winners

Meet the entrepreneurs who brought their ideas to life

🥇 1st Place

SwimSense

$1,000 Prize

🥈 2nd Place

NextDoor Digital Marketing

🥉 3rd Place

Sweetly Unique

"For the first time, I felt like my background was an advantage, not a barrier. The mentors actually understood my journey."

— Roshan Arai, 1st Place Winner

"Project Origin gave me the confidence to pursue my startup idea. The mentorship was invaluable."

— Ritika Singh, 3rd Place

"I learned more in 4 weeks than I did in a year of trying to figure it out on my own."

— Ganesh Gowda, Participant

4 weeks. From idea to pitch deck. Here's what Cohort 1 accomplished.

Participants identified issues in their communities—from swim safety to local marketing gaps—and brainstormed solutions that mattered to them.

Teams developed financial models and marketing strategies, learning how to think like entrepreneurs and plan for real-world viability.

With mentor guidance, participants created pitch decks and practiced presenting—turning ideas into compelling narratives.

The top 10 teams presented to judges, competed for $1,000 in prizes, and joined a community of future founders.