As we gear up for the launch of the 2025 Stern Venture Fellows (SVF) Summer Accelerator, the Berkley Center gathered alumni from past cohorts for a special founder roundtable lunch to touch base with David Ko (Stern BS ’93), CEO of Calm and the founding supporter of the SVF program.

The gathering provided a chance to check in with some of the ventures and founders that have come through the program. We welcomed back founders that represented schools across NYU, including Andres Satizabal (Stern MBA ’11) of NextMinder, Daniel Nelson (Stern BA ’16) of Fulton, Dr. Simone Andrews (Steinhardt PSYD ’12) of Canvas Pad, Anja Westhues (Gallatin BA ’24) of Endure Sports Nutrition, Ayman Mukerji (Silver MSW ’21) of Jivika, Helene Rutledge (Stern EMBA) and Roshane Sasson of Birthvue, Inc., Dilan Mehta (CAS BS ’25) of Sizzle, and Maneesh Karnati (Stern BS ’21) and Ari Williams (NYU BA ’22) of SkipReturns.

In an open and candid conversation, each entrepreneur, including David, shared updates on their progress, reflected on the highs and lows of their entrepreneurial journeys, and discussed the challenges they’ve faced as they continue their entrepreneurial journeys. The discussion reinforced the value of the SVF community and leaning into peer support. David shared, from his own experience, that meals around a table with entrepreneurs in seemingly unrelated fields can often lead to unexpected opportunities to support one another.

The theme of building mental resilience from open and honest conversations also appears in David’s recent book, Recharge: Boosting Your Mental Battery, One Conversation at a Time.

We look forward to kicking off the 2025 Stern Venture Fellows this summer. Stay tuned for more as we share stories from the next generation of NYU founders.  Learn more about the program on our Stern Venture Fellows page!