​Curious about what it really takes to launch a startup while still juggling classes and campus life? Join us for the Student Founder Panel, where 3 local university founders share the unvarnished truth about building a company before graduation.

​This session dives into the unique challenges and unexpected advantages of starting up as a student. Expect candid stories, practical advice, and a few laughs about the realities of pitching investors between midterms.

​Whether you’re already sketching out your MVP or just wondering if you should take the leap, this conversation will leave you with fresh insights and maybe a little less sleep.

​Recommended for: Founders, future founders, and anyone who thinks “student” and “CEO” shouldn’t be mutually exclusive.

​Speakers

​Sydelle Bernstein

​Sydelle Bernstein is an undergraduate student at Duke University '26 passionate about building trusted, community-centered platforms. She is the Founder and CEO of Students Who Sit, Inc., a university-based childcare marketplace that connects university families with vetted student caregivers. What began as a grassroots campus initiative has grown to serve over 1,200 users at Duke, and the company is now scaling both locally and nationally as it builds a repeatable expansion model for universities across the country.

​At Duke, Sydelle serves as Vice President of Entrepreneurship for Business Oriented Women (BOW) and is a Founding Member of Women in Entrepreneurship, where she works to expand access to mentorship, venture capital conversations, and founder resources for women on campus. Through these roles, she has organized high-impact programming that bridges students with leaders in venture capital, technology, and high-growth startups.

​Sydelle is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience, along with a certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Duke University. Her academic interests center on human behavior, motivation, and decision-making insights she actively applies to product design, marketplace dynamics, and startup growth strategy.

​Sam Marcom

​Sam Marcom is co-Founder & COO of CN-Seamless, building portable CNC machines that bring precision metal fabrication out of the shop and into the field. Mechanical engineer, NC State.

​Ellora (Ellie) McTaggart

​Ellora (Ellie) McTaggart is the CEO of Carolina Instruments, a UNC Chapel Hill developing a camera-free eye tracking system. A 2023 biomedical engineering graduate, Ellie built early prototypes in the labs of her faculty co-founders to support neuroscience research and later deferred graduate school to lead the company. Carolina Instruments is initially targeting integration into extended reality (XR) headsets, with long term goals of leveraging the high-speed eye data to support cognitive assessments and neurodiagnostics.

​Moderated by Kenyetta Hall

​Kenyetta Hall is a seasoned Product Leader and Business Strategist with a proven history of helping Fortune 500 companies and startups bring innovative products to market by driving impactful product strategies and teams. Former co-founder of an AI startup, Core AI and now the CEO of Katalyst HQ, a Product Strategy and innovation Studio, partnering with startups and orgs to reduce risk, and empower leaders with the frameworks, strategies, and systems to accelerate product development, optimize team alignment/ops, rapidly innovate to create real impact in this new digital age. We provide Business advisory, Sprints/Workshops and Courses that meet you where you are.

​She is also the co-founder of Agile Product Dojo training product management professionals through training and coaching, equipping them with the skills needed to excel in tomorrow’s workforce today. Our sweet spot, early and mid-career professionals

​In addition to her professional endeavors, Kenyetta serves as the Social Entrepreneur in Residence and Professor of Practice at the Shuford Program for Entrepreneurship at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she teaches the course "Brand for Social Impact."

​Location

​Raleigh Founded North Street

​509 W North St, Suite 224, Raleigh, NC 27603

​QUESTIONS?

​This session is part of Raleigh-Durham Startup Week. Click here to learn more about the event, plus get answers to your FAQs.

​TRACK SUPPORTER

​Thank you to Pendo for supporting the Product & Design Track at #RDSW26!