The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Texas State University has awarded $20,000 in seed funding to two student entrepreneurs during its inaugural Student Founders Launch Fund pitch event, marking a milestone for student-led startups at the university.
Held on February 21 in San Marcos, the competition recognized two early-stage businesses with $10,000 grants each to help accelerate product development and business growth. The awards were presented as part of the university’s new Student Founders Launch Fund, which provides funding and mentorship to promising student startups.
The initiative is backed by an initial $100,000 funding pool and connects student founders with guidance from alumni investors, entrepreneurs, and faculty affiliated with the university’s McCoy College of Business.
One of the winning founders, Donavan Brown, received funding for his startup Kocerho Disaster Response, which focuses on developing drone-based technology to help search-and-rescue teams locate disaster survivors more quickly. Brown plans to use the grant to build a working prototype to improve response times during the critical “golden 72-hour window” after natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, or wildfires.
The second award went to NaJaiyah Virgil, founder of Hair Supremacist, a luxury braiding brand centered on providing high-quality services and community-focused support for Black women. Virgil began the business as a braiding page while still in high school and now aims to expand it into physical locations that bring together stylists and clients in a wellness-focused environment.
Both founders will continue working with mentors and advisors through structured 30-, 60-, and 90-day progress check-ins with an alumni investor council that includes business leaders connected to the university.
In addition to financial backing, participants gain access to broader support networks, including the Small Business Development Center and the university’s student entrepreneur community. The program aims to provide founders not only startup capital but also practical business guidance and connections to help their ventures grow.
University leaders say the pitch event reflects a broader push to cultivate innovation and entrepreneurship among students, helping them transform ideas into viable companies while still in school. Applications for the next round of the Student Founders Launch Fund are expected to open soon for other aspiring founders on campus.
