It’s a mindset: Meet the visionaries redefining innovation at 1819
From an advanced robotics entrepreneur to a 21-year-old venture capitalist, there’s no lack of talent, perseverance or wisdom among the 1819 community. Below, we’ll look at a few brilliant individuals whose strengths — and mindsets — set them on 1819’s path to success.
Determination: Kesha Williams
Founder and CEO, Cool Comforts
Kesha Williams in front of term "Determination". Photo/Gregory Glevicky
Success isn’t always guaranteed for Black female founders, but it is possible — ask Kesha Williams, founder of Cool Comforts. Williams developed an innovative feminine hygiene product designed to ease the discomfort of a chronic yet nonfatal form of vaginitis, and is on a mission to break boundaries while making a difference.
“My journey has been long, hard and eye-opening,” Williams says of launching Cool Comforts as a Black woman in business. “Trying to promote a product that addresses symptoms of one of the most stigmatized women’s health issues is a giant responsibility, but someone has to do it.”
Williams has never been one to give up due to her determination to claim victory against all odds. She takes advantage of every possible resource as she pursues startup success, from gaining entrepreneurial expertise at the 1819 Venture Lab to earning a master’s degree at UC.
Sheer willpower has always been key for Williams. “Determination has taught me to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” she says. “Determination is making necessary adjustments without losing who I really am. The amount of work I have put in, the sacrifices I’ve had to endure and the life-changing decisions I’ve made to get here … that is determination.”
Venture catalyst, UC’s Center for Entrepreneurship
Jay Kothari in front of term "Disruption". Photo/Gregory Glevicky
At 21 years old, UC student Jay Kothari is already disrupting Cincinnati’s startup ecosystem and igniting positive change. Though still an undergraduate at UC, Kothari dedicates his free time to promoting startup growth at the Center for Entrepreneurship and serving as a managing partner at Bearcat Ventures, the university’s first student-led venture capital initiative.
Kothari is disrupting all norms about what the typical investor and startup mentor looks like. His young age isn’t stopping him, though — nor is it impeding the success of his business endeavors. Bearcat Ventures holds $1 million in its investment fund and has already poured money into promising regional startups such as Band Connect and Tembo.
“Entrepreneurship, in its essence, is synonymous with disruption,” Kothari notes. “It’s about challenging the status quo, offering radically different solutions and creating meaningful change. To think like an entrepreneur or become one, you have to embrace disruption as a core principle. And for me, that’s the journey I’m excited to continue.”
Relentless: Abby McInturf
Abby McInturf in front of term "Relentless". Photo/Gregory Glevicky
Staying relentlessly focused on a worthy goal has served Abby McInturf well as she leads digital physical therapy startup Band Connect. Her mission has remained consistent: “We’re not just aiming to make physical therapy better; we’re redefining the standard of care through our hybrid model.”
Band Connect’s journey hasn’t always been straightforward since the company launched at the 1819 Venture Lab five years ago, but McInturf keeps pursuing excellence. “My experience has been an adventure with the expected mix of ups and downs,” McInturf says, “but staying relentlessly focused on our mission — to transform physical therapy — has been our anchor.”
Another key driver for McInturf has been hearing from patients and clinicians how Band Connect improves physical therapy outcomes. The startup’s purpose — recreating the physical therapy in-clinic experience at home — has allowed patients to see remarkable health improvements.
“Relentlessness is at the heart of Band Connect’s story,” McInturf says. “Every milestone — securing funding, building clinical evidence or seeing and hearing firsthand how we’ve positively impacted patients and clinicians — has reinforced my determination and reminded me why it’s so important to continue down this path.”
Curiosity: Huzefa Dossaji
Co-founder and CTO, Airtrek Robotics
Huzefa Dossaji in front of term "Curiosity". Photo/Gregory Glevicky
Curiosity led Huzefa Dossaji to where he is today: working on advanced technology that barely existed when he was young. Airtrek Robotics, where he serves as co-founder and chief technology officer, has a mission to “build robots that make airport grounds safer and more efficient.”
Though Dossaji has long been passionate about robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, he wasn’t always an entrepreneur. After moving to Cincinnati to work at another startup, Dossaji and two of his coworkers became curious about entrepreneurship for themselves.
“What if cars could drive themselves?” Dossaji wondered. “What if robots could make airports safer? What if I could work on something that truly makes a difference?”
That curiosity led to Airtrek Robotics’ founding, and the startup keeps innovating today from its home in the 1819 Ground Floor Makerspace. Dossaji has a lofty view on his next steps: “The future for me is about creating a legacy of innovation that not only solves meaningful problems but also fosters connection between people and technology. Curiosity is the engine behind that mission.”
Dossaji must tap into his curiosity every day as an innovator in a nascent field. “Curiosity challenges me to push boundaries, rethink assumptions and find new ways to show that innovation can enhance our world,” he says. “As long as curiosity leads the way, I’ll keep striving to create solutions that bring people and technology closer together, transforming skepticism into excitement and hesitation into trust.”
Founder and CEO, Fireroad
Tim Metzner in front of term "Vision". Photo/Gregory Glevicky
Tim Metzner is well versed in launching successful startups, having built companies that attracted over a half-billion dollars in funding collectively. Armed with entrepreneurial insights and a heart for service, Metzner’s vision has now changed: “It’s time to jump to the other side of the table and create the early-stage venture fund I wish I had the opportunity to work with.”
Enter Fireroad, a firm Metzner founded to provide venture capital, business incubation services and acquisition options to the next wave of tech founders. The company is based at UC’s 1819 Innovation Hub, where it enjoys proximity to the robust entrepreneurial ecosystem developing on campus and in the building.
Metzner’s vision for Fireroad — and for himself — is clear, and it’s about using entrepreneurship as a force for good. “One of the greatest opportunities for impact that business owners and entrepreneurs have,” Metzner says, “is to create jobs that help people come alive in their careers and create a sense of purpose and belonging through work.”
One company at a time, Metzner is using Fireroad’s investments to pursue that lofty vision. By focusing on meaningful, people-centered startups from his base at the 1819 Innovation Hub, Metzner is crafting an empathetic and high-impact entrepreneurial ecosystem in Cincinnati.
Featured image at top: View of Cincinnati skyline from above. Photo/Adobe Stock
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