Alumni Spotlight: Winter 2025 Updates
Our alumni continue to make incredible strides in healthcare innovation, education, and technology. Here are four inspiring updates from STARTedUP alumni who are building, learning, and leading in their communities and beyond!
Alexis Karahalios: Becoming a Healthcare Accelerator Graduate
Alexis Karahalios, 2nd place winner of the 2025 Innovate WithIN competition, recently completed the 2025 Healthy Care, Healthy Costs Innovation Challenge while balancing her freshman year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The accelerator is designed for health-focused startups addressing healthcare challenges in Indiana. This year, they focused on reducing preventable costs and improving outcomes for high-risk populations, particularly aging adults and those with chronic conditions.
Alexis's company, Septo, is developing a plant-powered, color-changing bandage that catches infections early. The bandage reacts to biochemical markers like pH shifts in a wound (when bacteria grows they release alkaline byproducts that raise pH levels) causing Septo's indicator fabric to transition from bright pink to deep purple. This eliminates the need for sensors, batteries, or guesswork for healthcare professionals and patients.
For Alexis, the accelerator provided invaluable insight. "The biggest takeaway was gaining clarity on our go-to-market strategy and how to communicate Septo's value to different stakeholders, guided by feedback from clinicians, operators, and industry experts," Alexis shared. "The process helped us focus on who we serve first, how we integrate into care workflows, and what evidence they need to adopt our solution."
The experience pushed Alexis to refine her understanding of Septo's users and practical implementation. "The experience that pushed my thinking the most was refining exactly who our first users are and how Septo can realistically fit into their workflows, which reshaped both our solution design and our messaging strategy," she explained.
Even while navigating her first year of college, Alexis continues building Septo with clear momentum. "I'm most proud that we have tangible goals we want to try to reach, like potentially launching a pilot batch next year."
Kieron Bishop: Matched to Northwestern University Through QuestBridge
Kieron Bishop has achieved an extraordinary milestone: he was matched to Northwestern University, his top choice school, through the QuestBridge National College Match program, receiving a full ride scholarship. The QuestBridge National College Match is a program for low-income high school students that awards full-ride scholarships to those who are accepted into one of their many partner schools. Becoming a finalist means being officially considered for the QuestBridge scholarship, with applications sent directly to selected partner institutions.
A large part of Kieron’s journey to Northwestern was shaped by his involvement with STARTedUP. He is a three-time Innovate WithIN regional finalist, competing in 2023, 2024, and 2025 with Bussl, a venture that uses rider feedback to help improve public bus transportation systems. Through years of pitching, refining ideas, and tackling real-world problems, Kieron built skills that extended far beyond entrepreneurship.
Reflecting on his QuestBridge experience, Kieron was candid about the emotional rollercoaster. “When I found out I was a finalist, I felt both a mix of joy and anxiety. I was thrilled to have this amazing opportunity, but at the same time I had tons of supplemental essay writing ahead of me coupled with another long period of waiting for decisions. However, in the end it all paid off, and I’m blessed to say I received a match scholarship to my top choice school, Northwestern!”
Kieron credits STARTedUP with strengthening his application. “If it wasn’t for the incredible opportunities you’ve [STARTedUP Foundation] provided to me through both Innovate WithIN and the Alumni Association, my application certainly would not have been as strong, and the whole experience helped me build so many skills which have helped me both in and out of the classroom.”
As he prepares for Northwestern, Kieron is most looking forward to getting to meet his class and start learning!
Isaiah Clark: Building AI Skills Through the Mark Cuban AI Bootcamp
Isaiah Clark was accepted to the Mark Cuban AI Bootcamp is a free program for high school students that prepares young people to become ethical innovators and leaders in an AI-driven world. With a strong focus on equity, the program provides underrepresented students with real-world experience, mentorship, and hands-on access to cutting-edge AI tools.
Isaiah’s interest in technology and problem-solving has been shaped by years of entrepreneurship. He is a two-time Innovate WithIN regional finalist, competing in 2024 and 2025. In 2024, he pitched All-Nighter Games, a game company centered on Compound-IT!, a stock market board game designed to make investing concepts more approachable and engaging for young people. In 2025, he returned with EleFi, a fintech platform that combines financial education, gamification, and AI-powered tools to help users learn, track goals, and make smarter financial decisions.
For Isaiah, acceptance represented something beyond personal achievement. “Getting accepted was meaningful because it represented support beyond just my own effort. It showed that my community and Fort Wayne believe in investing in my education and long-term growth.”
During the program, Isaiah led his team through vision and execution. “I was most excited to learn how AI systems actually work under the hood and to build small language models. While I didn’t come in as a traditional coder, I led my team through vision and execution, helping us build something stronger together than any of us could have done alone.”
Lastly, here is Isaiah’s practical advice for students interested in exploring AI and tech: “If you want to explore, do it. Pick an unreasonably hard project and commit to finishing it. I don’t formally know how to code, but by using AI, I’ve built an email collection tool, games, and a script that connects a GPT to the SEC EDGAR database. AI is the key to real results beyond your current skillset. What matters most is vision.
Kerry Ao: Featured on Nasdaq MarketSite Tower as a Milestone Maker
Kerry Ao completed the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center’s Milestone Makers Program and saw his company, Intertwined, featured on the Nasdaq MarketSite Tower in Times Square. “It’s a moment I’ll never forget, and I’m deeply thankful for the opportunity to represent Intertwined’s mission to democratize financial education on such an iconic stage.”
Milestone Makers selects a small cohort of impact-driven entrepreneurs to receive individualized business mentoring, executive coaching, customized training, and resources at no cost. The program is designed to help founders set, reach, and celebrate key milestones critical to their company’s growth.
Kerry’s journey as a founder began years earlier through Innovate WithIN. He was a 2021 Regional Finalist and went on to compete at the State Finals in both 2022 and 2023, where he refined his vision and built the foundation for what would become Intertwined; a growing financial education platform expanding access and opportunity for students and communities historically left out of traditional financial systems.
Reflecting on the experience, Kerry shared, “Being part of this mission-driven community has energized me, and I can’t wait to continue supporting and celebrating everyone’s journeys.”
