Shookofeh Beyranvand Selected for RISE Fellowship

Shookofeh Beyranvand was selected for the Fall 2025 cohort of the RISE Fellowship. The RISE Fellowship is a highly competitive entrepreneurship and innovation program at the University at Albany that empowers student-led startups to grow from idea to market. RISE supports eight student startups each semester, helping them connect academic research with real-world business impact. Shookofeh joined a startup as a product and business strategist to strengthen its business foundation. While the team had solid technical and academic capabilities, they needed guidance in business development.

During his time at the startup, Shookofeh has conducted extensive customer discovery interviews, developed a complete business plan, and designed the go-to-market strategy. He coached the team in preparing and delivering a compelling investor pitch that led them to compete for the RISE investment prize valued at several tens of thousands of dollars.