When Anna Stork ’11GSAPP and Andrea Sreshta ’11GSAPP appeared on the ABC reality competition series Shark Tank in February to present their solar-powered light LuminAid, they accomplished a rare feat: they received investment offers from all five of the show’s “sharks,” including Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Corcoran Group cofounder Barbara Corcoran. Moved by the devastating effects of the Haiti earthquake in 2010, Stork and Sreshta created prototypes of the portable, waterproof lantern during their time at Columbia.
The GreenShields Project, a startup founded by SEAS sophomore Jonny Cohen, has been named a finalist for the MIT Clean Energy Prize, which comes with a $275,000 award. GreenShields are aerodynamic devices that affix to the tops of school buses to help improve fuel efficiency; pilot systems are already being tested in select school districts. Cohen was named to the 2012 and 2013 Forbes “30 Under 30” lists.
