SJSU Celebrates Student Innovations, Several AI-Based, at 21st Annual Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge

The CollegeBot team won 1st Place Best Overall Innovation at the 2024 Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge, held in the SJSU Student Union Ballroom on December 3rd.  Photo by Adriana Avila.

San José State University, ranked #3 for Most Innovative School in the Western Region by U.S. News and World Report, continues to live up to its reputation. Thirty-six teams showcased their unique innovations in this year’s Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge (SVIC), organized by the Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship (SVCE) at SJSU. Students from the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering, the College of Health and Human Sciences, the College of Science and the College of Social Sciences participated in this year’s SVIC. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) was a popular component among the participants this year. Out of the five winning teams, three featured AI-based innovations. 

The AI-powered platform CollegeBot.AI, designed to address the resource disparity between public and private colleges by providing 24/7 academic advising and AI teaching assistance, won first place. The multidisciplinary team behind CollegeBot, consisting of Kai Zhao, ’26 Mathematics; Nicolaus Hilleary, ‘25 Entrepreneurship; Gabriel Castaneda, ‘26 Operations and Supply Chain Management; Lamia (Zilin) Ye, ‘25 Hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management; and Glerys Gonzalez, ‘26 Accounting, expressed their excitement about the win while noting that their innovation has been recognized previously by Silicon Valley leaders.

Earlier this year, their hard work and creativity caught the attention of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, with SJSU students Victor Edochie and Kai Zhao, alongside Vanessa Wang from Harvard, at a Harvard Innovation Labs event. Photo courtesy of CollegeBot.

“Recently our startup has gained significant momentum, attracting over $500,000 in funding from venture capitalists and angel investors, and over 20,000 student users,” says Hilleary. 

The group, formed through the IDEAS Club and a Venture Lab class, participated in the SVIC program to raise awareness of the common challenges students face, such as advising delays or difficulties locating campus information and resources. 

Ye shared that CollegeBot aims to enhance the academic community by managing routine inquiries, allowing professors to inspire, advisors to mentor and students to innovate. “It’s not taking away from human connection, but adding to it, allowing deeper and more meaningful interactions that spark creativity and drive personal growth,” says Ye.

“We’ve had incredible networking opportunities that have transformed our startup,” says Gonzalez. The team gained insights from fellow entrepreneurs, inspiring founders and industry experts by connecting with companies in and outside of edtech and leveraging resources like the IDEAS Club and events hosted by the SVCE and SpartUp.

The team also expressed gratitude towards the student club LCoB Interorganizational Leadership Advancement Committee (LILAC) for linking them with inspiring leaders through workshops such as the Ignite & Inspire Speaker Series, which addressed topics like impostor syndrome and personal branding. “These experiences have helped us improve our strategies, refine our business model and strengthen our team,’ said Gonzalez.

Looking ahead, the CollegeBot team has ambitious goals. Their long-term goal for CollegeBot is to secure a contract with SJSU and expand to other campuses nationwide. “We aim to transform the college experience by ensuring every student has access to the support and resources they need to succeed,” says the team.

Their advice for aspiring student entrepreneurs? Take action. 

“If you’re dreaming of success, remember this: success isn’t about waiting for the perfect moment. It’s about taking action now and improving every day,” says Gonzalez. “Obstacles will come, but it’s how you push through that counts. Being an entrepreneur means keeping going — even on the days you don’t feel like it.” 

Zhao also added, “When you have a dream, pursue it firmly, and everything is possible! I hope CollegeBot will benefit more college students, allowing everyone to enjoy the educational perks of AI.”

Additional Winners 

CollegeBot wasn’t the only standout at this year’s SVIC. MockerView, an AI-driven platform designed to simulate job interviews, secured second place. This innovative tool allows job seekers to practice their interviewing skills in a realistic setting, tailored to their specific dream roles.

Third place went to Medicool, a revolutionary approach to transporting temperature-sensitive biological samples. This battery-powered smart shipping container, developed by a team of SJSU master’s of biotechnology students, offers a reliable and efficient solution for the safe delivery of critical medical materials.

Neha Washikar delivered an impressive elevator pitch for Task Buddy, earning the title of Best Elevator Pitch at the 2024 SVIC. Photo by Jim Hsia

Awards were also presented for Best Elevator Pitch and People’s Choice. The “Best Elevator Pitch” award was presented to Task Buddy, a subscription-based AI-powered mobile app that connects college students needing errands run with peers looking to earn extra money. Meanwhile the “People’s Choice” award went to Rep & Refuel, a food service offering high-protein meals designed to support fitness enthusiasts in their bulking and cutting cycles, which are strategic phases in bodybuilding focused on increasing muscle mass and reducing fat to enhance body composition and performance.

“This year’s SVIC finalists raised the bar in terms of quality and it was exciting to see that many of their innovations were leveraging AI,” says Professor Anuradha Basu, director of both the SVIC and the Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship.

In addition to the SVIC program, the recently-signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between SJSU and the City of San José with NVIDIA to collaborate on AI-focused innovation initiatives further highlights how SJSU fosters opportunities for students to showcase their business ideas.

“There is a common misconception that you have to be a genius or have a million-dollar idea to start a business,” says Hilleary. 

“The truth is, you just have to care about solving a problem that impacts others, and find a group of hard-working individuals that are passionate to solve it. That’s what the CollegeBot team is doing and I hope other students can be inspired to solve the problems they are passionate about, too.” 

Learn more about SVIC.