Meet Our Team

Mirka serves as the lead venture coach in Blackstone, in essence, she provides one-on-one mentoring to entrepreneurs in our start-up community. Her undergraduate academic background is in aerospace and mechanical engineering while she currently is pursuing her master's in engineering management. Mirka describes herself as a creative problem solver, so if you have any concerns from pitching, prototyping, marketing, or anything else, she is here to help however she can.

Arnav is an individual whose worn many hats from his professional experiences, to his educational explorations. As a venture coach he comes from an engineering heavy background and brings his passion to learn all things to help students from a diverse field of interest and operations. His love to help others and passion to bring new technology and ideas in this world is what lead him to pursue an entrepreneurial journey himself as he has co-founded multiple ventures and enjoyed successes in Competitions events through Blackstone. He will be graduating this year and wishes to continue working with startups and help them scale and impact people.

Hi! I'm a first year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) student here at UB. I love helping students with their pitch decks and helping them craft the perfect story. I'm also interested in real estate development, and hope to contribute to my community through a combination of my interests/skills.

Hi, I am a Junior who is currently Director of Recruitment for UBMA, a Freelance DJ, and a Writer for The Spectrum. When I graduate I want to work in music, entertainment, media, politics, activism, humanitarianism, investment, real estate, journalism and start my own business(es).

Hey everyone! My name is Austin Chen, a freshman at UB studying Information Technology and Management. I would say that I'm a team player and a quick learner. I love baking, guitar, and fencing! Please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn, I'd love to chat!

Whats up! I'm DaVon and I help out with marketing at Blackstone, I work on our emails and I post our Friday Vibez on Instagram. When I'm not working, you can find me in the pool or listening to music. One day I hope to open up a Brookie business or a French toast restaurant.

I'm from Long Island, NY, and I am a sophomore majoring in Business Administration (Marketing) and Media Studies. I'm very excited to be working with Blackstone Launchpad again this semester!

My name is James Ko and I’m a junior majoring in business administration with a concentration in MIS. I am looking forward to being a BLASER intern to learn more about startups and entrepreneurships.

Hi, I'm a senior in the School of Management graduating with a degree in marketing and a minor in psychology. I love problem solving and brainstorming new ideas with the Blackstone Launchpad team! My hobbies include going snowboarding, working out and playing soccer!

I’m an enthusiastic, inquisitive, strategic, and goal-oriented individual with good interpersonal skills. I seek to apply my design thinking skills with a touch of creativity for developing products/services that positively contribute to society.

Economics, entrepreneurship, product development, and persuasive communication fascinate me! I aspire to learn, unlearn and relearn with the flexibility of ideas and openness in thoughts. I firmly believe in reforming society. Being a freshman I have achieved little on my part and love to thrive. My zeal to learn and grow keeps me motivated.

I’m a versatile, optimistic, futuristic, and an innovative being with wide-ranging areas of interest. In my free time, I relish traveling — seeking adventures, exploring nature and immersing in diverse cultures!

Seika Dingel is a driven full-time student in the School of Management at the University at Buffalo. She has a diverse work experience ranging from a "Consultant" at UBIT Help Center to "Human Resource and Marketing Manager" at Koala Insulation of Southern Tier, NY to "Receptionist" at Corning Chiropractic Associates. Her passion for new challenges and experiences has helped bring new perspectives as she pursues as major in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. Seika is constantly seeking new opportunities in the business world with her commitments to Delta Sigma Pi and her new internship with Blackstone Launchpad.

Hey, my name is Sergio Sandoval and I'm a sophomore studying Finance hoping to concentrate in Data Analytics my senior year. I am currently the Vice President of the UB Men's Volleyball Club where I communicate with upper management daily and am part of the international professional fraternity Delta Sigma Pi. I am very excited to work as a BLASER intern here at Blackstone Launchpad this semester!

I am a sophomore student at UB, majoring in Fine Arts, with a communication minor. Currently, I am a graphic designer for Blackstone LaunchPad at UB, and I am also involved in the Honors College. I am a College of Arts and Sciences Ambassador and a Honors College Ambassador, as well.

I am an entrepreneur at heart and I specialize in social media marketing, e-commerce, and sales training to generate leads. I use these skills to scale my online fitness business and I specialize as a Online Fitness Coach. I teach other online trainers to build their own brand and business through social media. Fitness and entrepreneurship have always been my passion and it led me to want learn more about the online coaching industry to teach others the blueprint to make their dreams come true.