Farm-data collecting drones, custom-built drone manufacturing, a drone racing league—these are just a few of the business ideas that University of Central Florida (UCF) freshman year roommates Derek Saltzman and Mason Mincey have explored in two short years on their entrepreneurship journey.

They’re currently working on SOAR Composites: an advanced composite manufacturer that utilizes carbon and natural fibers to custom build lightweight and sustainable products and equipment for high tech businesses seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. A combined knowledge set that includes rocket science and advanced materials engineering gives these two some room to maneuver. 

They credit UCF LaunchPad with teaching them that successful entrepreneurship truly is a journey, rather than a destination. All these pivots have been based on important, if unexpected, experiences (“failure analysis” in engineering-speak), and questions from a variety of experienced instructors and advisors in their campus and Launchpad. Recognizing these opportunities, and seeing them as such, rather than as failures, is crucial. 

“One of our LaunchPad program mentors helped us really understand that it’s less about features and attributes of a product or service, and more about what value you bring to address your customers’ challenges,” said Derek.

That insight, gained by the two students through participation in the 2018 LaunchPad Propel (then “Training Camp”) program, prompted them to reflect on how their unique knowledge, experience, and perspective could solve a more significant market problem.

Reflecting on customer needs wasn’t the only benefit of Training Camp either. One of the most valuable experiences according to Mason was, “seeing other students and their companies doing big impactful things and managing the struggles of building a company. It’s reassuring to see them succeed and thinking ‘Wow! If they’re doing it, we can too!’”

Wisely, Derek and Mason have utilized the full spectrum of campus, LaunchPad, and national opportunities and resources, including:

• UCF course-work, projects, and school-based programs like the Joust New Venture Competition, a spring semester event where student teams compete for $75,000 in cash and prizes, and the UpStarts Accelerator program, which provides office space, equipment, coaching, and access to StarterSpace, which includes amenities such as 3D printing, CAD, and graphic design programs.
• LaunchPad campus advising and global events like last year’s Propel (previously Training Camp) in NYC, where Derek and Mason got the opportunity to discuss their ideas, identify issues, and think bigger picture with top Blackstone executives and Techstars entrepreneurs. They also built connections with—and were inspired by—other student entrepreneurs from across the country and the world.
• External funding opportunities like the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Program, which, at a local level, encourages student entrepreneurs to “get out of the lab” and provides $3,000 for some intense customer discovery. Derek and Mason are currently applying to be part of the National NSF I-Corp program, which would grant them another $50,000 in funding.

As impressive as their learning, strategic refocus, and commitment to entrepreneurship is, even more inspiring is how they are already making it a priority to ‘pass it on’. As Juniors, Derek and Mason are serving as student coaches in UCF’s LaunchPad to fellow students in the early ideation phase. 

“The experience Mason and Derek have gained through SOAR Composites has been influential in their quality of coaching,” said UCF LaunchPad Director Rachel Stern. “They talk a lot about how the resources offered by Blackstone LaunchPad strengthened their company and team, and they pay it forward for UCF students and alumni going through the same ups and downs with their own startup journeys.”