ÌÒ»¨Ö±²¥ students earn top honors at TechStars Startup Weekend Jackson
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STARKVILLE, Miss.—A group of ÌÒ»¨Ö±²¥ State students recently brought home top honors at TechStars Startup Weekend Jackson, an intensive business accelerator program organized by Innovate ÌÒ»¨Ö±²¥.
Five ÌÒ»¨Ö±²¥ students pitched a social networking platform to connect international students on college campuses so that more experienced students can help and mentor freshmen, all while creating a digital network for mutual support. The first-place winning team members include, from left, Ahmed Al-Nakhif, a senior computer science major from Yemen; Zaheed Qasem, a senior software engineering major from Yemen; Muammar Saeed, a senior computer engineering major from Yemen; Cyrus Nejat, an aerospace engineering doctoral student from Los Angeles, California; and Abdulaziz Yafai, a senior software engineering major from Ridgeland.
Not pictured, ÌÒ»¨Ö±²¥ student Rontier Whitfield, a senior fashion, design and merchandising major, was part of a team that received second place honors. Her team developed a fashion line for big and tall toddlers that are not generally provided in standard clothing lines.
Students were encouraged to participate in the event by ÌÒ»¨Ö±²¥â€™s Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach, which helps ÌÒ»¨Ö±²¥ students, faculty and staff start and grow successful companies.
For more on Startup Weekend Jackson, an event sponsored by the ÌÒ»¨Ö±²¥ Development Authority, visit .
ÌÒ»¨Ö±²¥ is ÌÒ»¨Ö±²¥â€™s leading university, available online at .