The Duke in Silicon Valley 2018 students come from diverse backgrounds, majors, and entrepreneurial interests – an outstanding subset of our Duke undergraduate population! Read below to learn more about this year’s cohort spending the summer in California.

Flurina Boslough

Boslough

Flurina Boslough is a rising junior at Duke University pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering and a certificate in innovation and entrepreneurship. She was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, where she developed a strong passion for outdoor endeavors. Flurina loves spending time with family, enjoying the Alaskan wilderness, and especially running. Flurina intends to apply her mechanical engineering degree to the development of reliable outdoor equipment in the future. She aspires to launch an outdoor gear startup based out of her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. Flurina is looking forward to learning about launching a startup in the entrepreneurial Silicon Valley area.

Saloni Bulchandani 

Bulchandani

Saloni is a rising sophomore at Duke University pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Mathematics. She grew up in Singapore and currently lives in England. Saloni is excited to visit Silicon Valley for the first time! She is interested in exploring the startup culture that the area is famous for and looks forward to learning more about the different career paths in tech. At Duke, Saloni is a member of the Duke Figure Skating Club and hopes to participate in her next competition next year. She also enjoys reading, watching TV, trying new food, and doing yoga.

Cristina Dalton

Dalton

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Cristina is a rising sophomore pursuing a double major in Psychology and Spanish and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate. At Duke, Cristina is the Marketing Director and member of the Nutrition Education Committee on the Happy Kids Healthy Kids executive board, a nation-wide organization committed to educating children about healthy eating, destigmatizing the notion of a perfect body and eliminating food insecurity in local communities. She also is on the marketing committee for Duke’s Chapter of Spoon University and is a committed member of the Women’s Club Lacrosse team. Cristina is passionate about mental health, nutrition and service. She believes Duke in Silicon Valley is the perfect avenue to discover how she can intertwine her passions and apply them to the field of entrepreneurship. In her spare time, Cristina loves to cook, run, listen to music and travel.

Camaren Dayton

CamarenDayton.jpg

Camaren is a rising sophomore pursuing a Mechanical Engineering major, Visual Arts minor, and certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.  Growing up in New Canaan, CT, Camaren enjoys traveling with her family, spending time with her friends and dog, running, sailing, and baking.  At Duke, she plays club field hockey and is the Marketing and Outreach Director for FEMMES, a club volunteering with local elementary school girls to engage in STEM activities.  Camaren is also excited to be a Visual Arts Studio Manager at the Arts Annex next semester.  She is interested in math, problem solving, teamwork, and visual design and is excited to have recently joined the I&E program as a golden (gate) bridge connecting her academic passions.  Camaren is looking forward to learning inventive strategies and hearing intriguing stories from America’s innovation capital.  She is inspired by both the large and small companies in Silicon Valley and hopes to better understand the process of turning a creative idea into a success.

Michael Hong

Hong

Michael is a rising sophomore majoring in Economics with a concentration in Finance and pursuing minors in Computer Science and Psychology. At Duke, he is an active member of the Delta Sigma Pi business society and Duke Red Cross. As someone who was born in China and raised in the eastern United States, Michael is extremely excited to visit the Bay area and experience the innovative atmosphere Silicon Valley has to offer. Michael is deeply interested in entrepreneurship and learning from former entrepreneurs who have successfully started their own companies. He aspires to have his own startup one day focusing on artificial intelligence and related technology. In his down time, Michael loves to play basketball, movie hop, watch the Office, and have as many amazing food experiences through local restaurants as possible.

Bryant Huang

Huang

Bryant is a rising sophomore at Duke University pursuing a major in Economics, Computer Science, and a certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship.  He is interested in finance, technology, and entrepreneurship, searching for a career that can combine all these interests into a lifelong passion.  Bryant is very excited for the summer with DSV and is looking forward to spending time in such an entrepreneurial and professional environment.  In his free time, he loves to play basketball, piano, and spend time laughing with friends.  Raised in San Diego, Bryant also loves going to the beach, exploring nature, and trying new foods.

Mark Kang

Kang

Mark Kang is a rising sophomore at Duke University studying Economics and Computer Science. Kang grew up in San Diego, California and have always wanted to live and work on the west coast. During his first year, Kang was involved in the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi taking on the role as a pledge educator next year. He chose to participate in the Duke in Silicon Valley program in order to learn more about the technology industry. He has always been interested in the businesses in Silicon Valley but is excited to meet real professionals working there and learn the details of the industry. Kang is looking for a career in Product Management and hopes to eventually start his own tech company.

Daniel Landa

Daniel Landa

Daniel is a rising sophomore at Duke University pursuing a major in Economics and a certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, he has grown up avid participant and fan of a variety of sports, while also serving as a guitarist in various alternative rock bands. Since the age of 15, Daniel has spent his summers exposing himself to a variety of fields ranging from real estate to sports marketing at Rice University. Daniel joined DSV to observe and learn the inner operations of both start-ups and established companies with the goal of understanding what skills foster success in entrepreneurship. Outside of the classroom, Daniel writes for The Chronicle sports section in addition to playing on the club baseball team.

Hugh Love

Love

 

Hugh is a rising sophomore pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering, a minor in Finance, and a certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship. After being accepted into the certificate program, Hugh wanted to do all he good with entrepreneurship at Duke. After stumbling upon Duke in Silicon Valley the summer before his freshman year, Hugh knew he wanted to embark on this journey for many reasons. He wants to soak in all the Bay Area has to offer, talk with Duke alumni to help him find his career path, and get a feel for the companies the group will be visiting! On campus, Hugh is involved in DivvyUp, a student-run startup that offers no-fee grocery delivery to students, and he continues to run his technology tutoring company remotely!

Jonah Lowey

Lowey

Jonah is a rising sophomore at Duke University. He is pursuing a major in Economics, a minor in Computer Science, and a certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Jonah is from New York City, and his interests include sports, animals, and traveling. At Duke, Jonah is a shareholder in Duke’s biggest student-run company, Campus Enterprises, where he serves as the co-director of the restaurants division. Jonah is also an active member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. Jonah is looking forward to being surrounded by the innovative energy and passion that the Bay Area brings, as well as learning the skills and strategies necessary to start and manage a new business.

Angel Mcharo

Mcharo

Angel is a rising sophomore at Duke University planning to major in Computer Science and Public Policy. Angel grew up in Tanzania, Africa, on a city along the Indian ocean. At Duke, Angel is a member of Duke International Relations where she served as director of the Crisis committee. She’s also a member of Duke Club Martial arts-Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Angel also volunteers in the Christian community whenever needed. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, reading and drawing. She looks forward to spending the summer in Silicon Valley, learn what it takes to thrive in tech-entrepreneurship and help struggling communities in Tanzania through social entrepreneurship.

Audrey McManemin

McManemin

Audrey is a rising sophomore at Duke University who is majoring in Mechanical Engineering and pursuing a minor in Economics. She was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and attended a boarding school in Massachusetts. At Duke, Audrey is a TA for a freshman engineering class, involved with FEMMES and tutors local Durham students. Audrey is interested in technology startups and product design processes, and hopes her experience in Silicon Valley will provide a basis to further explore these topics. In her free time Audrey enjoys running, reading, and eating at new restaurants.

Jordan Mittleman

Mittleman

Jordan is a rising sophomore at Duke University. He plans to major in Computer Science and obtain the Innovation and Entrepreneurship certificate. He was recruited by and is currently a part of the Duke Men’s Fencing Team. As someone who has always lived in New Jersey, Jordan is very excited to see the firsthand entrepreneurial culture in Silicon Valley. Jordan’s first entrepreneurial endeavor involved a sneaker reselling business in high school that took off, and he hopes to learn more over the summer. Because he has interned at Digital Asset, a blockchain technology startup company, he is looking forward to seeing how other companies compare out in California.

Jake Morris

Morris

Jake is a rising Junior from Richmond, Virginia pursuing a Computer Science major, Finance minor, and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate.  Jake enjoys spending time with friends, playing sports, and exercising. After working on a mobile app startup his freshmen year, Jake developed an interest in entrepreneurship, and hopes to start his own venture. He is excited to expand his knowledge of businesses and entrepreneurship in the DSV program, in addition to exploring the Bay area.

Ehime Ohue  

Ohue

Ehime Ohue is a native of Santee, South Carolina,but has recently moved to Waldorf, MD. She is a rising junior majoring in Public Policy Studies with an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate.At Duke, She is a DuWELL intern, research assistant and a member of Nakisai African Dance Team, United in Praise Praise Dance Team, Movement of Youth, Every Nation Campus Ministry . She loves to learn new things, sleep, read, and catch up on her latest Netflix show addictions. She is participating in DSV to learn about developing her own venture and to gain exposure to different types of businesses to help her gain clarity on her career choices.

Jay Pande

Pande

Jay is a rising junior from Chapel Hill, NC majoring in Computer Science. At Duke, he has served as President of Duke Disability Alliance, a group which works to foster conversations about disability issues and increase access and inclusion on campus. He has also served as a crew leader for the Project BUILD pre-orientation program. In 2016, Jay was selected as a U.S. Presidential Scholar. His interests include composing music, speaking French, and watching comedy. Through DSV, Jay hopes to get to know the tech industry in Silicon Valley and gain entrepreneurial skills necessary to pursue his dream of contributing to the next generation of universally-designed adaptive technologies.

Connor Passe

Passe

Connor Passe is a rising sophomore from Wabasha, Minnesota. He is pursuing a major in Mechanical Engineering and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate. In his free time Connor enjoys playing and attending basketball games. At Duke, Connor is a member of Duke Enable, a group which utilizes 3D printing technologies to build prosthetics for people around the world. During his time in this program Connor hopes to gain an understanding of how successful companies are started and run. After Duke in Silicon Valley Connor will be working in the Twin Cities for First Light Asset Management.

Christopher Roy

Roy

Chris is a rising sophomore at Duke University pursuing a major in Economics, minor in Computer Science, and certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Chris is an outdoorsman, enjoys the beach, watching sports, reading books, and working out. He spent last summer working at a real estate firm. He also spend his four years in high school building homes. He is interested in entrepreneurship because it gives him to exercise his creativity and build things that have a tangible impact on people’s lives.

Elle Smyth

Smyth

Elle is a rising Junior from Stamford, CT majoring in Mechanical Engineering and pursuing a certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. At Duke, she is an admissions tour guide, an engineering teaching assistant, and is a member of Dukes and Duchesses and the Club Volleyball team. She is also a part of Duke Engineers for International Development (DEID) and spent 8 weeks last summer constructing a medical clinic in Uganda. She is very interested in the connection between engineering and business and is excited to fully experience the entrepreneurial culture of Silicon Valley. She is especially excited to visit the numerous technology companies and gain insight into what career she will want to pursue. This fall, Elle will be studying abroad in Sydney, Australia.

Justin Spar

Spar

Justin, from Old Westbury, New York, is a rising sophomore at Duke University pursuing a major in Computer Science, a minor in Economics, and a certificate in Decision Sciences.  He developed interests in physics and computer programming in high school and was involved with his school’s science research program and robotics team.  Having never before been to Silicon Valley, Justin is excited to observe the technology industry’s unique integration of the puzzle-like disciplines he has studied in the past and the creative nature of entrepreneurship.  He hopes the program will provide him with important entrepreneurial exposure and demonstrate what is needed to launch, expand, and sustain an enterprise.  His interests include sports, food, politics, and television; he is currently watching Westworld, Narcos, House of Cards, Homeland, and HBO’s Silicon Valley.  Following the program, Justin will be interning for the IT division of Pharmapacks, a New York-based e-commerce firm specializing in pharmaceuticals.

Pansy Tseng

Tseng

Pansy Tseng is a rising junior from Southern California, and she is studying Economics, Finance, and Visual & Media Studies at Duke. With a strong interest in expanding her global perspective, Pansy will have participated in Duke in Geneva, Duke in New York: Financial Markets & Institutions, Duke in Silicon Valley, and Duke in Los Angeles during her undergraduate career. Her YouTube channel documents her study abroad experiences as well as her dance choreography and involvement in Duke Business-Oriented Women, NYC Web Design Conference, and LA Art Exhibition. During Duke in Silicon Valley, Pansy hopes to explore the intersection of media technology and finance, particularly through the lens of venture capitalism.

Renee Weisz

Weisz

Renée is a rising sophomore from Westport, Connecticut pursuing a major in Linguistics and a certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She first became interested in I&E at a Wharton summer program where she collaborated with her team to develop a business plan presented to local venture capitalists. At Duke, she’s extended this entrepreneurial spirit to her role as a partner of Bull City Beds, a student-run mattress rental company. She’s also the Features editor for the Standard as well as a member of Business Oriented Women, Delta Sigma Pi (Duke’s professional business fraternity), and Alpha Phi. In her free time, Renée enjoys running, hiking, updating her playlists on Spotify, and watching Shameless. Growing up on the East Coast, Renée is excited to explore Northern California while gaining insight into the operations of innovative enterprises and inspiration for her own ideas.

Jack Wood

Wood

Jack Wood is a rising sophomore at Duke University. He is majoring in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science and hopes to pursue a certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship. He is from New Canaan, Connecticut and attended Deerfield Academy. Having always had an interest and passion for technology and entrepreneurship, Jack is excited to finally have the opportunity to immerse himself in Silicon Valley culture; he hopes to gain proximity to some of the amazing technologies being built, and learn about effective leadership styles.

Liya Wu 

Wu

Liya Wu is a rising sophomore at Duke University from New York City. She is majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Visual Arts and a certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Her passion for technology began when she participated in the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program. She enjoys web development as well as creating and designing mobile apps. At Duke, she is a member of the arts and lifestyle magazine, FORM. She is looking forward to Duke In Silicon Valley, especially visiting and learning from various technology companies. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, cooking, and traveling.

Sophia Zambri

Zambri

Sophia Zambri is studying Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, and is also pursuing a certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She is currently the Marketing Director for Campus Enterprises, a student-run business organization, and affiliated with the Society of Women in Engineering. Sophia is excited to explore the Bay Area and delve into the innovative technological hub that is Silicon Valley. She looks forward to learning from start-up professionals and successful entrepreneurs while enjoying California with her peers.