People turn into entrepreneurs at different points in their life and for different reasons.
Some get the drive early.
The second annual Buffalo Inno 5 Under 25 feature finds a new crop of young adults working vigorously on their startup companies.
They will join a broader community of Western New York entrepreneurs that has gained an increasing sense of purpose over the past decades, as a way to express professional ambitions and turn dreams into life-changing wealth.
Flock to corporate safety? These five could certainly do that.
They’d rather build something with their own hands.
Mirka Arevalo, 24
BOSQ Pumps • https://www.bosqpumps.com
The story of BOSQ Pumps starts in an undergraduate University at Buffalo mechanical engineering course, where a team of women were grouped together for a design project.
They chose to redesign the breast pump – those uncomfortable-yet-ubiquitous tools of young motherhood.
Most of the projects disbanded after the class was over. The BOSQ team decided to stay with it.
“At that point, I was like, ‘I want to pursue this,' ” co-founder Mirka Arevalo said. “This is how we bridge this gap and make the world a better place.”
Arevalo grew up in Manhattan as a first-generation Latina-Ecuadorian. She joined UB at 17, majoring in aerospace and mechanical engineering with a minor in management. She is now pursuing a master’s degree in engineering management, takes part in the Western New York Prosperity Fellowship and works at UB’s Blackstone Launchpad entrepreneurship program.
Along with co-founder Marv Ibrahim and other BOSQ team members, Arevalo has also made big progress on the company. BOSQ was a finalist in this year’s Panasci competition at UB, and development continues on a working prototype that can be tested in the real world. BOSQ worked with the UB Law Clinic in obtaining a provisional patent on its pump design.
Arevalo said the team is considering a customizable cup for existing pumps as a market entry point. The plan is to apply to Panasci again next year with a sharpened business plan and product. She may also pursue an MBA, preparing for the day she can pursue BOSQ full-time.
“For me, this is about the purpose,” she said. “I could go to a corporation and do what I do, but after we get established, I think I can make more of a difference here.”
