Sophomore Founder: From Lisbon Roots to Cybersecurity Lessons
Leonor Sinogas, a sophomore at Purdue Indianapolis from Lisbon, Portugal, is combining her passion for technology with an entrepreneurial mindset to build a new kind of cybersecurity learning platform. Majoring in Artificial Intelligence with a minor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, she founded a Formula One club called Boiler Grand Prix, and is developing a personalized cybersecurity education app called Alice N Bob.
The name Alice N Bob is a nod to a long tradition in cryptography: Alice and Bob are fictional characters commonly used as placeholders in cryptography and other science and engineering literature. Leonor chose the name to signal the app’s focus on practical, foundational cybersecurity concepts while keeping the brand approachable.
The idea for Alice N Bob grew out of a personal family experience, where a grandparent fell victim to a convincing text scam. That experience crystallized the need for accessible, practical cybersecurity training tailored to learners of all ages and skill levels. Alice N Bob works much like the popular app Duolingo, offering adaptive lessons that avoid repetition by assessing what a user already knows to deliver targeted content. Leonor and her team envision a freemium model, offering a free tier and paid subscriptions, along with company-sponsored training modules for workplace upskilling.
Leonor participated in an accelerator program for college students called Ignition, sponsored by 16 Tech and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, which she heard about through Purdue’s entrepreneurship newsletter. The program offered online workshops on marketing, storytelling, growth and funding, and intellectual property with weekly check-ins and mentoring from program leader Andrew Lehman. An in-person final showcase allowed the collegiate founders to present their projects and build local connections. Six teams from Purdue were in the cohort. For Leonor, the experience was valuable not only for refining Alice N Bob’s market focus and pitch, but also for connecting with mentors and peers across Indiana.
Access to 16 Tech’s makerspace during the program was an unexpected perk. Even though Alice N Bob is a digital product, Leonor appreciated the hands-on learning, using tools like a laser cutter and learning about CNC machines, which broadened her understanding of product development and prototyping opportunities available to her and other founders.
As an entrepreneurship student in Indianapolis, Leonor serves as an ambassador for the entrepreneurship program, visiting classes such as Engineering 10300 and attending new-student events to raise awareness of entrepreneurship education and resources. Her leadership in creating Boiler Grand Prix reflects her strong interest in building community, as it brings motorsports fans together and offers a social outlet outside of academics.
Looking ahead, Leonor plans to continue developing Alice N Bob while completing her coursework, including the entrepreneurship certificate. Her career goal is to work in tech, combining computer science with other fields to create meaningful products, and keep her startup projects alive as side ventures.
