Spring 2026 newsletter
ENTR News
From Problem to Product
This issue features Purdue entrepreneurship students and alumni who identified a problem and are building solutions to address them.
Andrew Binder is researching momentum-exchange tethers to make space travel more viable. Leonor Sinogas is building Alice N Bob, a cybersecurity learning platform tailored to how people actually learn. Hassan Burbich is developing KOVA, a ridesharing app aimed at getting students out of isolation and into new experiences. And the team behind Saprofy is converting food waste into renewable energy, linking Purdue with the West Lafayette community in the process.
The Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, open to students from any major, is built around empowering students to transform innovative ideas into real-world impact – whether that means launching a venture, creating value within an organization, or addressing a broader societal problem. An entrepreneurial mindset doesn’t just generate ideas; it changes what you notice. These students saw gaps others might not, and turned them into something worth building.
FEATURED STORY
Your World Just Got Bigger: Building Belonging at Purdue Through KOVA
When Hassan Burbich arrived at Purdue University from Rabat, Morocco, he had never visited the United States before. He landed on campus at 11 p.m. with three suitcases, visa complications, and what he describes as “broken English.” He missed his first day of classes while navigating move-in logistics and adjusting to an entirely new culture on his own. What stood out most during those overwhelming first hours, however, was not the difficulty he encountered but the kindness he received from a stranger who insisted on helping him carry his luggage, get checked in, and settle into his room. Three years later, Hassan ran into that same student at the gym, a full-circle moment that reinforced what Purdue had come to mean to him: openness, generosity, and belonging.
