Carnegie Mellon University Startup Week is an annual event that draws thousands of participants from the startup, research, and investment communities, all eager to exchange ideas and forge valuable connections. The event, held across CMU’s campus, is more than just a learning opportunity; it offers attendees an unparalleled chance to network and build relationships that can drive their ventures forward.
Two entrepreneurs, each with ties to CMU, shared how their businesses have benefited from their experiences at the event.
Wood Wide AI
Pradeep Ravikumar, a professor and leader of the Neuro-Symbolic AI Group at CMU’s Machine Learning Department, emphasized the importance of face-to-face interactions at CMU Startup Week. Ravikumar, who founded Wood Wide AI, highlighted the psychological boost he received from engaging with other innovators and investors. “The energy from other builders and the knowledge of investors is psychologically so important. It was just a great vibe,” he stated.
Wood Wide AI tackles a longstanding challenge in the machine learning field: identifying critical information in data before the right questions are even posed. Unlike traditional dashboards that focus on pre-set metrics, Wood Wide AI’s platform uncovers unexpected patterns, such as a retail company identifying sales issues linked to delayed deliveries from a specific distribution center.
During the 2025 Startup Week, Wood Wide AI was in its nascent stages, focusing on customer discovery and product development. Ravikumar found reassurance in discovering shared challenges with other entrepreneurs. Since then, the company has evolved from initial discovery to creating structured data intelligence platforms, growing from one to eight staff in a dedicated workspace.
Ravikumar described the value of direct conversations with mentors and experienced entrepreneurs, noting the insight gained beyond what internet research could provide. “We learned about problems we wouldn’t have discovered on our own, which helped us focus our development on what people actually needed,” he said.
Shelfmark
Pat O’Donnell, a proud Western Pennsylvanian, leads Shelfmark, a company rooted in Carnegie Mellon’s ecosystem. “I would say to anyone coming to CMU Startup Week, bring your friends, check out the city — we are a tight-knit community who lift each other up,” he remarked. O’Donnell, a CMU Tepper School of Business alumnus, emphasized the value of staying in Pittsburgh, citing the vibrant startup community.
At the Startup Week, he found inspiration in the dynamic ideas and enthusiasm of fellow entrepreneurs. “It was so great to meet new founders at their early stages and how they were approaching building their companies. Their ideas and enthusiasm rubbed off on me,” he shared.
Shelfmark, a seed-stage startup, benefits from CMU’s resources and connections, with co-founder Craig Markovitz serving as a CMU professor. The company, which has doubled in team size and revenue since last year’s event, employs AI-driven visual inspection technology to address manufacturing challenges, improving efficiency and creating opportunities for employees.
O’Donnell sees AI as a catalyst for job creation in manufacturing, noting that some clients have a 40% rate of open roles due to new opportunities AI has enabled. “We went out into the real world and asked people in industry what they needed,” he said, emphasizing CMU’s role in fostering problem-solving skills relevant to entrepreneurship.
Both O’Donnell and Ravikumar highlight the communal atmosphere of Pittsburgh and CMU’s Startup Week as valuable for entrepreneurs seeking support and motivation in their journeys.
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