Happy March! What kind of music do leprechauns listen to in March? Sham-rock!
March is Women’s History Month so this edition is dedicated to all the amazing women in our entrepreneurial community!
What is SSC Venture Studio?
The SSC Venture Studio is the student arm of SSC Venture Partners, an alumni-run venture fund dedicated to supporting Boston College entrepreneurs. The Studio’s main objective is to source, develop, and work closely with passionate BC student founders from ideation to seed capital. If you have any questions or are interested in working with us, please reach out at studio@sscventurepartners.com
Featured Startups
🚌 Student Startup: Ophelia
Ophelia is a dating app that matches people based on their top three date location preferences and times to curate and guarantee the perfect first date. Ophelia uses AI-powered algorithms to not only pair users based on their results from the Ophelia Dating Quiz (which is taken while setting up your dating profile), but also suggest and reserve the date at the particular venue. Ophelia introduces a new approach to traditional dating apps, integrating features such as scrolling rather than swiping, a video interface for profiles (similar to that of Reels or TikTok) instead of solely relying on pictures, and the ability to post a picture from the date to celebrate your new memory and connect with the other Ophelia users. Scared and don’t know what to say? Ophelia offers fun, online conversation games or even exclusive date experiences for its VIP members. Limited profile ratings are also a new way Ophelia ensures its users are supporting and fostering a sense of community with one another, especially in the case that a user needs to be flagged or if there’s any feedback for how Ophelia can improve. Ophelia was founded by Bo Brainerd, who encourages and inspires others to stop resisting and start existing, ultimately embracing the spontaneity and silliness that comes with going on dates or experiencing a new relationship. “Ophelia revolutionizes and revitalizes dating culture; we mobilize connections from online to in-person. We are the future, and the future is fun.”
Co-Founder: 🦅 Bo Brainerd MCAS + CSOM ‘25
Featured Student + Alumni
🚌 Student: Meghan Boyer
Meghan is current graduate student pursuing a Masters in Social Work and her MBA and has an undergrad degree from BC in Political Science and Applied Psychology and Human Development. Meghan works at the Connors Family Learning Center as an executive functioning coach, primarily working with individuals with ADHD and learning disabilities. She is passionate about promoting connection and building communities which she is pursuing through an entrepreneurial effort, Friendate, within the Start@Shea Accelerator. Friendate is a social media app helping individuals maintain and deepen the quality of their friendship relationships. In her free time, Meghan coaches basketball and soccer for adults with disabilities with Athletes Unlimited and goes on Friendates!
🦅 Meghan Boyer Masters of Social Work + MBA ‘24
🎓 Alumni: Hailey Wilcox
Hailey is a Venture Capital investor at Battery Ventures. At BC, she was Co-President of BC Blockchain Club, an Executive Board Member of Start@Shea, Captain of the Varsity Women's Tennis and gained operator experience co-founding DeFi-Able which brings security and peace of mind to investors through proprietary NFT portfolio valuation and a blockchain security tool for smart contract translation. Hailey holds a Boston College degree, double concentrating in Finance and Entrepreneurship within the Carroll School of Management.
She hopes to be a conversation partner for anyone who is looking to build startups, break into VC, or tech in general.
🦅 Hailey Wilcox CSOM ‘23
🌟 Check Out These Amazing Women Groups!
Women's Innovation Network
About us: WIN aims to foster and grow the number of women passionate about technology, business, innovation, and entrepreneurship by providing a supportive network of men and women at BC and beyond. We encourage women to be innovative, engaged and fulfilled leaders through skill workshops, mentorship, community-building, and career development.
WIN’s Upcoming March Programming:
Sign-ups for these events will be live in the coming weeks, with those subscribed to our newsletter getting first access! You can sign up for WIN's weekly newsletter here.
3/18-3/22: WIN Networking Week
Another year of connecting with rockstar WIN alums via one-on-one, virtual coffee chats! Sign up for slots throughout the week to learn about careers in consulting, product management, security engineering, investment banking, private equity, and much more.
3/18: WINtrek to Hummingbird Books
Join WIN and Hummingbird Books for a special after hours, in-store speaker event with founder Wendy Dodson. Hear about her journey as a female entrepreneur and how her passions have led her business pursuits. The first 20 RSVPs will be provided with transportation and Shake Shack!
3/21: Photoshop Workshop
Explore new ways to express creativity by diving into Adobe Photoshop with Architect Morgan Cook. This software is an excellent way to advance your resume, and find creative opportunities within almost any field.
3/25: HarbourVest General Info Session
Interested in a career in private equity? Join WIN and HarbourVest for a general information session. Learn about HarbourVest’s mission, hear from current employees, and gain insights into upcoming internship and post-graduate roles.
Girls Into VC
Who are we?
Girls Into VC is the first organization dedicated to bringing girls into venture capital. We’re committed to bridging the gender gap by creating a robust pipeline of skilled, passionate young women equipped and ready to revolutionize the industry. Through targeted education, resources, and mentorship, we empower the next generation of women leaders in venture capital.
Why we need Girls Into VC?
Historically, venture capital is a male-dominated field, lacking diversity on the investment team. This not only negatively affects women interested in the field, but also companies and entrepreneurs.
Many women are not taught about venture capital, think joining the field is an unattainable goal, and are discouraged from joining clubs or startups because of their gender. As a result, women are not being invested in because women are not making these decisions.
Learn More and Meet the Founder Listen Here
💼 Job Board
Technical Co-founder @Vitialiti
Head of Operations @Mia Share Inc
Sales & Marketing Intern @Blossoms
Blossoms is an Ed-tech startup that develops reliable, user-friendly AI-driven analytics tools to enable teachers to personalize their teaching to students' individual competencies.
We are currently seeking 1-2 Sales & Marketing interns to join our team. You are a good fit if you are/have:
- Knowledge or working/research experience within Ed-tech sector
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Proficient excel skills
- Fast learner and have proactive mindset
- Able to commit a minimum of 5 hours per week
If you are interested, please email us at zhaova@bc.edu along with your resume
Looking to expand your team? Fill out this form to post on the SSC Job Board
💡 Interesting Opportunities
How To Best Design and Build AI Education Products?: Calling all ed-tech entrepreneurs! Join us for a dynamic in-person event centered around founding and building AI-powered ed-tech startups.
Education in the Age of AI: Policy, Practice, and Pedagogy
Join us for a dynamic in-person event where we will explore the exciting intersection between AI and Education!
Techstars Startup Weekend Boston: Launch your startup on a 3-day immersive event, that connects you to co-founders, mentors, and potential investors
Thanks for Reading!
Thanks for reading Eagle Eye Newsletter!
Have a startup idea and want to connect with someone in SSC Venture Studio? Reach us via studio@sscventurepartners.com
If you have any feedback, suggestions, or tips (startups, people, updates, or roles to profile), please reach me (Celine Schwesinger – Operations + Entrepreneurship @ BC ‘26) via schwesic@bc.edu
not affiliated with Boston College/Shea Center