Jaden Walton stays active athletically and while navigating Cincinnati’s entrepreneurial environment. He co-founded Motiv, an app that streamlines communication channels between high school coaches and parents. The startup plans to begin alpha testing soon, and 40 teams are ready to sign on once that’s complete.

When Walton isn’t leveling up his game-changing app, he’s serving as entrepreneur-in-residence at UC’s Center for Entrepreneurship and co-managing Bearcat Ventures, UC’s student-led venture capital firm. As if that wasn’t enough, he also coaches high school pole vaulters in Loveland.

Ben Booker doesn’t just have entrepreneurial chops; he’s got a green thumb, too. This 2024 graduate from UC’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business also earned a minor in urban agriculture to help him pioneer the intersection of startups, equity and sustainability as a co-founder of the Urban Farming Initiative.

This venture, which exists to “support local economies by advancing circular food systems and community health,” is based in the 1819 Innovation Hub. Booker made an impact at UC in other ways as well, from being the sustainability coordinator for the Center for Entrepreneurship to founding Net Impact UC, a nonprofit aimed at driving positive community change.

Jay Kothari may only be 21 years old, but he boasts impressive investment wisdom. It’s served him well as a managing partner at UC’s first student-led venture capital firm, guiding young startups that graduate from the school’s Venture Lab pre-accelerator.

Bearcat Ventures, where Kothari is a managing partner, offers “a dedicated $1 million venture capital initiative, investing in promising startups led by UC alumni as well as standout companies based in Cincinnati.” Kothari doesn’t just invest in new companies but also serves as a venture catalyst for new businesses through UC’s Center for Entrepreneurship.

“The recognition from Cincy Inno Under 25 is a reminder of the unique environment Cincinnati, UC and the U.S. offer for fostering creativity and impact,” Kothari says. “As an international student, I’m especially grateful for these opportunities and look forward to supporting more students in achieving their entrepreneurial goals.”

Sylvie O’Connor didn’t graduate from UC, but she spends plenty of time on campus as the head of customer success at Tembo. The 1819 Innovation Hub-based company’s Postgres developer platform has caught fire, with Tembo quickly becoming one of Cincinnati’s hottest startups.

Beyond her role at Tembo, O’Connor is passionate about building up the Queen City’s startup community. Her love for entrepreneurship, creativity and ecosystem-building makes O’Connor a natural fit at the 1819 Innovation Hub, where Southwest Ohio’s startups develop prototypes at the Ground Floor Makerspace, receive guidance from the Venture Lab and improve internal processes at the Learning Lab.

“It’s an honor to join other young entrepreneurs on the 2024 watch list because it’s a testament to the power of Cincinnati’s robust entrepreneurial community,” O’Connor says. “I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of this ecosystem and am looking forward to 2025 and beyond.”

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