Graduation Gift Empowers Rising Entrepreneurs

When Georgia Tech alumnus Christopher W. Klaus announced he would personally cover the incorporation costs for graduating Tech students who sought to launch a startup, he wanted the gift to ignite their entrepreneurial spirit and elevate Atlanta's startup culture.

For hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs, including Raghav Balasubramaniam, founder and CEO of Overcast, and Shreyas Mavanoor, co-founder of Cortexa Labs, the gift helped turn ideas into action.

"The incorporation gift genuinely shaped the future of my company," said Balasubramaniam, who graduated in the spring with a master’s in computer science. "It allowed me to formalize Overcast at a time when it was just an idea on paper, and that legitimacy changed our trajectory for the better. The network that comes with this opportunity played an equally important role, giving me the space, mentorship, and push I needed to learn quickly, refine the product, and accelerate the company in a matter of months."