Discovering the Power of Networking
Three MEM students went from talking about their startup idea at MEM Industry Night to sharing it with students at a nearby university the next day.
Amid the bustling crowd at Northwestern University’s Master of Engineering Management (MEM) Industry Night, three students stood proudly by their poster, unaware that a brief conversation was about to turn them into guest speakers at a nearby university.
Vanshika Todi (MEM ‘25), Akash Vaish (MEM ‘25), and Bharath Yedla (MEM ‘25) were presenting their brainchild, InWize, when Plamen Petrov (MEM ‘07) approached to ask about their project.
The students introduced him to their work, an app designed to use AI to revolutionize operations for small and medium-sized merchants in India’s less populous cities. The goal is to bridge the gap between manual, tiresome business processes and AI-driven automation by enabling merchants to manage inventory, billing, and staff effortlessly using voice, image, and text inputs in their regional language.
The idea for InWize developed during the students' time in the MEM product management course taught by Birju Shah, and it led to a number of interviews with business owners in India.
The students’ passion in pitching their product resonated with Petrov, who teaches Natural Language Processing at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Impressed by their presentation, he extended an unexpected invitation to speak to his graduate computer science students the very next day.
For Todi, this opportunity highlighted the power of telling people what you are working on.
“We are usually very reserved as international students,” she said. “However, on Industry Night, we got the golden chance to present something we had worked hard for, creating a platform to bring ideas and people to the forefront.”
The following day, the trio found themselves addressing a room full of AI and machine learning specialists at UIC. The MEM students delivered an elevator pitch outlining their product and its potential. Their mission was to invite engineers to join them in transforming their idea into a fully realized product.
The experience proved invaluable for the budding entrepreneurs.
“Engaging with a diverse group of engineering students allowed us to see our product from fresh perspectives,” Yedla said. “It emphasized the value of clear and compelling storytelling in sparking interest and enthusiasm among potential collaborators.”
For Vaish, being on the other side of a guest lecture was transformative.
“It was energizing, fulfilling, and a moment I’d love to experience again,” he said. “AI isn't just about technology. It's about real-world impact. Seeing others get excited about that was incredible.”
The team's short-term goal is to complete their Minimum Viable Product (MVP) by spring’s end and test it with initial users over the summer. Long term, they envision InWize as the future operational standard for small businesses in India.
Reflecting on the experience, the students emphasized the importance of networking and interdisciplinary collaboration.
“Industry Night was a game-changer for InWize,” Vaish said. “It gave us a platform to present our idea to professors, industry professionals, and potential collaborators, which was incredibly valuable.”
The students are now working at The Garage, Northwestern University's entrepreneurship incubator, to turn InWize into a full-fledged product. As they continue to refine their product and expand their network, Todi, Vaish, and Yedla are proof of networking’s power and the impact of bringing classroom learning to life.
Their experience should inspire aspiring entrepreneurs, they said, and is a testament to the opportunities that can arise from a simple conversation.
“Surreal experiences can happen overnight,” Todi said. “Networking can do wonders if you’re just willing to have a chat, keep an open mind, and follow up.”
