The cross-campus Intelligence++ initiative held its inclusive design showcase on April 29, 2025 in the Bird Library on the Syracuse University campus.
Photo GalleryA collaboration among Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse Libraries, the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (VPA) School of Design, and Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education, Intelligence++ is an interdisciplinary initiative focused on inclusive entrepreneurship, design, and community.
The initiative is open to both undergraduate and graduate students across the University, including students with intellectual disability from InclusiveU, a Taishoff Center program.
Hosted by Brittany Berry, instructor in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (VPA) School of Design, the showcase was joined remotely by Gianfranco Zaccai ’70, H’09, Co-founder and Chief Designer of Continuum Innovation, who founded Intelligence++ through his Zaccai Foundation for Augmented Intelligence.
2025 projects showcased were:
TextPal
- Carter Rice ’25 (VPA)
- Julia Weinreich ’26 (VPA)
A peer mentorship app connecting high school students with college students who share similar disability experiences to provide academic, social, and emotional guidance; build community and reduce isolation; and foster long-term support networks and mentorship.
Mayhem MatchUp
- Matthew Pass ’26 (College of Arts and Sciences)
- Pinyi Wang ’26 (VPA)
- Dan Zarro ’28 (InclusiveU)
An inclusive, intuitive board game aimed at developmentally disabled players and others that has potential both as entertainment and as a tool for recreational therapists.
Sensory ToolKits
- Andrew Baum ’28 (InclusiveU)
- Isaac Munce ’28 (VPA)
Build-your-own sensory calming kits that help build “calm, confidence, and community for a world that too often forgets sensory needs.”
Solace
- Carolyn Fernandes ’25 (VPA)
- Aphrodite Gioulekas ’25 (VPA)
- Lucas d’Oelsnitz ’25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management)
- Aidan Turner ’25 (School of Architecture)
A design company addressing physical discomfort, sensory overload, cognitive disruption, and social confidence for neurodivergent individuals through inclusive clothing options. Prototype clothing includes concealed and participatory fidgeting features, clasping cuffs, and light and airy (not scratchy) fabrics.