The Garage is excited to announce the newest cohort of Little Joe Ventures Fellows! Now in its ninth year, the Little Joe Ventures (LJV) Fellowship selects five sophomores each winter quarter through a rigorous nomination and interview process. Fellows are chosen for their demonstrated entrepreneurial potential and receive one-on-one executive coaching, up to $5,000 in funding, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences throughout their time at Northwestern and beyond.
We are thrilled to announce this year's Little Joe Ventures Fellows: Jeb, Vani, Dorothy, Dasha, and Jordan! This year's cohort represents a diversity of backgrounds and schools across Northwestern. Each of these five students brings a unique perspective and a passion for building something new. Learn more about each of the students in the 2026 cohort below.
Jeb Scipio del Campo is a sophomore at Northwestern University studying Economics and Psychology with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Shaped by a childhood spanning Toronto, Montpellier, and the Pacific Northwest, he developed a global perspective and a drive to build ventures that uplift communities. His entrepreneurial journey began in high school, where he co-founded a Read-a-Thon fundraiser mobilizing nearly 3,000 students across seven schools and raising over $25,000 for local charities. At Northwestern, Jeb channels that same energy into JukeBox, a music and concert rating social platform he co-founded and leads as CEO, which has been selected for The Garage Winter Residency and awarded $10,000 through the Jumpstart Summer Accelerator. Beyond JukeBox, he advises global companies through CASE, mentors international entrepreneurs through the Global Engagement Summit, serves as President of Zeta Beta Tau, VP of Brotherhood for Delta Sigma Pi, and is an executive board member of Each One Teach One, a humanitarian organization dedicated to delivering scholarships and aid to underprivileged children across regions of Kenya and Peru. Outside of his academic and entrepreneurial pursuits, Jeb plays alto saxophone, goes bouldering, competes on the club soccer team as a devoted Manchester United supporter, and loves traveling, having visited 27 countries and counting. Jeb is passionate about social entrepreneurship and the belief that the best businesses are ones that make people's lives measurably better.
Vani Bansal is a sophomore at Northwestern University, double-majoring in Economics and Theatre—a combination that makes analytical thinking and creative storytelling part of her everyday life, and one she loves bringing into problem-solving and entrepreneurship. She is currently building glimmr, India’s first shoe charm company, which has generated over $4,000 in revenue and 450,000+ social media views within 4 months, reflecting her interest in emerging consumer trends, and building brands that resonate with younger audiences. Her background in marketing and media is shaped by internships at Ogilvy and Charcharms, where she contributed to campaign development and execution for top consumer brands. As a content creator, model, and micro-influencer, Vani has amassed over 11 million views across platforms and partnered with brands such as Samsung, Nykaa, and SKIMS. On campus, she is involved in the fashion and creative community through organizations like UNITY and NUDM. Vani is passionate about building culturally resonant, consumer-focused ventures at scale and is excited to develop this interest as a Little Joe Ventures Fellow!
Dorothy Zhang is a human-centered design engineer focused on building and scaling products that solve real human problems. She is a sophomore studying mechanical engineering with a minor in Business Institutions. In her freshman summer, she worked on Swiffer and WetJet systems at Procter & Gamble, where she experienced firsthand how design decisions shape manufacturing, reliability, and consumer adoption. Her sophomore winter, she worked in mechanical design at Figure AI, a Silicon Valley humanoid robotics startup, where she discovered a love for building fast-paced technologies. Her work at Northwestern spans medical device prototyping, assistive robotics through Medical Makers, and AI for teleoperated procedures at HAND ERC. She also led the development of Spring Roll, a spring-loaded oxygen regulator inspired by a delay she witnessed in a pediatric hospital. Her work reflects a blend of technical creativity, user-centered thinking, and entrepreneurial drive.
Dasha is passionate about creating and strategically communicating ideas to promote sustainability and international security. Studying journalism and environmental policy, she covered business on Capitol Hill with the Medill News Service in the winter, specifically writing about regulations of data centers. At Northwestern, Dasha has held three selective research fellowships, where her work was recognized with the Fletcher Prize for Outstanding Undergraduate Research. Her academic journey has taken her from the remote Arctic to serving as a junior fellow at the McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character at West Point, bringing a cross-cultural lens to entrepreneurial endeavors.
Jordan is a passionate, dedicated, and curious entrepreneur who is interested in doing the simple things better. He is a second-year student majoring in Theatre and Political Science, with a minor in Entrepreneurship and a certificate in Design. For the past couple of years, Jordan has run his own 3D printing business designed around making complex board games more accessible and affordable for everyone. Recently, he has combined his passion for theatre and public speaking with his desire to do good in the world by learning to address problems related to loneliness and isolation in our modern world. Outside of the entrepreneurship space, Jordan loves to act in performances, share stories, build connections, and improve the lives of those around him.
The annual fellowship begins each spring during the cohort's sophomore year and continues beyond graduation. The newest fellows shared their excitement about joining the program:
Jordan shared, "Finding others who have a passion for learning, curiosity, and discovering how to make real change in the world is something I am constantly searching for, and I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to join a cohort of like-minded entrepreneurs."
For Vani, this moment has been a long time coming. "As someone who has aspired to be a part of this program since the time I was writing my application to NU, this is quite literally a dream come true!"
Jeb shared that he is thrilled to continue building at the intersection of community, creativity, and impact, while Dasha is most looking forward to executive coaching and growing the community around her entrepreneurial ideas. Dorothy added, "I am excited for the opportunity to interact with other amazing entrepreneurial-minded students and start future ventures!"
The Little Joe Ventures Fellowship is made possible by a generous gift from Tony Owen '93, '03 MBA, and his wife, Monique.
2311 Campus Drive Suite 2300
Evanston, IL 60208
.png)
.png)
