2025 MBA Grad Wins Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award as He Continues Advancing Drone Technology Business
Angelo Niforatos ’20 M.S. (ECS), ’25 MBA, is furthering the use of drone technology through his startup Niffy Drone Solutions LLC. Just prior to his graduation from the Whitman School, he was recognized for his innovative spirit with the Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the 2025 Panasci Business Plan Competition held in April. The annual competition is hosted by Whitman’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises (EEE) and made possible by David Panasci ’80, president of DHP Consulting.
“Winning this award is validating,” says Niforatos. “Receiving the Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award makes me feel that I am doing something right and that the decisions I’ve been making are turning out to be good ones.”
In addition to serving as CEO of Niffy Drone Solutions, Niforatos continues his career as a full-time systems engineer at ResilienX with a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Syracuse University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. He already had an interest in advancing drone technology before starting his MBA at Whitman. However, the MBA program helped him turn his idea into reality with the guidance of faculty and staff, particularly founder of Syracuse’s Blackstone LaunchPad Linda Dickerson Hartsock and Indaria Jones, manager of Whitman’s Couri Hatchery.
Niforatos also participated in Whitman’s Panasci Business Plan Competition one year prior, winning an Orange Innovation Grant, which provided prize money he used to build out a formal business plan and prototype for Niffy Drone Solutions. Today, the business is at the forefront of AI-driven autonomy, specializing in developing state-of-the-art technology that acts as a “co-pilot” for unmanned systems across commercial, defense and industrial applications using real-time sensor data processing, natural language processing and machine learning to create greater operational efficiency.
“Niffy Drone Solutions is bridging the gap between autonomous control and human oversight by reducing operator data overload and enabling seamless mission execution even in areas with limited internet connectivity,” he explains, noting that this technology is revolutionizing not only drones but also unmanned aerial, ground and maritime vehicles with solutions ideal for military, defense and infrastructure sectors where reliability and ease of use are essential.
The company won a Small Business Innovation Research contract from the U.S. Air Force last year to perform feasibility research on this technology. Niforatos is currently looking to win a follow-up contract with the Air Force and sign a customer memorandum to work on Phase II, putting together a prototype with an end user to prove the availability of his innovation and eventually utilize it for the military. Already, he has made outstanding connections and is not only further developing his product but also ensuring that he scales the business with technological innovations and capabilities that this emerging technology continues to unlock.
“I’m grateful for those at the Whitman School who helped me get my business off the ground,” says Niforatos. “More formally exploring entrepreneurship and other foundations of business while earning my MBA has allowed me to keep Niffy Drone Solutions moving forward. Receiving the Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award was a bonus of my Whitman School education. Now, more than ever, I am excited to see what possibilities are ahead.”