For Emeka Ossai, entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting businesses. It’s about creating opportunities for others to do the same. As an MBA student at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, he has made it his mission to help young people turn ideas into impact. Whether mentoring student entrepreneurs, launching innovation hubs, or working with organizations to develop solutions, his goal remains the same: building environments where innovation thrives. 

That mission has led him to the Couri Hatchery, Whitman’s student business incubator, where he serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence. “I’ve loved seeing the Couri Hatchery grow from the ground up. I really enjoy being part of something in its early stages, helping it take shape. Watching students refine their ideas, overcome challenges, and turn concepts into real businesses is something that truly resonates with me,” he says. 

At the Hatchery, Ossai mentors' students navigating the challenges of early-stage business development, offering guidance as they refine their ideas and bring them to market. But his work in entrepreneurship started long before Whitman. 

For the past 15 years, Ossai has focused on bridging the gap between education and employability. In 2018, he founded CampusLabs Nigeria, a social enterprise that helps students gain real-world business skills through hands-on experience. “Young people are trying to solve problems. We need to create spaces and solutions for them to do so,” he says. 

CampusLabs is more than just an incubator. It’s an ecosystem designed to equip students with the skills and experiences needed to thrive as entrepreneurs. One of its most hands-on initiatives is Opportunity Café, a fully student-run business that transforms classrooms into real-world learning environments. “If students are running a business, they’re learning what it takes to build one. They’re learning leadership, teamwork and problem-solving in a way no classroom can teach,” he says. 

This commitment to Experiential Learning extends beyond CampusLabs. Ossai has traveled the world to study how innovation takes shape in different environments. Through Whitman, he has explored Silicon Valley, Malaysia, and Singapore, gaining firsthand insights from some of the most advanced entrepreneurial ecosystems. “Everywhere I go, I see the same thing. Young people with great ideas who just need the right environment to make them happen,” he says. 

But his impact extends beyond startups. It’s in the thousands of lives he has influenced. Ossai has led entrepreneurship competitions impacting over 100,000 young people, facilitated partnerships that have secured more than $2 million in funding for startups, and mentored over 100 student-led companies.

His work includes initiatives like the Data4Learning Challenge, which provided students with online learning access during COVID-19, and the Disability Inclusion Hackathon, which encouraged student-driven solutions for accessibility. 

Still, Ossai believes entrepreneurship isn’t just about students. “I also want to help companies build new ideas and innovations to reach solutions,” he says. 

From mentoring at the Couri Hatchery to expanding entrepreneurial opportunities worldwide, Ossai is proving that entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting businesses. It’s about empowering people to lead, create, and solve problems. 

“My next goal is to build 100 innovation spaces for young people. I want to give them the resources to turn their ideas into reality.” 

By: Bo BenYehuda