Huge congratulations to Weissman student Bruno Santos Rodrigues ’23, who won a national competition sponsored by Blackstone Launchpad for his proposal for Chasqui Outdoor Clothing. Named after the official messengers of the Incan Empire, Chasqui Outdoor Clothing is a socially responsible, environmentally sustainable brand focused on cultivating exploration of the Peruvian outdoors.
Bruno was one of just four students out of nearly 1,150 applicants selected as winners of the inaugural Blackstone Launchpad Ideas Competition, each of whom will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
Bruno said the Incan “Chasqui” messengers were tasked with running many miles through different climates to carry and transmit objects and information. The brand would promote cultural awareness as well as “exploration of the Peruvian outdoors and environmental consciousness” among Peruvians.
In his pitch, he proposed making the apparel from Peruvian Alpaca wool, “one of the greenest fibers on earth, ensuring high-quality, durable and sustainable clothing” that’s water-repellent and odor-resistant with thermoregulation qualities (insulates against cold, breathes when it’s warm). Production would also be local, with benefits and fair compensation for workers, with a goal of making “a positive impact in the
communities involved in the process.”
Blackstone describes the competition as “a virtual business plan competition designed for students with no prior entrepreneurship experience … so that any student — no matter their major or career plans — could practice the important skills of distilling and presenting a latent idea.”
Last spring, Bruno was named as a Jeannette K. Watson Fellow at Baruch. He’s also a Baruch Climate Scholar and an economics major. On his LinkedIn profile, he says: “I am very interested in the history of economics, philosophy, environmental issues, solving problems, technology, and the discussion of current topics.”
Bruno was born in Brazil, went to school in Peru, and came to the US when he was 18. He’s fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
He thanks Zicklin Professor Chris Meyer for mentoring him for the Blackstone contest.
(And we thank the Baruch Entrepreneurs Field Center for the graphic we borrowed for this post, and for bringing this exciting news to our attention.)
