Recep “Richie” Karaburun,DPS, MBA most commonly known as “Dr. K”, is a driving force in the Tisch Center’s new Hospitality Innovation Hub (HI Hub) Incubator , and currently serves as the Director of the HI Hub’s Incubator Program. Read more on the program and his role in its development below.
Now a professor of tourism and entrepreneurship, Dr. K has over 25 years of experience working in the hospitality industry. Primarily taking on travel executive roles, Dr. K has also worked with start-ups in his own professional career. Given his background and immense experience, it is no surprise that he was approached by Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality’s Associate Dean, Nicolas Graf, PhD, to help build and lead the HI Hub Incubator Program. One of the greatest assets within the Incubator Program is the mentor group that each business is paired with. Matched based on background and alignment, the six businesses in the Incubator Program each have access to 4-5 mentors and investors. Teams meet with their mentors and investors every month to give updates, receive feedback, and gain insights from industry professionals. The 30 mentors this semester all come from different backgrounds and disciplines within the industry, and thus can each provide a unique perspective when working with their mentees.
With the semester nearing its end, the Incubator Program’s inaugural “pitch day” is fast approaching. The “Pitch Your Passion & Seal the Deal” Event is Thursday, December 16 (11:00am - 1:00pm EST), and is the culmination of each business’ journey through the program. Teams will be able to pitch their business and be judged in a competition for cash prizes. The pitch day will be a hybrid event and is open to all members of the NYU community. More information on the event and how to RSVP can be found here.
When asked about all that the HI Hub and Incubator Program have to offer, Dr. K reminded us that you are part of the NYU community forever. The Incubator Program, and the HI Hub as a whole, is a priceless resource that can be utilized by NYU affiliates even years down the road. And while the Fall 2021 cohort is well underway, the application to join the Incubator Program’s Spring 2022 cohort is now live on the HI Hub website - the deadline is January 31, 2022. The HI Hub is also hosting an upcoming Virtual Round Table on November 30 with Tariq Farid, Founder and CEO of Edible Brands - this will be moderated by Dr. K. You can email HIHubIncubator@nyu.edu, or Dr. K, if you have any questions regarding the Spring application process - or if you would just like to stay connected and learn more about the program! The HI Hub will also be starting quarterly newsletters for interested parties.