Computer Science Freshman Vinesh Kannan’s Startup Omnipointment to Join Straight Shot Startup Accelerator

Omnipointment, the startup created by Vinesh Kannan (CS 1st year), has been selected as one of eight to join the Straight Shot Startup Accelerator class of 2016 this summer in Omaha, Neb. Kannan, along with Omnipointment co-creator Brendan Batliner of University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Raikes School, will undergo Straight Shot’s rigorous, 90-day program which aims to rapidly develop technology startups.

Omnipointment makes the task of scheduling large group meetings and appointments easier by letting users quickly share their availability. The product improves collaboration between group members by allowing them to import their digital calendars, share meetings digitally, and prioritize teammates when deciding on a time. Omnipointment has attracted more than 200 early adopters, placed in the top 10 out of 200 projects at Northwestern’s Wildhacks in November of last year, and was selected one of 64 finalists in this year’s South by Southwest Student Startup Madness.

Kannan is passionate about mentorship. He helps design enrichment programs and has taught over 450 students about collaboration, computing, and entrepreneurship. During the school year, he worked with Chicago Public Schools’ CS4ALL Initiative to help prepare over 170 high schools to meet a city-wide computer science graduation requirement mandate by August 2016.