Kelley graduate pitches her phone accessory startup through IU summit

Aspen Villas was among several IU Innovates affiliates who presented businesses at the IU Founders and Funders Network Venture Summit

Aspen Villas pitches her startup before an audience of IU-affiliated business leaders and venture capitalists at the 2026 IU Founders and Funders Venture Network Summit. Photo by Wendi Chitwood, Indiana University

A week after walking the stage in cap and gown during commencement at Indiana University Bloomington, Aspen Villas was standing in front of a crowd once again.

But this time, the newly minted IU Kelley School of Business graduate was front and center to pitch her startup company to IU-affiliated entrepreneurs and investors — including the billionaire co-founder of Broadcast.com — at the IU Founders and Funders Network Venture Summit at the Henke Hall of Champions in Bloomington.

Villas’ pitch at the summit was the culmination of three whirlwind years in which she went from a senior-year liberal arts transfer student to a Master of Science in Management graduate with over $26,000 of seed funding for PilliPop, an accessory that attaches with magnets or adhesives to the back of a phone to discreetly store and carry medications or small daily essentials.

“IU Innovates pushed me a ton,” said Villas, who was one of only eight students affiliated with the university’s startup hub who were chosen to pitch at the event. “None of it would have been possible without the people helping move me forward. I’ve learned so much in just a year of being at IU Innovates. My life would have been totally different without it or IU — definitely not as fulfilling or interesting.”

Among these experiences was Villas’ first-place finish in the 2026 Clapp IDEA Competition, an annual pitch competition hosted by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Kelley School, where student entrepreneurs can receive up to $35,000 to support their startups. Villas was awarded $25,000 as the top prize winner of this year’s event.

She also received an additional $1,000 through another pitch competition at IU Innovates, along with the opportunity to pitch at the Founders and Funders Network Venture Summit.

The pitch event took place in Henke Hall of Champions on the IU Bloomington campus. Photo by Wendi Chitwood, Indiana University

Aspen’s interest in entrepreneurship began early. At age 15, she started her first business mowing lawns to support her study abroad experience through her Indianapolis high school. She later started small businesses offering in-home pet-sitting and custom pyrography, using a $15 wood-burning kit.

Later, after departing the lacrosse team at a small college in North Carolina and joining the rowing team at IU Bloomington, Villas attended a luncheon at the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering’s Shoemaker Innovation Center as part of a course on entrepreneurship, one of her two minors. That experience led to a referral to IU Innovates, which had only recently launched.

The next year she was accepted into IU Innovates’ incubator program, which she joined while pursuing a master’s degree at the Kelley School.

“When I got accepted into the incubator program, I texted everyone I know; I called my mom screaming, I was so excited,” she said. “I also realized that everyone was really serious; I met people who already had products for sale on Amazon. It really motivated me to step it up.”

Villas said her phone accessory startup was inspired by seeing friends and family struggle to easily and discreetly access their medicine on the go. It also supports medication adherence because it makes carrying medicine easier, she said.

Aspen Villas holds up an example of her PilliPop phone accessory, which discreetly stores and carries medications or small daily essentials. Photo by Wendi Chitwood, Indiana University

“Everyone can fit their phone in their pocket,” she said. “You don’t need to carry a purse or a bag, and you’ve got it on you all the time.

“It’s also great for small, daily, on-the-go items, like earrings or rings — anything you might need to remove to go swimming or play sports, for example.”

A member of IU Innovates’ consumer packaged goods group — one of several subgroups based on startups’ product type and audience — Villas said she connected with peers who had expertise in areas necessary to advance her business.

For example, Wyatt Hassinger, a student whose startup produces replacement parts for vintage toys, had expertise in computer-aided design and 3D printing. With his assistance, Villas developed an early version of her product, while simultaneously searching for a U.S.-based manufacturer.

Villas is currently collecting pre-orders and sorting out other critical details, such as working with legal experts to secure a trademark on the PilliPop name, then setting up a website. The funds acquired through IU Innovates and the IDEA Competition will be invaluable during this process, she said.

Also invaluable is the time she will get this summer to grow PilliPop through Startup Summer at Amplify Bloomington, a competitive program at The Mill supported by IU Innovates that provides workspace, mentorship and financial support as members dedicate their time to building their business.

“Now that I don’t have to worry about late-night deadlines, I’m excited to see what I can produce next,” Villas said. “I can just build and create.”