Student entrepreneurs learn business by starting one

Guruansh Kohli ’26 looked toward the sky to expand his horizons.

The computer science and business double major was working as a valet in Rochester when he saw someone use a drone to power wash the exterior of a downtown building.

“That experience got me reimagining cities, especially Rochester,” Kohli says. “I stood on the sidewalk looking up, thinking of skylines as a whole new domain.”

That moment sparked DroneGurus, a company Kohli leads alongside fellow URochester students Nate Bogdan ’26, who directs branding and communications, and Spencer Johnson ’26, the company’s chief financial officer. Together, they are developing AI-enabled drone technologies for building inspection, thermal imaging, infrastructure assessment, and autonomous systems.

But turning a spark of inspiration into a business took more than an idea.

“That class prepared me not just to run a business, but to build one.”

Kohli credits a class taught by Scott Walker, an adjunct faculty member at Simon Business School, for helping him shape the idea into a business.

“That class prepared me not just to run a business, but to build one,” says Kohli, who was selected for the Experiential Five (e5) Program that gives students a tuition-free fifth year to turn promising ideas into ventures.

Customer discovery, mentorship, and support from the Ain Foundry helped DroneGurus gain traction beyond the classroom.

As the team interviewed industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and potential customers—and ran simulations on the video game Minecraft—DroneGurus evolved into more than building-cleaning services. Today, the company is developing machine learning tools that use thermal imaging to identify façade cracks, leaks, insulation problems, and other structural issues, with applications ranging from commercial real estate to infrastructure and public safety.

But the student entrepreneurs aren’t just trying to improve drone technology. They also hope to reshape public perceptions of it.

“We often hear about drones in ways that make us uneasy,” says Kohli. “But we don’t hear about their benefits: how they can promote security and job growth and make our lives easier.”

Bogdan, a digital media studies major, hopes creative storytelling and splashy imagery, in the style of Red Bull campaigns, can reshape public perceptions of drones.

“We want people to think about what drones can do to help society,” he says, “rather than destroy it.”