Ventures

Overview

Founded in January 2026, COTSight Labs is an independent venture focused on providing an end-to-end service that designs and builds-to-order space optical systems using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. The goal is to enable high-performance imaging capabilities for CubeSat and small satellite missions without the cost penalties and procurement lead times associated with traditional space-grade supply chains.

Origin

The concept emerged directly from hands-on work leading the Galassia-5 CubeSat imaging payload. Navigating real constraints around budget, procurement timelines, and system integration revealed a consistent gap: cost-efficient, mission-specific payload solutions are difficult to source as an integrated offering. COTSight Labs is a direct response to that gap. An abstract for oral presentation at the International Astronautical Congress 2026 (IAC-26) has been submitted, covering this work.

Overview

Cofounded in July 2025, The Sh*t We Carry is an early-stage mental health startup developing a conversational card game designed to make emotional honesty approachable, playful, and safe. The product targets communities often reluctant toward traditional therapy — students, veterans, and others who benefit from a low-barrier entry point to honest personal dialogue. This is the most commercially progressed of the current ventures, with early funding and active user-facing development underway.

Origin

Developed during time at UC Berkeley alongside exposure to founder-led work through the Berkeley Haas startup bootcamp. The core insight was that structured, empathy-driven gameplay can unlock conversations that people want to have but struggle to initiate — particularly in communities where mental health stigma remains high.