Board Member - Entrepreneur/Inventor
Rostam co-created Rapid Ebola Detection Strips (REDS), which were designed to identify the Ebola virus in record time, increase the accessibility of testing, and reduce the cost from $50,000 to less than $50. His work was recognized with the Cyrus Prize - a $100,000 genius grant awarded annually to one outstanding Iranian-American - and landed him an invitation to the White House. At the time, he was volunteering at The New School (TNS) - a high school founded on the principles of community-engaged learning and social entrepreneurship. Seeing enormous potential in their innovative model of education and diverse student body, he donated his entire prize and joined the school as Entrepreneur-in-Residence, where he taught Entrepreneurship to 11th grade students for two years. His newest startup, Savor, is bringing the world’s first edible tableware to market this year- creating the most delicious way to end plastic waste.