Laura Boccanfuse is the founder and CEO of Van Robotics. She is an alumnus of South California, where she studied for her Ph.D. in computer science. After achieving that, she went to Yale University to work on various research.

Laura Boccanfuse had a passion for children with special needs. She wanted to use technology to find the best way to help them. It was a difficult journey that challenged her family and her mind. But she knew that it was her passion to help many children study and get to her level.

After graduating, I went back to school for more research. I thank Yale University for giving me a laboratory office where I met many friends with similar dreams that I had. When I look back in society, I see an expensive market for technology products created to help special needs children. I was looking for an alternative. That’s was when I decided to start a startup called Van Robotics.

That gave birth to robot Abii, our first product in the market. Next, I took my whole family and moved the company to South Carolina. It was a journey of almost 100 miles from Connecticut. After landing in Carolina, I set up my first retail shop at UofSC Columbia Technology Incubator. The incubator has been in existence for many years, providing capital for individuals with startups. There were a lot of programs in the incubator, where I learned a lot from experienced entrepreneurs.

There are a lot of meetings, activities, and workshops that help young startups grow. However, the most important part is forming a solid relationship with other investors and philanthropists who can support your organization. Learning is a continuous process, and you have to embrace it.

For almost two years, we focused all our energy on Abii robot. Finally, I got support from various technologists working part-time. We launched it in August 2016. In the same year, two months later, we launched Van Robotics which many schools in South Carolina absorbed. Some groups like the YMCS boys and girls club also showed interest in my products.

Our main aim is to manufacture smart robots for students who want to use them. We want to grow huge and sell them to various customers directly without using an intermediary channel.

Abii robot uses artificial intelligence to track the performance of students. It is integrated with other software that pairs the results with the curriculum standards. The robot can also dance with students after the class lessons are over.

I have gotten a lot of appreciation from various non-governmental organizations. Furthermore, teachers are also happy about the role of my products. The robot can help those students who always feel shy amongst others. That is a good job, to train students to gather courage and express their thoughts in front of others. We have made sure that the robot is less biased regarding some behavior.

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We are still training Van Robotics to eliminate some burdens facing the united states’ education system. I hope teachers will appreciate and embrace my job. We need them to come and support what we are creating. They should realize this product is for their benefit and not mine.

My robots won’t replace teachers, but they act as an argumentative tool to make teachers more competitive. In addition, they can work together because those robots can generate ideas and process things at a much faster rate.

To a younger Laura Boccanfuse, when you chase your passion with much effort, you will always achieve it in the end. Set positive goals that you can achieve, then work towards them. I am a proud woman because my dreams are almost being fulfilled.

I am thankful for USC and the people who have contributed to my company. We hope to achieve a lot with Van Robotics.