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Lehman Students Pitch Bilingual AdTech at HSI Battle of the Brains
Team Lehman at the 2025 HSI Battle of the Brains
October 14, 2025
Lehman College School of Business students—Molly Varillas, Maria J Campos, Samrin Alam, Daniela Loveridge, Racielly Mella, Jensen Mathew, Marino Bollo, and Valentin Bermejo—represented CUNY at the 2025 HSI Battle of the Brains in Austin, Texas, competing under the theme “AI in Advertising: Innovation with Impact.”
Their concept, ADelante, is a bilingual digital marketing agency using lightweight AI to deliver hyper-personalized, eco-conscious advertising for small businesses, with optimization in English and Spanish.
“ADelante is about giving hard-working entrepreneurs the chance to grow their businesses and themselves,” said Molly Varillas, the team’s CEO. “We’re creating a space that empowers small business owners with the same tools and opportunities as big corporations, while staying true to their culture and values.”
During the weeklong competition, student Samrin Alam secured a $2,000 Dell scholarship, and advisors met with several industry partners to develop collaboration opportunities for Lehman students.
“What a great atmosphere and opportunity for our students to meet students from around the nation, network, visit with corporate leaders Dell Technologies and eBay, and compete in an entrepreneurship competition,” said Sean Stein Smith, associate professor of accounting, who also advised the team.
“Our students demonstrated the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity that define Lehman College,” added Andrew Gold, clinical professor of entrepreneurship and faculty co-advisor. He noted that several students are intending to realize their plans and launch Adelante, targeting Bronx businesses.
Experiential learning is a key component of Lehman School of Business programs.
“An active and growing portfolio of these opportunities coupled with practical experience gained through internships serve as core competencies for the Lehman School of Business, as we prepare students to add immediate value to the future of work,” said Dean Dene Hurley.