When Celestin Abwe was a freshman year at Le Moyne College, he and his friends often tried ordering food.
They lived in Nelligan Hall and lamented that delivery drivers couldn’t easily find their dorm. That conversation sparked an idea for Abwe: a more personalized delivery service geared toward colleges.
He named the service Clutch Delivery, registered a phone number and created an Excel spreadsheet of customers and restaurants. Abwe and his friends spread the word about the business by wearing T-shirts with the company’s phone number printed on the back.
“With companies like DoorDash and GrubHub, you might spend 20 minutes with them on the phone trying to direct them to where you are because they are unfamiliar with the campus,” Abwe said. “We wished someone on campus could just deliver it without all that trouble.”
Earlier this year, CenterState CEO chose Clutch Delivery to be one of five businesses in its Syracuse Surge Accelerator program. The program was created to give resources to businesses owned by people of color. According to CenterState, just 25% of digital firms in the United States are founded by people of color.
Abwe, 22, will spend a year working out of CenterState’s Tech Garden. He’s picked up about $100,000 in funding through grants and stipends, he said.
Abwe will also get a free workspace, networking opportunities and workshops. Abwe’s goal for Clutch Delivery is to grow 300% each year for the next 5 years. He hopes to bring Clutch Delivery to about 60 schools and change the way students order their meals.
“It’s a goal that I set for myself, but I want to be able to show people my growth in order for them to pour money into the business,” said Abwe.
Born in Congo in 2001, Abwe’s family moved to Kenya in 2004 and eventually came to the United States in 2010. His family settled in Buffalo, New York. Abwe came to Syracuse to study finance and entrepreneurship at Le Moyne. He graduated in 2023.
Abwe’s time at Le Moyne was the catalyst for Clutch Delivery. As the business began to pick up traction at Le Moyne, students called Abwe and his friends. The group placed the order and brought the meal to the customer.
Clutch Delivery now uses a website to reach its customers. Through the accelerator program, Abwe is now working to launch an app.
Abwe believes Clutch Delivery can also improve safety for those delivering or ordering food. He hopes to differentiate the business from other services by hiring students from the colleges he expands to. Abwe also hopes hiring students will reduce the number of outsiders coming onto campuses.
Centerstate’s program has changed the course of Abwe’s business, he said. It has allowed him to learn and grow from other entrepreneurs while also providing him with funding and resources he needs to improve his ideas.
“I hate the term self made, because you’re never self made. It’s not about you, because there are people that are pouring into you that help you rise to the position and I’ve been blessed to have those people by my side,” Abwe said.
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