Curly blonde hair, a humble demeanor and eyes that show a determination not to compete for the world — but to change it for the better. Megan Aljian did not expect her business idea, Forest Found, to hold up against seasoned competitors. Yet, Aljian walked away with first-place wins in both the Seed2Grow and Wolf Den startup competitions. 

“I kind of thought I was in the competition just to break up the presentations of it and kind of just be a different take,” Aljian said. “I really thought I was just there for the experience, not really having equal footing to win any funding, so when I won that… I was just shocked.”

Aljian is a senior studying biological and agricultural engineering at NC State College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. She was unsure what career path she wanted to pursue when initially applying to NC State, knowing only that the school’s plant sciences department was top-notch in the nation and that she was passionate about studying biology.

“I was a biology nerd at heart. By the time I graduated high school, I kind of knew enough about local plants in North Carolina that I could walk out to a trail and I could tell you what is edible, what is medicinal and how to use it.”

With a quest to help all sorts of people, Aljian wanted to apply her biological know-how to create a business with foundations in utilizing the environment to bring care. But just like many people with an idea for a startup, Aljian asked, “How do I do this?”

So what tipped the scales? The answer finds itself in the moment Aljian brought her idea to NC State’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where she received guidance from staff like Jaclyn McVey and Kenneth Proseus. 

Specifically, Aljian’s experience with the Launchpad program helped her keep her eyes on the prize.

“Having Launchpad as a community that was consistent and regular and met every 2 weeks was huge for keeping me accountable,” Aljian said. “I don’t think I would have done half as much as I had if I hadn’t had Launchpad be kind of a continuous place to touch base throughout the semester.” 

Launchpad is an incubator program that supports early-stage startups with learning skills such as product ideation, customer discovery and commercialization strategy. Launchpad also connects participants to resources and opportunities, including other programs such as the Miller Fellows and the Andrews Launch Accelerator. For Aljian, Launchpad helped combine her passion and her business idea.   

“There is something about an idea that you trust in, there is something in what you’ve seen and the product that you believe in,” Aljian said. “What got me through those pitches was focusing on the things that I was excited about.”

With that mindset, Forest Found took off. Aljian’s first key product being a topical bug-bite relief solution based on a specialized oak extract.

Having extensive knowledge of how medicinal plants can help people, from her experiences at a summer camp in Brevard, NC, Aljian noted that science was not just about how the scientific world works, but how it affects the people around her.

“We do ourselves a real disservice in separating knowledge into categories. I learned the importance of having different views, and it really kind of permeates a lot of what I do in the pursuit of knowledge,” Aljian said. “My personal belief is that it’s hugely important.”

In 5 years, Aljian hopes to see Forest Found standing as a functioning business, healthy and continuously growing from year to year. Right now, Aljian is learning more about FDA compliance and hopes to keep expanding the product line, developing niche products with a focus on providing more care to her customers. 

Aljian’s story is one of humility, hope and the perseverance to pursue passion— even if it seems intimidating. Aljian ended the interview with a word of advice to those who have a startup idea but are not exactly sure about how to pitch it.

“The people that are in the room for pitch competitions are there because they want to be excited about something and they want to hear what you have to say,” Aljian said.

“Give them the opportunity to hear your thoughts by telling your story, by telling them what pushes you to get up in the morning.”