Inspired by the success of her thermostat project and driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, Shelby founded EcoPulse —a startup that creates affordable, data‑rich sensors for real‑time monitoring of building energy consumption. Launched during the NU entrepreneurship competition “Wildcat Pitch,” EcoPulse won the top prize and a seed grant of $75,000.
Early Foundations: From Suburban Roots to a Global Outlook shelby lucisano nu
Concurrently, Shelby enrolled in the Kellogg School’s “Social Impact Design” seminar, where she was paired with a local nonprofit, “Green Horizons,” that seeks to retrofit low‑income housing with energy‑efficient systems. Applying her technical acumen, she designed a low‑cost, IoT‑enabled thermostat that leverages machine learning to predict occupancy patterns, reducing heating and cooling costs by up to 30%. The prototype was piloted in three Chicago neighborhoods, resulting in an estimated $150,000 in annual savings for residents. Inspired by the success of her thermostat project