Sophia Aulisio and Thomas Lester: Two students inventing their own paths

Sophia Aulisio and Thomas Lester, two Auburn University students, have successfully invented new products within the past year. Both students were featured in the 2025 Inno Under 25 of the Birmingham Business Journal. With Aulisio’s volleyball gear and Lester’s instant-heat coffee, they are changing the world, one idea at a time.

Sophia Aulisio, a senior majoring in business administration and double-minoring in entrepreneurship and engineering, first got the idea for her product, the Patella Protector, while playing volleyball. Growing up in Gainesville, Florida, Aulisio played volleyball for most of her life. Throughout her games, Aulisio and her friends noticed that the kneepads they used had sleeves and would slip down over the course of the game.

“It never protected the area that we would fall on, and so it, kind of, was more of an aesthetic pad, and it didn’t actually serve a purpose,” Aulisio said. “I really wanted to find something that would be functional but also still aesthetic.”

In early 2025, Aulisio took her idea and entered the Tiger Cage Business Idea Competition, an event where students can present their pitch to judges to potentially win startup capital for starting their businesses. She won first place and $100,000 in startup capital.

With the financial support and guidance from her mentors at the New Venture Accelerator, specifically Jennifer Nay, she began crafting her product and eventually created the final version. Aulisio first had the idea for the Patella Protector in 2024 and finalized it early this year.

Aulisio's new design for the traditional volleyball knee pad features a strap back, which allows for easy adjusting. This strap back is crafted to sit on the upper shin while still covering the kneecap. The design also includes a double layer of foam inside for added comfort, and the pad can be easily removed for washing purposes.

“I really want this to become the next standardized volleyball equipment [...] and expand the product line to feature elbow sleeves or even clothing items,” Aulisio said about the future of her business, Protector Innovations.

Thomas Lester, a senior majoring in industrial and systems engineering, is from Montgomery, Alabama. Currently, he is on a mission to reinvent traditional coffee products.

Lester wished to create the most convenient coffee product. He first thought of the idea for his product in October 2023 while driving from his grandparents’ house at 4:30 a.m. Since every coffee place was closed, he wished there was a way to have coffee made instantly on the go to keep him awake during the long drive.

Two years later, in solution to his coffee predicament, Lester created his company HeatStream Solutions and invented his own self-heating, pre-made coffee called Early Bird.

“So, think like a grab-and-go beverage that you just twist, and it becomes hot. You don’t have to make it; you don’t have to brew it,” Lester said. “It’s just like any other beverage, like a Coca-Cola, shelf-stable and no extra milk needed.”

Lester also competed in the 2024 Tiger Cage Competition and pitched his business idea. His product came in third place. With the startup capital and help from the New Venture Accelerator, he began to create his self-heating packaging.

An entrepreneur-in-residence at the New Venture Accelerator, Dan Leonardi, helped with and oversaw Lester’s work on HeatStream Solutions.

“Watching him take an idea and, with relentless creativity and focus, turn it into a groundbreaking product has been remarkable,” Leonardi said about Lester. “His path reflects the courage to dream big, the discipline to push through challenges and the perseverance to stay true to his mission.”

Both Aulisio and Lester are on a path to achieve and create great things. With the help of Auburn University and the resources available in the Harbert College of Business, they were able to make their dreams become a reality.