18VC Podcast - Next Gen Builders

Episode Description:Welcome to the inaugural episode of the 18VC Podcast, a student-run show featuring the stories of student founders, operators, and investors. In this premiere, co-hosts Phillip and Lucas sit down with Mackenzie Dennill and Luna Li, the co-founders of Immuny, a startup born out of the USC ecosystem that is tackling the complex world of pediatric allergy management.Mackenzie and Luna share their journey from meeting at a USC hackathon to pivoting their business through extensive research and personal experience. Mackenzie, a Sag/Aftra actor and grad alum, discusses navigating her own severe allergies and the anxiety of introducing food to her child, while Luna, an undergrad and former stand-up comedian, shares how her mother’s evolving seafood allergies fueled her passion for the project.In this episode, we dive into:The Origin Story: How a USC "Origin Weekend" hackathon team took third place and evolved from "Don't Sweat It" into Immuny.The Problem with "Avoidance": Why traditional allergy management is often "old school" and how the co-founders are shifting the focus from reactive treatment to preventive exposure management.AI as an Ally: How Immuny.ai uses an AI agent to track patterns via voice and photos, helping parents and doctors see a full picture of a child’s food introduction journey.Building Community: The creation of "Bea" the bee and using storytelling to support parents and children.The Founder’s Hustle: Balancing stand-up comedy, acting, and parenthood with the demands of building a startup, including tips for networking and leveraging university resources like the USC Viterbi TIE Hub and the USC Marshall Lloyd Greif Center.Whether you are a fellow student founder or someone interested in how AI is impacting healthcare, this conversation offers a deep dive into the grit and vision required to turn a personal struggle into a life-saving solution.Timeline:00:00 - Highlight Clip01:08 - Intro03:05 - The Origin Story: From Hackathon to Pivot05:49 - Personal Stakes: Life with Severe Allergies08:44 - The Problem with "Avoidance" & Current Solutions12:30 - Exposure Management as a "Vaccine"15:52 - Market Research & The Pediatric Pivot25:12 - Product Mechanics: The AI Agent34:04 - Community, Branding, and "Beia" the Bee40:58 - Co-Founder Dynamics & Leveraging USC47:51 - The Reality of Startup Trade-offs51:15 - Overcoming Rejection & Role Models56:18 - Advice for Student Founders & Long-Term VisionConnect with Immuny.ai:Immuny’s Website: https://www.immuny.ai/Immuny’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/immuny/ Luna’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luna-shiyu-li-863071325/Mackenzie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackenziedennill/Immuny’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/immunybeeImmuny’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@immunybee Immuny’s YouTube: https://youtube.com/@immunybee Join Immuny’s Community on Discord: https://discord.gg/pNjPqTUxYw More 18VC & 18VC Podcast:18VC Website: https://www.18-vc.com/18VC Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@18VCPodcast18VC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/official18vc/18VC X: https://x.com/Official18VCJoin 18VC Slack Channel: https://join.slack.com/t/18-vc/shared_invite/zt-3ugj1lmxu-WG6kULWaF95rp4UOnCY~kw