Gass Iyacu

Class of 2026-2027

Northwestern University
Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering

Capstone Project Abstract

Café Momentum is a pioneering nonprofit restaurant and workforce-development program that provides paid, 12-month paid culinary internships, case management, and life-skills coaching to justice-involved youth. As Café Momentum expands into a historic almost 100 year old converted firehouse near Denver’s RiNo neighborhood, it faces a critical financial opportunity. While its dining room creates meaningful community impact, operations are funded primarily through philanthropy, with restaurant sales covering only a fraction of overhead costs.

This capstone project will focus on building Café Momentum Denver’s first off-premise revenue strategy to generate innovative and scalable income beyond the physical dining room. The student will be working to evaluate digital and retail expansion concepts—including prepackaged meal lines, branded merchandise, home culinary products, and corporate brand partnerships. The student will provide primary customer discovery on buyer interest and willingness-to-pay, a competitive market analysis of Denver’s meal-delivery and retail sectors, and an evidence-backed go-to-market plan aimed at transitioning the organization from grant reliance toward long-term financial self-sustainability.

Why did you choose ESTEEM?

I chose ESTEEM because of a gap I've felt firsthand. I know how to go from an unmet need to a working product: talking to riders about why they don't wear helmets, generating and testing dozens of design directions, and refining prototypes until the fit and function actually hold up. What I don't have yet is the other half of the equation. Building a working product and building a company are two different skill sets, and getting Calyx from a helmet that fits and functions to a helmet people actually buy means I need to get serious about go-to-market strategy, fundraising, and how to actually lead a team rather than just manage a project. ESTEEM is where I want to build that other half: not just for Calyx, but as a set of skills I can carry into whatever comes next in my career, wherever that ends up taking me.

What do you hope to do after ESTEEM?

After ESTEEM, I hope to work somewhere in the design, prototyping, and physical product world, anywhere creativity gets to meet impact, whether that's a research-driven design team, a hardware startup, or a role I can't fully picture yet. What matters most to me isn't the title or the industry but the work itself: being part of a team that believes in what they're building and can see the real impact it has on the people using it. Calyx taught me what it feels like to care that much about a product, and I want to carry that same conviction into whatever room I end up in next, wherever that turns out to be.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I coach young kids in soccer, which keeps me grounded and reminds me how much joy there is in learning something for the first time. I'm teaching myself guitar, I draw when an idea won't leave me alone, and I'm always chasing good music, the kind that makes a regular day feel like a scene from something bigger. I love to dance, I take long walks on the beach whenever I can, and if I'm being honest, I'll never get tired of a good sunrise. There's something about starting the day watching one that stays with me long after it's gone.