After a fall 2025 semester in the TIA Incubator, Sophie Martin ’27 (left) studied abroad in Copenhagen. This summer, she returns to TIA to continue work on her venture SoundSync with Weiner Family Entrepreneur in Residence Jen Martin (right).
For some, starting a business while in college means developing an idea, acquiring funding, and building a prototype, all while maintaining a 3.5 GPA and mapping out life after graduation. That daunting entrepreneurial-academic balance can make the concept of studying abroad seem like a distant dream. However, in the case of SoundSync founder , she proved that one can effectively implement progress on their venture from anywhere in the world with grit and determination. Martin recently returned to campus to continue work on her venture as part of the TIA Summer Accelerator program after studying abroad in Copenhagen for the spring 2026 semester.
SoundSync is a revolutionary platform that integrates media across apps, creating an inclusive space for music discovery and sharing.
“I originally came up with the idea out of a personal frustration when trying to share playlists across different platforms with my friends,” Martin said. “However, since then, the concept has evolved significantly to move away from just playlist utility and focus deeply on organic, human-driven music discovery.”
Martin shared the unique challenges she faced while working on her venture in Copenhagen, admitting that while adjusting to life in a new environment, she took a break from SoundSync. Working on the platform while away from the technology, mentorship, and support provided by TIA forced Martin to discover a new approach, which ultimately led to a pivot in her business model. She resumed progress by focusing on the technical aspects of the app and other trivial tasks required to build a prototype. However, once immersed in Danish culture, Martin was able to step back and look at SoundSync from a new point of view. She credits her experience abroad for allowing her to understand the value of space and perspective.
“I started talking to more people about the venture to get their insights, which led me to form a music group centered around Danish music. Since it was a completely new genre to all of us, I thought it would be a fun, low-stakes way to test my concept and see how people resonated with sharing and talking about music in a group chat setting. We got a ton of people to join, and soon enough, everyone was sending their own playlists and talking about their favorite Danish artists,” she recalled of SoundSync’s pivot.
Even though Martin is back from Denmark, SoundSync’s progress is not slowing down. In the TIA Summer Accelerator, Martin is working on her venture in a new context and planning for growth. With the help of experienced mentors, including Brian Horey ’82, Kim Schafer ’92, and Per Sekse ’78, Martin will receive the necessary guidance to take SoundSync to the next level. After this summer, Martin’s venture will have made immense progress, allowing her to prototype the product and advance in TIA.
“All the advice and feedback from the mentors suddenly clicked in a completely new way, which helped me realize that a pivot was exactly what the business needed. I am so excited to dive in, build out our new demo, and make some serious, tangible progress over the next few months to get us investor-ready for the upcoming semesters,” Martin said of the next chapter of SoundSync.
Martin’s journey demonstrates that while being a successful student entrepreneur is intimidating, it does not have to preclude the invaluable experience of studying abroad. By stepping away and gaining a new perspective in Copenhagen, she was able to pivot SoundSync’s focus toward organic, human-driven music discovery. Now, having joined the TIA Summer Accelerator, Martin is applying these lessons and the resulting new model to prototype her product and prepare the venture to become investor-ready.