NMSU FIRE Venture Fellow completes summer internship with El Paso health innovation startup

WRITER: Alejandro Najera-Acosta, a_najera@nmsu.edu 
SOURCE: Carlos Murguia, cmurguia@nmsu.edu 

Grace Valentine Olagunju, a New Mexico State University graduate student and member of the 2026 Fourth Industrial Revolution Economy Venture Fellows cohort, has completed a summer internship with T2YourHealth, an El Paso metabolic health startup, gaining hands-on experience at the intersection of scientific research, entrepreneurship and healthcare innovation. The placement was arranged through connections facilitated by the Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship at NMSU’s Arrowhead Center. 

Olagunju’s internship was hosted in partnership with the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation, a nonprofit that operates a life sciences hub and startup innovation center in El Paso. The internship served as an extension of her FIRE Venture Fellows training, carrying the program’s learning model beyond the classroom and into an active health innovation company. 

During the internship, Olagunju supported T2YourHealth and related entrepreneurial initiatives across activities that included market research, competitive analysis and healthcare innovation research, business planning and strategic documentation, commercialization and customer discovery, and startup growth support. She also contributed to project coordination, the preparation of presentations and outreach materials, and participation in meetings, mentor sessions and collaborative activities. 

“As a FIRE Fellow, Grace played an important role in strengthening the regional biotech ecosystem,” said Nancy Lowery, senior director of innovation at the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation. “Her background in scientific research, combined with her training in business planning, is a strong example of how scientific discovery can be translated into real-world products and solutions.” 

A graduate student in molecular biology, Olagunju studies brain lipidomics, examining how alterations in brain lipid levels may provide new insights into understanding and treating brain cancer. She views lipid metabolism not only as a scientific question but as an opportunity for innovation that could lead to new diagnostic tools, drug targets, or screening platforms. Her interest in entrepreneurship began with a small sewing business she ran in Nigeria, an experience she credits with teaching her about problem-solving, understanding customers, and taking an idea from concept to execution.

Before joining FIRE Venture Fellows, Olagunju took part in NMSU’s I-Corps, Studio G Explorer and Studio G CEO Certification programs, which introduced her to the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem and the process of moving innovations from research to market. The fellowship and the summer internship offered her a view of that process through the lens of investors and operators, complementing her experience as a researcher and founder. 

The FIRE Venture Fellows program, housed within the Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship, is a competitive, one-semester fellowship that prepares undergraduate and graduate students from the Borderplex region for careers in venture capital, startups, and innovation-driven organizations. Fellows develop skills in market research, startup evaluation, financial analysis, due diligence, and the preparation of investment memoranda and recommendations. The 2026 program was led by Daniel Jones, entrepreneur-in-residence at Arrowhead Center, and connected fellows to summer internships at venture capital firms and partner organizations across the region. 

T2YourHealth, based in El Paso, is building a platform centered on patented T2 Health Screening and Monitoring technology, science-backed metabolic health education, and personalized coaching designed to help people screen for and manage chronic disease risk. The company is part of the entrepreneurial community supported by the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation, which advances startup incubation, clinical trials infrastructure, and biomedical workforce development in the Paso del Norte region. 

“Grace’s internship is a clear example of what the Hunt Center is working to build: a regional ecosystem where our students can move from the classroom into real ventures solving real problems,” said Carlos Murguia, director of the Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship. “By connecting an NMSU graduate student with a health innovation company in El Paso, we are strengthening the ties across the Borderplex and giving founders here access to the kind of experience that shapes careers. That is exactly the role we want to play in southern New Mexico and the broader region.” 

“This internship gave me a behind-the-scenes view of how a health innovation company actually operates, from market research to conversations with customers,” Olagunju said. “My PI, Dr. Elba Serrano, first introduced me to Studio G through her professional development class, which sparked my interest in entrepreneurship and helped me connect my scientific research with innovation. Together, these experiences helped me see how my work in the lab can become something that reaches people and pushed me to think beyond research about how science creates real-world impact."

“Grace brought curiosity, scientific rigor and a genuine entrepreneurial drive to her work with us,” said Nancy Lowery, senior director of innovation at the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation. “Partnerships like this one with NMSU’s Hunt Center are how we build the talent pipeline our region’s life sciences companies need.” 

“It was a pleasure to have Grace contribute to T2YourHealth this summer,” said Julie A. Cistola, managing member of T2YourHealth LLC. “As a FIRE Fellow, Grace made important contributions to our startup company. Her background in metabolism research and training in business planning made her a valuable part of our team.” 

The Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship is part of NMSU’s Arrowhead Center and serves as the primary hub for entrepreneurship programming in southern New Mexico and the Borderplex region. Through initiatives including Studio G, Aggie I-Corps, the Bold Idea Challenge and FIRE Venture Fellows, the Hunt Center equips student and community founders with the tools, mentorship and connections needed to turn ideas into impactful ventures. 

For more information about the Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship, contact Carlos Murguia at cmurguia@nmsu.edu or visit https://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu/program/the-hunt-center/.