ATHLETIQ CONNECT AND EXPOP ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO HELP STUDENTS BUILD, LEAD AND STAND OUT

Partnership gives AthletIQ Connect students access to Expop’s six-month entrepreneurship challenge to build real-world experience and strengthen their college portfolios.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., September 2026 — AthletIQ Connect today announced a strategic partnership with Expop, a six-month entrepreneurship challenge that gives students the opportunity to transform ideas into real-world startups.

Through the partnership, current and future eligible AthletIQ Connect college planning students will have access to the Expop program, adding a powerful experiential component to the College Pathway Intelligence™ platform and AthletIQ Connect’s comprehensive college planning strategy.

Over six months, students move through ideation, product development, branding, marketing, sales, and pitching, while gaining access to expert workshops, mentorship, and startup-building experiences.

The goal is simple: help students move beyond participation and start building real accomplishments.

Students can develop tangible outcomes including a business plan, prototype, pitch deck, and startup, while strengthening skills in leadership, communication, problem-solving, creativity, resilience, and execution.

These experiences can become valuable components of a student's overall college portfolio, activities, essays, interviews, and scholarship applications.

“Top colleges aren't simply looking for great grades. They're looking for students who demonstrate initiative, leadership, intellectual curiosity, and impact,” said Coach Randy Narciso, Founder of AthletIQ Connect. “Expop gives our students an opportunity to actually build something, solve problems, lead, compete, and create measurable outcomes. Combined with College Pathway Intelligence™, we can help turn those experiences into a more intentional and compelling college strategy.”

The partnership directly supports AthletIQ Connect's three primary outcomes:

🎓 GET ACCEPTED
Strategically position students to compete for admission to their Top 3 Dream Colleges and other Best Fit schools.

💰 GET FUNDED
Build stronger student profiles while helping families identify and pursue scholarships, grants, need-based aid, merit aid, and institutional aid.

🏦 PAY SMARTER
Create an intentional college funding strategy designed to help families understand costs, financial aid, and how they will ultimately pay for college.

“We’re excited to partner with AthletIQ Connect to give more students the opportunity to experience entrepreneurship by actually building,” said Heerraa Ravindran, Co-Founder & Head of Outreach at Expop. “Students develop skills in leadership, creativity, communication, problem-solving, and execution while turning their ideas into something real. We look forward to seeing what AthletIQ Connect students create.”

Together, AthletIQ Connect, College Pathway Intelligence™, and Expop create a powerful connection between college planning and real-world execution, helping students not only prepare for their future, but begin building it.

BUILD SOMETHING. STAND OUT. CREATE IMPACT. 🚀

About AthletIQ Connect

AthletIQ Connect and its College Pathway Intelligence™ platform help students and families develop personalized strategies for college admissions, scholarships, financial aid, and college funding with a focus on three outcomes: GET ACCEPTED. GET FUNDED. PAY SMARTER.

About Expop

Expop is a six-month entrepreneurship challenge that helps students turn ideas into real-world startups through structured challenges, expert workshops, mentorship, and hands-on startup development.