Tulane Senior Isabella Kulstad to launch Cloud IX, an AI App and startup company to support victims of sexual violence
Isabella Kulstad with Kimberly Gramm, Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer at the Tulane Innovation Institute.
Isabella Kulstad, a senior at the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering and President of the School of Science and Engineering Student Government, has developed an AI-powered chatbot app called Cloud IX designed to provide essential support and resources for victims of sexual violence on and off college campuses. The app will be piloted in August 2025, offering access to over 125,000 students across nine universities. It will connect survivors with confidential assistance.
As the founder and CEO of Cloud IX, Kulstad credits her initial entry point to launching her startup to Tulane's Title IX department, which awarded her a grant as part of their All In initiative. “I already had the idea for Cloud IX, but applying for the grant helped me realize how well it aligned with the needs of universities," she explained. The app combines the capabilities of a large language model with a tailored approach, featuring university-specific resources and confidential, encrypted support to assist survivors discreetly.
A financial runway is essential for startups to grow, and Kulstad started participating in additional pitch competitions at the university. She participated in the Tulane Innovation Institute’s Open Season competition, securing first place and winning a $3,000 prize. She also competed in the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship's Pitch Friday series, where she was awarded $1,500. These monetary awards have significantly impacted the Cloud IX team. "Before Open Season and Pitch Friday, our team consisted of just me and a development team," she shared. "The prize money has allowed us to hire a Director of Strategic Partnerships, who has been instrumental in establishing new collaborations. We have also allocated funds to cover the hosting costs for our pilot program, including the necessary expenses for HECVAT-compliant data encryption."
In addition to funding, the Tulane Innovation Institute and Lepage Center have supported Kulstad’s entrepreneurial pursuits with business mentorship and pitch coaching from staff and the Green Wave Innovation Network. She was also recently accepted to participate in the Tulane Innovation Institute Startup Team Mentoring. On March 26, 2025, she will compete in the Tulane Innovation Day $50K Demo Day, a lead partner event during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week.
Isabella Kulstad at a Tulane Innovation Institute Speed Mentoring event with Green Wave Innovation Network mentors, Maartje van Krieken (left), and Blake Restel (center).
Kulstad has made the most of her undergraduate experience at Tulane University by engaging in various events, clubs, and research labs. Notably, she participated in the inaugural cohort of the Tulane University School of Medicine’s AI Healthcare Design Lab. She views Cloud IX as an innovative initiative at the intersection of artificial intelligence, education, and healthcare. “AI is not commonly utilized in educational settings or in the design of healthcare services,” she observed. “The Design Lab connects me with professionals in high-growth sectors and provides a strong foundation for building a biotech startup.”
Her academic accomplishments include nearly three years of research at the Galazo Lab, part of the Tulane Brain Institute, where she investigates the development of cortical projection neurons. Additionally, she leads the Tulane Synthetic Biology Club under the direction of Dr. Nicholas Sandoval in Chemical Engineering, where she has driven CRISPR research globally. Kulstad has competed twice in the Global Open Genetic Engineering Competition, completing significant work on the Cas12a and Cas13 endonucleases.
Kulstad also shared her research at the Tulane Research, Innovation, and Creativity Summit in April 2024 about reprogramming the identity of Cortical Projection Neurons. She focused on how this process influences important molecular pathways and transcription factors.
Isabella Kulstad at the Tulane Research, Innovation and Creativity Summit 2024
Outside Tulane University, Cloud IX has been accepted into the 4.0 Tiny Fellowship from 4.0 Schools. This program supports educational technology entrepreneurs by providing resources and mentorship to prepare for broader implementation. As part of the fellowship, Isabella will join a cohort of entrepreneurs to pilot Cloud IX at universities across the U.S. She was also recently accepted into IdeaCorps, a Loyola University Accelerator, and has participated in the IdeaInstitute with the Idea Village.
Isabella Kulstad acknowledges the enormity of the issue that Cloud IX aims to address but remains optimistic. "Sexual violence affects every corner of society," she stated. "Our mission is to revolutionize how campuses handle these conversations, but we don’t intend to stop there. To quote David Mitchell, author of the novel Cloud Atlas, ‘What is an ocean but a multitude of drops?’"
With the launch of Cloud IX, Kulstad contributes her own “drops” of knowledge, innovation, compassion, and determination, offering a lifeline to students seeking support after experiencing sexual violence. The app’s pilot in 2025 marks a significant step toward reshaping how universities address this important health issue.
