Clean Plate Innovations

Duquesne Start-up Sees Continued Growth

Commercial cafeterias, including those on university campuses, waste approximately 5 million tons of food annually, with plate waste accounting for 66% of the waste generated in these dining facilities. The bottom line: overproduction, unpredictable demand, and wasteful consumer behavior cost $11 billion annually.

Concerned about this level of food waste, Nolan Sulpizio (B’24) founded Clean Plate Innovations (CPI), a pioneering cleantech start-up that aims to revolutionize how large-scale dining operations approach food waste using AI-powered, waste-tracking software.

How It Works

Before leftovers are discarded, a camera captures the remnants on a plate. CPI’s software analyzes the image and generates actionable insights which can help dining operators optimize inventory while reducing costs and waste. 

Humble Beginnings

The idea for CPI sparked in ENTR 485, the Entrepreneurship Capstone course. Professor Staci Offutt encouraged Nolan to pitch his idea at techstars_ Start-up Weekend, a three-day hackathon hosted by the School’s Center for Excellence in Entrepreneurship. During this fast-paced pitch competition, Nolan formed a team of fellow Duquesne Business students who rolled up their sleeves and started innovating. After winning second place, Nolan realized the value of his idea and made plans to bring his concept to life.

Building Legitimacy 

After techstars_, Nolan began team building by recruiting Duquesne alumni and faculty (and others) to the CPI team and Advisory Board. CPI’s next big move was to secure a spot in Innovation Works’ (IW) Scalable Residency Program, where they refined their prototype using IW’s facility and began building credibility. 

Duquesne New Venture Challenge (DNVC)

In 2024, CPI entered the DNVC and won the first-place prize of $20,000. For the first time in the DNVC’s six-year history, the winning team consisted entirely of Duquesne alumni and students: Nolan Sulpizio, Daniel Oldak (B’23), Ashton Jell (B’26), and Diego Lopez (B’25).

Along with the generous cash prize, CPI also won 10 hours of free legal education through Duquesne’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law, five hours of free consulting services from Duquesne’s Small Business Development Center, and a six-month license for Palo Alto’s LivePlan, a business planning software. 

Growing Momentum 

CPI recently announced its admittance to Innovation Works’ Alpha Lab hardware accelerator, securing $100,000, access to facility space, and accelerator classes led by industry experts. 

“Our roadmap is clear: in the first 90 days, we’ll refine our beta version, expand customer discovery, and develop a scalable manufacturing plan,” Nolan shared. “From there, we’ll target 3 to 10 pilot programs with partners.”

CPI is capturing attention, ranking 31st in F6S’ list of the top 50 AI companies and start-ups in Pittsburgh in March 2025 and receiving an honorable mention for Technical.ly’s RealLIST Start-ups of 2025.

Shaped by Duquesne University

With guidance from his professors, Nolan took advantage of all learning opportunities. From pitch competitions and networking events to internships, Nolan immersed himself in the regional business community. As he gained experience, his determination to launch a start-up grew. 

CPI remains connected to its Duquesne roots as a client of the Small Business Development Center, a mentor for entrepreneurship students in the Product Innovation course, and is hosting its first-ever internship program for Duquesne students starting in Fall 2025. 

“If it weren’t for the doors unlocked by Duquesne, I wouldn’t have reached this point so fast,” said Nolan. 

Finding Balance

Like many start-up founders, Nolan embraces the challenges of start-up life while balancing a full-time job at Wesco as a Supply Chain Analyst.  

“I love both jobs—I get to be in a structured environment nine to five, solving large-scale problems with the backing of a Fortune 500 company,” he said. “Then, from five to twelve, I get to be creative and lead an awesome team.”

Looking to the Future

CPI is growing quickly, partnering with respected regional organizations to bring their innovative product to the communities they serve.

Follow their growth online at cleanplateinnovations.com