Without Purdue, Kurtis Sluss would have been underequipped to connect what he learned and how best to apply it to entrepreneurial endeavors. Today, he is a critical part of two Purdue-based companies. As an undergraduate, he founded Reflex, a neurological monitoring medical device company. He raised $1 million to build, test, and commercialize the FDA-registered, app-based device that has helped more than 60,000 patients at 533 clinics with neurological disorders. As the chief executive officer, Sluss's work has produced breakthrough computer vision advancements along with one patent. Reflex clients include researchers with the Department of Defense, academic institutions for neurodegenerative research, and major athletic organizations.

He also is the vice president of process engineering at Swift Fuels, LLC, producer of the only commercially available unleaded aviation fuel and leader in high-octane process technology. Together with the CEO, he has invented a new method that can convert light gases to high-octane fuels. In addition, Sluss has supported laboratory scale-up by designing and building the first-ever pilot plant for this novel technology. He is now personally overseeing the design and execution of a $30 million demonstration plant based on technology that he invented. Not only have his novel inventions produced five patents, but they also have radically decreased full-scale fuel production capital costs. Sluss is a recognized expert in highly exothermic reactive systems, a direct result of his Purdue education.

He is an alumnus of TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield, the largest and most widely recognized pitch competition in the world, and was one of only 17 startups, selected from 700, in 2017 to present in New York City. He also is a graduate of Ocean Accelerator, a Cincinnati-based program.