Rooted in Trust: How Two Moravian Alumni Are Redefining the Future of E-Commerce

When Dale Berkove ’21MA reached out to Priya Francis ’22MA with a business idea in October 2023, the two were hardly more than acquaintances who had passed each other in the halls of Moravian. Dale, then a student at Case Western Reserve University, was looking for a creative partner to help bring his vision of a personalized, trust-based shopping platform to life. Priya, now a rising senior studying marketing at the University of Miami, said yes.

That “yes” became the foundation for Sorcea (pronounced sore-ce-eh), a Cleveland-based startup now reshaping how Gen Z shops online and offering a compelling case study in how Moravian values endure long after graduation.

Sorcea addresses a common frustration in e-commerce: shoppers abandoning carts because they’re unsure if products will work for them. Shopping cart abandonment costs consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands more than $300 billion annually—a monumental challenge. Whether skincare, haircare, or wellness, uncertainty leads to hesitation, and hesitation leads to lost sales. By using real experiences from real people, Sorcea provides shoppers with the validation they need to feel confident about their purchases. “What’s worked for others like me?” is the central question Sorcea helps answer.

The idea first emerged between Dale and his college roommate, Jadon Wyant, who graduated this past June from Case Western Reserve University with a Master’s in Accounting, while Dale earned a degree in Data Science and Analytics. They were the original co-founders who pushed Sorcea from concept to reality. Priya joined soon after to lead marketing. This summer, Priya and Dale were accepted into the prestigious Veale Institute accelerator program at Case Western, where they’ve been immersed in business development, funding strategy, and scaling operations. As of July 2025, Sorcea has grown to a 15-person team supporting thousands of users across the country.

In addition to helping consumers shop with confidence, Sorcea equips brands with real-time, affordable market intelligence powered by in-depth user sentiment.Through its B2B platform, SorceaLabs.com, companies ’22MA with a business idea in October 2023, the two were hardly more than acquaintances who had passed each other in the halls of Moravian. Dale, then a student at Case Western Reserve University, was looking for a creative partner to help bring his vision of a personalized, trust-based shopping platform to life. Priya, now a rising senior studying marketing at the University of Miami, said yes. That “yes” became the foundation for Sorcea (pronounced sore-ce-eh), a Cleveland-based startup now reshaping how Gen Z shops online and offering a compelling case study in how Moravian values endure long after graduation. Sorcea addresses a common frustration in e-commerce: shoppers abandoning carts because they’re unsure if products will work for them. Shopping cart abandonment costs consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands more than $300 billion annually—a monumental challenge. Whether skincare, haircare, or wellness, uncertainty leads to hesitation, and hesitation leads to lost sales. By using real experiences from real people, Sorcea provides shoppers with the validation they need to feel confident about their purchases. “What’s worked for others like me?” is the central question Sorcea helps answer. The idea first emerged between Dale and his college roommate, Jadon Wyant, who graduated this past June from Case Western Reserve University with a Master’s in Accounting, while Dale earned a degree in Data Science and Analytics. They were the original co-founders who pushed Sorcea from concept to reality. Priya joined soon after to lead marketing. This summer, Priya and Dale were accepted into the prestigious Veale Institute accelerator program at Case Western, where they’ve been immersed in business development, funding strategy, and scaling operations. As of July 2025, Sorcea has grown to a 15-person team supporting thousands of users across the country. In addition to helping consumers shop with confidence, Sorcea equips brands with real-time, affordable market intelligence powered by in-depth user sentiment. Through its B2B platform, SorceaLabs.com, companies of all sizes can monitor trends, understand their buyers, and make smarter decisions. The team recently launched the Sorcea app, now available on the Apple App Store, with Android coming soon, and was honored to be featured in the 2025 Rice Business Plan Competition, the world’s largest student startup competition.

Though now close friends and co-founders, Priya and Dale say their partnership wouldn’t have taken shape without a shared confidence in the Moravian Academy experience. Even without a personal connection, Priya trusted that anyone shaped by a Moravian education would be prepared, capable, and values-driven. That belief laid the groundwork for a now-thriving, forward-thinking collaboration. As they put it, “We may not attend the school anymore, but the skills and connections made at Moravian will undoubtedly last a lifetime.” As alumni, educators, and families, we often talk about the intangible benefits of a Moravian education. Sorcea is a powerful, tangible example of what those benefits can lead to. It’s a reminder that while students may move on from our classrooms, the values, relationships, and critical thinking they develop here continue to shape their paths—and in some cases, reshape industries.

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