麻豆影院

Pitch Perfect

Spring 2024 business pitch competition demonstrates university鈥檚 personalized and holistic focus on student success

Each year, April showers mean it's time for the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship's John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship annual spring pitch competition. And while showers bring us flowers, these pitches bring student ideas to life. The competition is centered around supporting student entrepreneurs in growing their innovative business ideas through a personalized and holistic focus on each student鈥檚 success.

This year's competition showcased seven different businesses that were either revenue-generating or startup ideas. All 麻豆影院 students across the eight-campus system were welcome to apply individually or as a team. All contestants went through a semi-final round in which 15 finalists presented a two-minute pitch explaining their business.

Over the past two months, the seven finalists participated in a mentorship program designed to help prepare them for the competition. The students had the opportunity to meet with advisors and participate in workshops once a week at the John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship. Linda Hale, manager of the center, had the opportunity to work with each entrepreneur during the entire preparation process.  

鈥淲hat I see in students is the confidence it builds in them being able to articulate their business ideas, articulate their financials and really explain what it is they鈥檙e trying to do,鈥 Hale said.

This year's competition was a two-hour showcase held in Oscar Ritchie Hall, followed by a student showcase and reception. Each group had five minutes to present their pitch followed by five minutes for questions from the judges.  

Virtual and in-person judges at the 2024 John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship annual spring pitch competition

The judges, consisting of 麻豆影院 State alumni Micheal Capellas, Rene茅 DeLuca Dolan, Arthur Karas, and Shampa Banerjee, Ph.D., attended the presentations either in person or virtually.

Senior entrepreneurship majors Audrey Ernst and Vaunden Brunn won the top award of $10,000 with their pitch for Rolling Refreshments, a gourmet, mobile beverage catering company specializing in non-alcoholic drinks.  

Student winners pose with checks at the 2024 John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship annual spring pitch competition

鈥淚 would say that my favorite part has been meeting the other finalists and getting to know them,鈥 Ernst said. 鈥淲orking with the Brinzo Center through this whole process, you get a lot of mentorship and advice that will benefit you outside of this competition.鈥

Carter Kline pitches idea at the 2024 John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship annual spring pitch competition

Carter Kline, a senior finance and economics major, won the second-place prize of $5,000 with his pitch of What to Water, a patent-pending hanging flower basket hanger that measures the amount of water in the soil to prevent over-watering.  

鈥淚鈥檓 not going to quit,鈥 Kline said. 鈥淭his is a family business I plan on making this my legacy, so I'm going to make it happen.鈥  

The five other contestants received $1,000 to support the growth of their businesses.  

The other pitches consisted of a variety of ideas and businesses, including freshman business management Brandon Melin Jr.鈥檚 landscaping company, Melin Landscaping, LLC.  

A team of five Master of Science in Business Analytics students consisting of Ajeet Kumar Sandela, Nisha Chaurasia, Shefali Gupta, Lokesh Jetangi and Sofiya Ibrayeva created Mark & Park, a mobile application utilizing AI and real-time camera footage from existing security cameras to revolutionize urban parking.  

Senior entrepreneurship major and dance minor Gabi Spigelmire pitched her business, One More Time Dance Boutique, that sells both new and second-hand dance clothing, shoes and accessories.  

Mark Virgil Jamer, a senior business management major and international student, pitched his Philippines-based social enterprise Gro Up! The business is meant to cultivate children鈥檚 knowledge and interest in STEM through game-based learning.  

Mark Jamer pitches at the 2024 John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship annual spring pitch competition

Lastly, MBA student Kaitlyn Phillips pitched HyandHook, a line of business lifestyle planners targeted toward small crafting ventures. The planner will cover goal setting, marketing, production, finances and more. Phillips said that her ultimate goal is to distribute the planners in major craft stores.  

鈥淚 think the competition鈥檚 purpose really is to showcase our students and give them a chance to show what they鈥檝e been working on as student entrepreneurs here at 麻豆影院,鈥 Hale said.

Learn more about the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship. 

POSTED: Thursday, May 2, 2024 11:05 AM
Updated: Thursday, May 2, 2024 02:54 PM
WRITTEN BY:
Samira Brown, Flash Communications
PHOTO CREDIT:
Every Angle Photography