KENT, Ohio - Ten finalists competed in the John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship’s Idea Pitch competition at Kent State University on December 1.
The Idea Pitch competition helps Kent State students develop their startup companies and pitch their business ideas to a panel of executive judges to win cash prizes.
Winners were:
- Sophia Edmunds, a senior fashion merchandising major, won first place with REVEIL:
- REVEIL undergarments allow women to feel limitless in their activewear by concealing uncomfortable feminine lines. REVEIL’s thoughtful design provides comfort, smooth structure and endless wear.
- Adison Colin, a senior entrepreneurship major, won second place with Make Change:
- Make Change is a mobile app that allows users to round up at checkout and donate to the charity of their choosing when they use their card for a purchase. Make Change will connect to users’ bank accounts and help them donate within their means for cents at a time. With the ability to set limits, minimums and multipliers, all users will be able to help make positive change through philanthropy.
- Cedrick Kelly, a senior paralegal studies major, won third place with Sckramble:
- Sckramble is the preeminent daily golf competition network where golfers play for cash and prizes. Golfers of similar skill levels enter contests at one of Sckramble’s premiere golf courses worldwide to compete against each other 1-on-1 or tournament style.
- Lefonda Steward, a sophomore fashion design major, won fourth place with Handmii:
- Handmii is designed to offer skin-complementary undergarments for black women. These undergarments are structured and designed to fit all body types and empower black women to feel confident in their own bodies.
- Kaitlyn Phillips, a senior entrepreneurship major, won fifth place with Technicollar:
- Technicollar is a B2C, e-commerce, knitwear-based clothing brand that creates matching fashion for pets and their owners. Technicollar’s products are comfortable, unique and stylish, with a focus on recreating the way society sees fashion for animals.
Additional participants included the following:
- Samantha Flucht, a senior fashion design major, pitched Sammy Whammy’s:
- Sammy Whammy’s is a gender-neutral, sweatshop-free, made to be handed-down children’s wear company. The company seeks to bridge the gap between traditional kid’s wear and gender-neutral wear by creating fun, kid-approved clothing without the labels.
- Audrey Ernst, a junior entrepreneurship major, pitched The Coffee Trailer:
- The Coffee Trailer brings the elements of a coffee shop that everyone knows and loves to a food truck concept. Offering specialty coffee, teas and smoothies as well as pastries and snacks, this “coffee shop on wheels” allows consumers to socialize or take part in the event they are attending without having to sit down to eat. For years, coffee has brought people together, and The Coffee Trailer allows for connections to be made in a unique and convenient way.
- Dante Leone, a senior entrepreneurship major, pitched Modern Investor:
- Modern Investor is an information-based website that aims to educate K-12 students regarding financial literacy. Money management is almost always a neglected subject in a student’s academic career. As the country enters an economic recession, the demand for financial education has never been higher.
- Monni Cozzens, a senior entrepreneurship major, pitched Embell-ish:
- Embell-ish is the next generation of shaving and grooming care. As a gender-neutral line of skin-beneficial shaving and hair removal products, formulas are curated for all skin types while prioritizing the multicultural consumer.
- Gabriel Arsego, a senior entrepreneurship major, pitched World at Your Door:
- World at Your Door is a subscription box service that provides food products from different countries around the globe to serve not only the international students at Kent State University, but anyone who is interested in trying new tastes. We want to bring a bit of culture in the form of food to your doorstep.
The judges for the event were:
- Joelle Brock, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Leading EDJE
- Tom Haag, President KYOCERA SGS Precision Tools
- Bill Baumel, Managing Director, Ohio Innovation Fund
- Sandra Volpe, Director, Board of Directors of Republic Services (RSG)
- Jason Morris, Venture Capitalist
About Kent State University’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship
Kent State University’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship is among the fewer than 1% of business schools worldwide to obtain dual accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) in both business and accounting. The college offers 11 undergraduate majors, 14 minors, an undergraduate Professional Sales Certificate; master’s degrees in accounting (online), MBA (executive, in-person and online), business analytics (in-person and online) and economics; four graduate certificates and a Ph.D. program. For more information about Kent State’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, visit www.kent.edu/crawford.