The Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation (E+I) at Grove City College will hold the final round of its annual Elevator Pitch Competition (EPC) at 7 p.m. Nov. 12 in Sticht Lecture Hall of the Staley Hall of Arts and Letters on campus.
Eighteen teams of students will pitch their commercial or social enterprise concept to a panel of professionals in this final round for the chance to win prize money and, perhaps, turn their ideas into reality. These pitches were gleaned by a panel of reviewers who evaluated the student pitches in the first round of the competition.
This year’s competition received a record-setting 278 student entries, an increase of 65% over last year and the highest total in the history of the 19-year-old competition. Thirty-seven different majors plus dual enrolled students were represented by those who entered the competition, which is open to Grove City College students of all majors.
“We’re excited to see the tremendous growth in registrations for the EPC. We’re especially grateful to faculty from various departments who have seen the value of the competition and encouraged their students to participate as this competition equips our students to bring their exciting and inspirational ideas to the world,” said Yvonne J. English ’97, professor of practice and executive director of E+I.
The EPC finals event is free and open to the public.
It will also be livestreamed at gccentrepreneurship.com/elevator-pitch-competition-finals-2025.
The competition is named for the frequently used term, which means “tell me about your new venture within the time it would take to ride up an elevator.” Students have just two minutes to present their ideas, which can be at any stage of development.
The goal of the Elevator Pitch Competition is to teach students to communicate effectively and allow their charisma and positive characteristics to shine through in just a short pitch.
This year’s finalists are:
Commercial Enterprise
- AxisPack—Isabel Paul ’28 (History); a company that combines the best elements of hiking and school backpacks to create a “best of both worlds” bag.
- ChargeBand—Miles Frank (dual enrolled high school student); a water bottle accessory that serves as a tech charger.
- EZ Harness—Abby Hagen ‘29 (Design & Innovation); an easy-to-use animal harness.
- Go Go Gutter—Emmalene Durfee ’28 (Accounting); a robotic gutter cleaner.
- In the Know—Cadence Gilbert ’29 (Undeclared); a nutrition-focused app for those with special dietary needs.
- Let’s Be Crafty—Rebekah Lockert ’29 (Entrepreneurship); a build-your-own dollhouse kit with varying levels of difficulty.
- RIDES: Rider Integrated Danger Evasion System—Kaiden Williams ’29 (Mechanical Engineering); an after-market AI sensor for motorcycle safety.
- Shroudly—Tyce Bowers ’28 (Entrepreneurship); a convenient, efficient dust-capturing system for construction or home improvement.
- SpeakUP—Kendall Coddington ’27 (Computer Science); a gamified public speaking app that helps users overcome the fear of public speaking.
- The Common Thread—Anna Kasianides ’29 (English & Communications); a marketplace that fosters community and family values and offers goods and services that focus on healthy, organic, and chemical-free products.
- Tuned—Sam Reese ’29 (Finance and Accounting); an efficient, cost-effective smart piano-tuning device.
- Venari Track—Aaron Show ’28 (Computer Science and Data Science); a tracking device that attaches to an arrow so hunters can responsibly track and harvest wild game and reduce waste.
Social enterprise
- Adapted Adventures—Jessica Pratt ’27 (Communications and Design & Innovation); a nonprofit video concierge service for individuals with special needs or physical limitations.
- Awkward Pause—Adam Wampler ’29 (Entrepreneurship); a mobile game elevating your communication skills to the next level.
- Clean That Bookshelf—Claire Brandenburg ’29 (Marketing); an app that reviews the explicit content level of books and identifies sections where that content appears for readers who want to avoid it.
- Digital Literacy Bridge—Alexander Bennett ’26 (Computer Science); pairs college student volunteers with senior citizens and low-income families for personalized computer and internet training.
- Mentor Mashup—Erynn McKelvy ’27 (English); a mentoring program for moms and young women to learn from those who have come before them.
- The Diakoneo Project—Sarah Karns ’27 (Entrepreneurship) and Julia Drake ’27 (International Business); connecting churches with the needs of their external communities.
“After receiving a record shattering number of entries to the competition this year, it’s looking like the finals will be tougher than ever,” said Logan Hammerschmitt ‘16, who serves as the Marketing + Operations Manager for E+I. “After watching all the finalists’ pitches, I can honestly say any of them could walk away with first place. The finals judges will have a tall task in front of them to select our winners.”
Elevator Pitch Competition judges will award cash prizes for first ($500), second ($400), and third ($300) place (plus a fourth ($200) place winner in the commercial category) and the audience will weigh in to determine the winner of a $100 Fan Favorite award. Additionally, two special prizes will also be awarded: a $500 Social Impact Prize by the Grove City Foundation (awarded by Grove City Foundation president Dorene Powell) and a $1,000 prize awarded by Don Tharp of Hudson Financial Advisors, Inc.
This year’s judges include:
- Don Tharp, founder and president, Hudson Financial Advisors, Inc.
- Mitch McFeely, vice president and business development officer, NexTier Bank
- Elisabeth O’Brien ’16, director of product, IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Mark Pentz ‘81, president, the Calvin Group
- Mike Pentz ‘06, vice president, the Calvin Group
Sponsors include Hudson Financial Advisors, Inc., NexTier Bank, Calvin Group, and the Grove City Foundation (an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Western PA & Eastern OH).
For more about E+I, visit gccentrepreneurship.com.