Finalists will compete for a prize pool worth $30,000 in the 2026 edition of the Wolverine Venture Battle hosted by Grove City College’s Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation (E+I).
The final round is set for 1 p.m. Friday, April 24 in Sticht Auditorium of the Staley Hall of Arts and Letters on campus. The event is free and open to the public. It will be livestreamed at gccentrepreneurship.com.
Robb Myer, interim executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation at Grove City College, said he was excited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Wolverine Venture Battle.
“What makes this competition truly special is not just the awards for the student entrepreneurs, but the extraordinary generosity of our alumni and sponsors who continue to invest in the next generation of entrepreneurs. Their unwavering support is a testament to the strength of the Grove City College community. I am deeply honored to join the work of forming this generation who are designing a better tomorrow for the common good. I can't wait to see their visions come to life,” he said.
The venture pitch contest is one of E+I’s tentpole events. Open to students from all majors, the Wolverine Venture Battle provides invaluable experience for aspiring entrepreneurs and a crucial test for their business ideas, which can be at any stage of development.
Each team will have eight minutes to make their case and another five to field questions from a panel of accomplished judges who will divvy up the prize pool by “investing” in the teams they think made the best pitch.
To make it to the finals, teams survived a rigorous evaluation by independent reviewers who scored the teams’ pitches based on criteria such as their solution to a real problem, their forecasted costs and revenue, and their unfair advantage.
The eight student teams in the finals were drawn from a pool of 23 teams comprised of 72 students from every class year and 18 different majors who pitched their ventures to a team of Grove City College reviewers.
The venture battle finalists and their venture ideas are:
- Asset-Based Intelligence (Andrew Coy ‘26, Josh Elverson ’26, Isaac Nowrasteh ’26) – Simplifies and automates much of the asset-based lending field exam process, increasing efficiency and decreasing costs for lenders.
- Claritas Arts Academy (Maya O’Dell ‘28, Ginger Schiffmayer ’26, Sophie Spilak ’28) – Offers a unique model for classical Christian summer camps by providing structure and support to local teachers to meet local needs.
- Common Ground (Dallas Casciani ’27, Savannah Henschel ’27) – Eases the process of coordinating meetings by suggesting preferable locations and connecting calendar availability.
- Medicap (Truman Eichler ‘28, Jonathan Steen ’28, Zachary Wilson ’27) – A smart pill bottle that tracks medication usage and provides real-time insights to patients and caretakers to improve medication adherence.
- Ringless Automation (Owen Gasser ‘26, Tobias Leithart ’26, Antonio Sanguigni ’26) – An agency built to help small trades-based businesses succeed by giving them a full time AI receptionist.
- Scanvas (Alex Anderson ‘26, Ryan Merrick ’27, Ellie Rodriguez ’26, Cayden Testa ’26) – Utilizes a patented QAR code technology that seamlessly combines multiple codes into one code invisibly hidden in packaging artwork.
- Sovereign (Alex Bepristis ’26, Harrison Houle ’28) – Transforms underutilized luxury homes into an exclusive, membership-driven network.
- TRADE (Audrey Karwowski ‘26, Kaitlyn Kuscevic ’27, Brendan Stull ’26) – A platform that connects students to skilled trades through shadowing and internship experiences, giving them career clarity while helping employers build future talent.
In addition to the judges’ allocations of prize money, teams will vie for four additional prizes: The Hudson Financial Advisors prize ($1,000); Most Innovative Use of AI for Human Flourishing sponsored by GLOO ($1,000); the Junior Judges Award determined by students from Arise Classical Academy in Sewickley, PA ($500), and the Fan Favorite Award determined by texted votes from those watching the competition live and online ($500).
This year’s judges represent experienced entrepreneurs, founders, CEOs, and a variety of professionals and alumni, including Lori Brinker ’96, Alex Cook, Dan Creston ’81, Pete Durfee ’80, RJ Fryan ’08, Darrin Grove ’91, Melissa Jacobs ’92, Liam Krut ’14, Rick Newton ’86, Elisabeth O’Brien ’16, Paul Passaro, Mark Pentz ’81, Michael Pentz ’06, Don Tharp, and Barbara VanKirk.
Volunteer professional mentors helped the teams prepare for the Wolverine Venture Battle. They include David Bennett ’82, Jeff Curran ’85, Benjamin Demers ’19, William Howell ’81, Evan Lowe, Winifred McGee ’77, Trey Miller ’95, Haley Nerlich ’93, Pamela Rossi-Keen ’99, Lorie J. Scrabis Yaccino, Allyson Sveda ’88, and Jim Zuidema.
The Wolverine Venture Battle’s prize pool of $30,000 in cash and in-kind support comes from sponsors: Hudson Financial Advisors, Inc.; GLOO; St. Louis Arch Angels; IQ Inc.; Newton Institute; Truefit; Calvin Group; The Passaro Family; Shannon and Melissa (Marshall ‘92) Jacobs, Laura (Koller '11) and RJ Fryan '08; Lori (Shoemaker ’96) and John Brinker; Dan Creston ’81; Susan (Peshek '81) and Peter Durfee '80; The Pentz Family (Mark ‘81, Cheri ‘79, Michael ‘06, and Yvonne ‘06); John '68 & Betsy Baun Charitable Foundation (Pittsburgh Foundation); Sisterson & Co., LLP, Pittsburgh Web Design, and CIRDEC Consulting, LLC.
Finalists were selected by a panel of reviewers, including Frances Baldwin, Randy Beck ’85, David Bennett ’82, Chris Botting ’83, Scott Brainard ’76, Freddie Bremble ’80, Craig Creaturo ’92, Dan Creston ’81, Jeff Curran ’85, Jeff Cypher ’19, Brad Dearborn ’78, Benjamin Demers ’19, Andrew Ellison ’12, Ruth Entwistle ’07, Kim Ford ’72, Collin Foster ’12, Michelle Gerwick, Curt Given ’84, Glenn Grossman, Darcie Herron ’93, Edward Huttenhower ’76, Anthony Jantzi ’11, Bob Keller ’73, Beth Lepore ’96, Evan Lowe ’89, Wendy Marshall ’81, Paul Marshall ’78, Scott McDowell ’87, Winifred McGee ’77, Alan Mesches ’71, William Messner ’96, Trey Miller, Haley Nerlich ’16, Daniel Oldak, Robin Parsons ’87, Patricia Premick ’84, Steven Roman ’96, Pamela Rossi-Keen ’99, Lorie Scrabis, Neil Skoriak ’75, Allyson Sveda ’88, Kelley Teitsworth ’08, Jack Thomas ’89, Steve Wickman ’76, Sarah Winkler ’08, and Jim Zuidema.