Grove City College students took home $7,800 in prize money in the recent Elevator Pitch Competition (EPC) hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation (E+I).
The annual event challenges students to quickly and effectively make the case for an innovative idea for a business to potential investors. The ideas for commercial or social enterprises can be at any stage of development.
Student competitors had just two minutes to make their cases and convince the judges their ideas had both merit and the potential to turn a profit. That tight timeclock and the annual competition’s name come from the idea that an effective entrepreneur can pitch an idea in the time it would take to ride in an elevator with a potential investor.
A record-setting 278 student teams entered the competition. Nineteen finalists were selected to face off in person on Nov. 12 in Sticht Lecture Hall on campus in front of an overflow crowd.
Thanks to a last-minute gift from an anonymous donor, commercial and social enterprise prize totals were doubled for this year’s competition.
“After a record shattering number of entries to this annual competition, it is fitting that the prize pool grew to match the demand from students,” said Logan Hammerschmitt ‘16, marketing and operations manager at E+I. “These pitches were among the best I have seen in my five years at the college, and I have heard from many trusted peers that this year’s final round was the best we’ve ever had. Thank you to our sponsors, whose enthusiasm for this competition rivaled that of the students!”
Commercial Enterprise winners:
- 1st ($1,000) Aaron Show ’28 (Computer Science and Data Science) for Venari Track —a tracking device that attaches to an arrow so hunters can responsibly track and harvest wild game and reduce waste.
- 2nd ($800) Rebekah Lockert ’29 (Entrepreneurship) for a Let’s Be Crafty — a build-your-own dollhouse kit with varying levels of difficulty.
- 3rd ($600) Isabel Paul ’28 (History) for AxisPack— a company that combines the best elements of hiking and school backpacks to create a “best of both worlds” bag. Also won the $1,000 Hudson Financial Advisors Prize.
- 4th (tie, both teams won $400) Tyce Bowers ’28 (Entrepreneurship) for Shroudly — a convenient, efficient dust-capturing system for construction or home improvement. Anna Kasianides ’29 (English & Communications) for The Common Thread — a marketplace that fosters community and family values and offers goods and services that focus on healthy, organic, and chemical-free products.
Social Enterprise winners:
- 1st ($1,000) Jessica Pratt ’27 (Communications and Design & Innovation) for Adapted Adventures — a nonprofit video concierge service for individuals with special needs or physical limitations.
- 2nd ($800) Adam Wampler ’29 (Entrepreneurship) for Awkward Pause — a mobile game elevating your communication skills to the next level. Also won $100 Fan Favorite Prize.
- 3rd (tie, both teams won $600) Claire Brandenburg ’29 (Marketing) for Clean That Bookshelf — an app that reviews the explicit content level of books and identifies sections where that content appears for readers who want to avoid it. Sarah Karns ’27 (Entrepreneurship) and Julia Drake ’27 (International Business) for The Diakoneo Project— connecting churches with the needs of their external communities. The Diakoneo Project also won the $500 Social Impact Prize.
This year’s EPC judges included: 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; and Mike Pentz ‘06, vice president, the Calvin Group.
Contest sponsors included Hudson Financial Advisors, Inc., NexTier Bank, the Calvin Group, and the Grove City Foundation (an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Western PA & Eastern OH).
The 114 volunteer reviewers in the first round of the competition were: Jon Althausen '11, David Andrews '86, Zoe Asher '14, Francis Baldwin, George Barr '15, Randy Beck '85, David Bennett '82, Chris Borders '07, Chris Botting '83, Scott Brainard '76, Abigail Brothers '21, Jeffry Brown, Elizabeth Cassillo '21, Chadwyck Cobb '14, Hannah Collier '18, Tim Coneby '20, Brian Coy, Donald Crane, Craig Creaturo '92, Dan Creston '81, Jeff Curran '85, Brad Dearborn '78, Steve DeCaspers '98, Benjamin Demers '19, Rachael Devore, Maverick Dickson '20, Lisa DiFalco '18, Andrew Ellison, Ruth Entwistle '07, David Felts '05, Sondra Fisher '82, Kim Ford '72, Collin Foster '12, Laura Fryan '11, Mareah Garver '13, Michelle Gerwick, Curt Given '84, Brian Gongaware '92, Scott Gordon, Gwen Graybill '96, Glenn Grossman, Michael Hemmerlin '97, Darcie Herron '93, Justine Horst '18, Eric Howard '04, Jim Howe '68, William Howell '81, Edward Huttenhower '76, Melissa Jacobs '92, Jennifer Johnson '98, Bob Keller '73, Aaron Klein '99, Sudha Krishnasamy, Jim Kromka, Lokesh Kumar, Lou LaMarca, Liz LaMarca, Beth Lepore '96, Jeff Lininger '87, Evan Lowe '89, Adam Lowe '18, Brendan Marasco, Kim Marks, Beth Marraccini '96, Wendy Marshall '81, Paul Marshall '78, Scott McDowell '87, Winifred McGee '77, Alan Mesches '71, Patrick Millar, Ronald Miller '75, Trey Miller '95, Benjamin Moyer '01, Holly Muchnok '95, Falco Muscante '20, Curt Newill '67, Tyler Nichols '11, Elisabeth OBrien '16, Daniel Padden '77, Lou Palumbo, Hardik Panchal, Robin Parsons, Amy Petro, Warren Poschman '98, Keith Reagan '06, Tiffany Rice '18, Steven Roman '96, Daniel Rossi-Keen '99, Pamela Rossi-Keen '99, Charles (Bob) Scott '72, Amy Sepp '95, Alissa Sgro '96, Barbara Shultz '95, Neil Skoriak, Stephanie Slezak, Thomas Smith '62, Keith Stover '95, Jill Sweet '85, Ron Templeton '12, Jack Thomas '89, Ann Thomas '93, Dan Thompson '12, Sheila Weatherly '03, Carlee Webb '99, Steve Wickman, Jim Will '98, Colin Williams '97, Angela Williamson '93, Lesley Winfield '92, Sarah Winkler '08, Luca Wrabetz, Bethany Yusiewicz '13, Rena Zhang, and Allison Ziegler '17.
For more information about the Elevator Pitch Competition, including the recording of this year’s event, visit gccentrepreneurship.com/elevator-pitch-competition/
For more about The Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation, visit gccentrepreneurship.com.