Horn Entrepreneurship held its 2021 Spring Pitch Party virtually this past Wednesday, an event where students were able to pitch ideas for business ventures with the possibility of winning awards and prizes.
The evening was hosted by Faculty Director of Venture Support Vince DiFelice and Entrepreneurship Club (E-Club) president Alvaro Buenano. Students had 90 seconds to make their pitch to a panel of judges comprised of Horn alumni and entrepreneurs who would provide initial feedback after each pitch. This year’s judging panel included Lily Wolfe, BE20, Farhad Baqi, BE17, and Brianna Bannach, BE20.
Moreover, with a total of 20 teams participating, the event provided an opportunity not only for students to gain experience with pitching and presenting, but for them to also offer support and encouragement to their fellow students.
“Pitching is very similar to going to the gym,” Buenano said. “No one goes to simply be there. Every single person is there to work on themselves and their goals. Each pitcher respects one another and you can make connections with every person who is going through the same process that you are.”
Students and teams were split into two competition categories, a Beginner’s Track and an Advanced Track.
In the Beginner’s Track, superlatives were awarded to the following student teams:
Most Creative: QuickDress by Curtis Aiken III
Most Interesting: New Age gym for younger generation and influencers by Aidan Moffa
Most Promising: Fresh Start by Mo Mahmood
Most Motivated: Murder Mystery Game Platform by Mingxuan Li
3rd, 2nd, and 1st place winners of the Beginners Track received, respectively, $250, $500, and $750 worth of reimbursable funds towards customer discovery. Winners of this track were:
3rd Place: Soceaze by Derek Mihalecsko
2nd Place: BlueHen Chat by Giordana Daniels, Caitlin Iannetta, and Hussein Bazzi
1st Place: Fresh 'n Fold by Catherine Johnson
In the Advanced Track, superlatives were awarded to the following student teams:
Most Creative: Meal Supreme by Santha Rani and Esha Shah
Most Interesting: Metamorphic Housing Solutions by Sophia Angeletakis and CJ Benito
Most Promising: A tie between Stemmer by Samuel Goetz and Julian Wahl, and Common Ground by Lynn Roberts
Most Motivated: UP Cycle Design by Sierra RyanWallick and Michelle Yatvitskiy
All top 3 winners in the Advanced Track received an automatic berth to the Hen Hatch Semifinals. Winners of this track were:
3rd place: Dear Volunteer by Isabella Duarte
2nd place: Pick-Up Sports by Michael Meola
1st place: Stemmer by Samuel Goetz and Julian Wahl
About Horn Entrepreneurship
Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement at the University of Delaware. Currently ranked among the best entrepreneurship programs in the US, Horn Entrepreneurship was built and is actively supported by successful entrepreneurs, empowering aspiring innovators as they pursue new ideas for a better world.
