Pitch competition gives students platform to bring ideas to life

On Friday, a local pitching competition brought together aspiring Syracuse University student entrepreneurs to address the issue of public health. In its second year, the competition more than doubled in size.

“It’s important to promote entrepreneurship and to take into account that sustainability is not just environmental but also social and investing in people who are willing to make the world a better place,” Ava Lubkemann, a junior majoring in environmental engineering who competed in the event.

Lubkemann won the second-place grant prize of $3,000 for Revamped, a second-hand mobile clothing business based in an upcycled school bus. The business focuses on landfill diversion and provides low-income communities with affordable clothing options.

The event was hosted by the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health. They provide student entrepreneurs with the opportunity to transform their proposed solutions into implementable ones. The Lerner Center has now partnered with the Blackstone LaunchPad based in Bird Library, a program that supports aspiring student entrepreneurs through networking and community building, for the event. Contestants are given support beforehand from advisors at the Lerner Center to prepare for the five minutes they are allotted to pitch their ideas, followed by a four-minute Q&A from the judges.

Vicente Cuevas, the undergraduate student engagement manager for the Lerner Center, said competitions like this are important in validating students’ aspirations.

“It’s not just about the pitch, it’s about what happens after. It’s about giving the space, support, and belief that your ideas are not only valid but viable,” Cuevas said.

Haley Greene, an advertising senior, won the third-place honorable mention for Miirror, a digital healthcare company that creates support systems for people struggling with eating disorders. Greene said specific innovator competitions are significant, especially among a large population of entrepreneurs.

“It’s special when there’s one that highlights a certain category and type of entrepreneurship in business, it makes the win more meaningful when you know you won because your business has created an impact,” Greene said.

Souleymane Bah, a senior studying international relations, won first place, receiving a $5,000 grant prize with GritGateway, an AI platform. The platform is designed to assist African students in earning scholarships and global opportunities, and the win is only one step in a long process.

“It feels good, but there is a lot more to go with this. There is a purpose for us in doing this. We want to change lives, and this is just our beginning,” he said.