Three innovators earned investment capita in eight minutes at Purdue University Northwest's Big Sell pitch competition May 3.
“The PNW Big Sell is consistently a unique opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to share their startup ideas while collaborating with students with PNW College of Business students to refine their concepts,” said Alexandra Moran, assistant professor of practice in management, in a press release. “We appreciate both the generous sponsorships and the enthusiasm from all involved to produce this year’s showcase of innovation and support the presenters’ business goals.”
A panel of three judges chose the trio from a field of nine finalists. The judges were: Faith Spencer, CEO of Iron Works Corp.; Shaunte Robinson, executive director at JP Morgan; and James Kornas, executive vice president at Ozinga Rail.
The top three won seed money. The winners are:
- No. 1 – $10,000: Nabeel Rabie, Scent Seal. The concept features an applicator to prevent body fragrances from quickly fading.
- No. 2 – $3,000: Allyson Straka, Frozen Garden. Fruits and vegetables from area farmers are processed and frozen into smoothie pouches.
- No. 3 – $1,000: Paul Walczak, Yuda. This app allows small service providers, such as landscapers and caterers, to share invoices directly from their cellphones.
Other finalists include:
- Alexis Karahalios – Septo
- Felipe Trejo – Easily repairable and customizable wireless gaming mouse
- Dhara Patel – Shield
- Orion Traulle – Jamhouse LLC
- Ashton Verbish – SafetyGlow
- Donna Webster – Breath’g Vegan LLC
- Caiden Carlson – FEAST
- Max Beller – Max Bar
Previous winners were not eligible to compete.
The 14th annual Big Sell was hosted by Purdue University Northwest College of Business and Office of Commercialization and Research.
