Nex Marketing is one of 10 teams to participate in the inaugural STARTedUP Alumni Association Showcase and Pitch Competition.
Sayeed Mohammed and Joshua Avila, Munster High School alumni, started Nex Marketing to offer businesses budget-friendly marketing strategies. Mohammed is now a Purdue University Northwest.
They were part of the third-place Novos team in the Innovate WithIN state finals in 2023. They received $2,500 for their business, which offers a kit of essential oils that transports users to a unique culture.
Innovate WithIN is a yearlong entrepreneurship program for Indiana high school students. It culminates in a statewide pitch competition.
Avila also was featured in Northwest Indiana Business Magazine's February-March special section on African Americans in Business.
The alumni teams will pitch their latest ideas to a panel of judges Aug. 4 at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis. First and second-place teams will receive venture capital funding.
Other teams include (Innovate WithIN year):
- UpLift18: Jennifer Vasquez (2023 )
- Nex Marketing: Joshua Avila (2023) and Sayeed Mohammed (2023)
- All-Nighter Game: Isaiah Clark (2024)
- caseflood.ai: Ethan Hilton (2023, 2024) and Tolen Schreid (2024)
- CordPuck: Lextin Willis (2022)
- RelateXR: Izzy Branham (2021, 2022)
- The Crate of Curious Things: Joshua Steely (2024)
- MONO: Samsawm Pakasawn (2023)
- BudgetPal: Saanvi Ibrahimpatnam (2024) & Mia Noel (2024)
- EK Designs: Evelyn Hinshaw (2024), Kayla Reeves (2024), and Idalia Inmam (2024)
Additional alumni showcase participants:
- Intertwined: Kerry Ao (2021, 2022)
- Boomerang Learning: Kris Lau, Abdul-Aleem Mohammed, Parth Patel (2024)
The STARTedUp Foundation began in 2018 and has since served more than 6,000 students.
