KENT, Ohio - Seven finalists will compete in С»ÆƬÊÓƵ’s John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship’s annual CEBIpitch competition for a chance to win a share of $20,000 in cash prizes. The John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship is housed in the С»ÆƬÊÓƵ Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship.
The annual CEBIpitch event helps С»ÆƬÊÓƵ entrepreneurship students launch and grow their startup companies and earn funds to support it. The event will take place virtually at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 21. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required Registered attendees will receive a link to view the pitch the week of the event.
The seven finalists will virtually pitch their business ideas to a panel of executive judges. This year’s finalists are as follows:
- Ethan Cregan, a junior entrepreneurship major, will pitch his company, ECregs Outdoors.
- The world needs more adventure. ECregs Outdoors is an adventure lifestyle brand that inspires the world to find adventure through captivating video content and outdoors apparel. The company promotes the idea that travel is the greatest educator, and that life is best lived outdoors.
- Lauren Hollis, a junior entrepreneurship major, will pitch her company, Pineapple Loop.
- Pineapple Loop creates affordable, hand-crafted jewelry, specializing in custom-made rings, necklaces, and bracelets. Each piece is a personalized and one-of-a-kind creation, limited only by the customers’ imagination. With over 4,000 products delivered to 18 countries, Pineapple Loop has positioned itself as a unique, global jewelry company.
- Jordan Hunt, a senior entrepreneurship major, will pitch his company, Mainstreet Microgreens.
- MainStreet Microgreens is devoted to growing the finest quality microgreens and delivering them to your door anywhere in the continental United States. Microgreens are baby vegetable greens with more nutrients than their full-size vegetable counterparts, so imagine a plant the size of a four-leaf clover with more nutrients than a head of broccoli. The company’s goal is to make microgreens available to everyone in the United States and revolutionize how people buy microgreens.
- Kaitlyn Phillips, a junior entrepreneurship major, will pitch her company, Technicollar.
- Technicollar is a fashion brand that creates matching products for pets and their owners. They produce a variety of clothing products that are sustainably made, comfortable, and stylish, with a focus on recreating the way society sees fashion for animals.
- Amrth Shenava, a senior majoring in computer science, will pitch his company, Flashmates.
- Flashmates is an app that makes it easier for students to find affordable off-campus housing and roommates based on their preference and interests, as well as provide tools to help them manage their finances while in college.
- Chris Vogt, a marketing major, will pitch his company, LinkApp.
- ‘Social’ Media isn’t social. Socialize with new people in your area with geo-fenced chats, find hangouts and make plans with ease in our immersive real-life social media platform. As seen on Grant Cardone’s show, Tech Tank, LinkApp already has thousands of downloads in 20 countries.
- Angelique Wong, a senior fashion design major, will pitch her company, Artuza.
- Artuza is an athleisure brand with a goal is to create activewear and chic garments, with a size range of XXS-5X, that allows all to feel comfortable in a variety of social and personal settings. The company utilizes moisture-absorbing and stretch comfort fabrics that give the wearer a garment that functions based on their needs.
Judges for the event are as follows:
- Shampa Banerjee is a С»ÆƬÊÓƵ Ph.D. graduate and the Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer of Pluto TV at ViacomCBS. Dr. Banerjee holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from С»ÆƬÊÓƵ and a master’s degree in physics from Case Western Reserve University and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.
- John S. Brinzo is the retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE-CLF). He graduated from С»ÆƬÊÓƵ in 1964 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in marketing and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Case Western Reserve University.
- Michael Capellas ’76 is founder and CEO of Capellas Partners, a strategic technology advisory firm. He serves on the boards of Flex (Chair), Cisco, JDA (Chair), Cylance and Solace Systems. He is a senior advisor to Blackstone and is also on the Advisory Board of Kony.
- Matt Likens is President and CEO of GT Medical Technologies. Formerly, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Ulthera Division, Merz Pharma GmbH. Likens graduated cum laude from С»ÆƬÊÓƵ in 1975 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in marketing.
С»ÆƬÊÓƵ С»ÆƬÊÓƵ’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship
С»ÆƬÊÓƵ’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship is among the fewer than 1% of business schools worldwide to obtain dual accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in both business and accounting. The college boasts 11 undergraduate majors, 14 minors, three graduate certificates, an undergraduate Professional Sales Certificate program; master’s degrees in accounting (online), business administration, business analytics (in-person and online) and economics; as well as a Ph.D. program with concentrations in accounting, finance, information systems, management and marketing. For more information about С»ÆƬÊÓƵ’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, visit www.kent.edu/crawford.