After 16 weeks of creativity, collaboration, and courage, our Student Entrepreneurs Academy wrapped up with an unforgettable Pitch Contest on March 3rd at Park University. The evening marked the culmination of months of learning, mentoring, and real-world business building—and showcased just how powerful young entrepreneurs can be when given the right tools and support.
From Ideas to Action: Preparing for the Pitch
The journey to the final pitch didn’t happen overnight. Throughout the program, students developed business ideas from the ground up, learning everything from customer discovery and branding to financials and storytelling.
As pitch day approached, students had multiple opportunities to test and refine their ideas:
Business Fair Open House
To prepare for pitching, students first participated in a Business Fair, designed as an open-house-style event. Community members, mentors, family, and supporters circulated through the fair, engaging directly with students about their products, services, and value propositions.
This experience gave students a chance to:
- Practice explaining their businesses to diverse audiences
- Receive real-time feedback and questions
- Build confidence in presenting their ideas
The fair brought energy, conversation, and validation—reminding students that their ideas mattered beyond the classroom.
Pitch Rehearsal with Community Feedback
Next, students took part in a Pitch Rehearsal, where members of the business community listened to practice pitches and offered thoughtful, constructive feedback. This step proved invaluable, helping students sharpen their messaging, clarify their impact, and strengthen their delivery before stepping onto the main stage.
Pitch Night at Park University
The program culminated in a high-energy Pitch Contest hosted at Park University, where four student entrepreneurs competed for prizes, including cash, gift cards, and swag generously donated by members of our business community.
This year’s student entrepreneurs:
- Eli Traubenberg
- Isabel Meixner
- James Howell
- Vann Keough
Each student delivered a compelling pitch, answered challenging questions, and demonstrated not only business savvy, but poise, resilience, and growth.
The event was expertly emceed by Lisa Mont-Ros, who kept the evening running smoothly and brought enthusiasm and professionalism to the stage.
Our Judges
A panel of five judges brought diverse experience and perspectives, asking thoughtful questions and engaging in careful deliberation:
- Adam Baugh of Withey, Morris, Baugh
- Ashlee Hanover of Desert Financial Credit Union
- Peppur Chambers of Collaborative Sign and Design
- Daryl Chester of Jester’s Billiards and Rino D’s Pizza & Wings
- Alex Sarantis of Employee Benefit Exchange
Their feedback and questions pushed students to think critically and articulate their visions clearly—an experience that mirrors real-world investor conversations.
Celebrating the Winners
After deliberation, the judges selected the following winners:
Runner-Up: Isabel Meixner
Business:TACTILETHEORYK Isabel’s business is a Kandi-based brand designed to support and spread awareness of neurodiversity. Through creativity, self-expression, and community, TACTILETHEORYK highlights inclusion and understanding while turning art into impact.
Grand Prize Winner: James Howell
Business:Young at Heart Box James captured the top prize with Young at Heart Box, a monthly subscription service built around a simple but powerful idea:
“We help seniors to not be bored by sending them a fun monthly subscription box.”
By addressing loneliness and boredom among seniors, James demonstrated how entrepreneurship can solve real problems with empathy and innovation.
More Than a Competition
While prizes and recognition were well deserved, the true success of the Student Entrepreneurs Academy lies in the growth of its students. Over 16 weeks, participants learned to:
- Take risks and iterate on ideas
- Accept and apply feedback
- Communicate confidently
- See themselves as capable entrepreneurs
Gratitude to Our Community
This experience would not have been possible without the incredible support of our speakers, mentors, judges, partners, and business community members. Their time, expertise, encouragement, and generosity created a meaningful, real-world learning experience that students will carry with them long after pitch night.
To everyone who helped make this program possible—thank you for believing in our students and investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs.
We can’t wait to see where these young founders go next.
