Wright Venture | Photo by Jahid Hasan | The Wright State Guardian
On April 10, students were able to showcase their innovative ideas in hopes of garnering professional support. The “Wright Venture” event was akin to the university’s very own “Shark Tank.”
About the event
At Wright State University, the entrepreneurial spirit was alive and thriving at the “Wright Venture” event. Students had the opportunity to present their ideas to the judges.
The participants were all eager to present their startup concepts. Expert judges, affectionately called “wolves,” provided valuable feedback to contestants and attendees.
The event underscores the university’s dedication to fostering creativity and enterprise among its students. Dr. Kendall Goodrich, faculty advisor to the Wright State Entrepreneurship Club, has positive things to say about the event.
“I love Wright Venture. It’s a joy to work with aspiring entrepreneurs at Wright State and have a platform like Wright Venture where students can gain experience and bring their ideas to reality,” Goodrich said.
Introduction
Donald Hopkins, serving as interim dean of the Raj Soin College of Business Administration, spearheaded the program. He also introduced the esteemed panel of judges.
The judging panel, aptly named the “Wolves of WSU,” brought their expertise and insights to the event, evaluating the pitches of aspiring entrepreneurs with keen scrutiny. After the program’s inauguration, Makenzie Burgan, president of the Entrepreneurship Club, took the helm as host for the rest of the event’s proceedings.
Panel of judges
Lesly Ott, chief operating officer of James Investment Research, Jonah Sandler, founder and CEO of Scene75 Entertainment, and Beth Savage, former CEO of PQ Systems and current advocate for “Helping Small Businesses Thrive,” served as the distinguished panel of judges for the event.
Engaging actively with the proceedings, the judges not only enjoyed the event but also posed insightful questions to participants regarding their startup ventures.
Participants and business models
During the event, five student participants showcased their entrepreneurial ventures to the panel of judges.
Marvin Mbah kicked off the presentations by introducing his cleaning service company, the Elite Clean.
Following Mbah, Victoria Smith presented her social media business, Macaw Marketing.
Michael Mathews pitched a business model about pacifiers, and the name of the business is Professor Lynny.
Tarek Hamed followed suit, sharing a mission with Sam (Healthy) Snacks, emphasizing a commitment to providing healthy snack options.
Concluding this segment, Andrew Wiseman pitched his startup, Taggage, aimed at alleviating travel pressure for busy individuals.
“It is always better to start a business instead of a job. In this way, we can manage more job opportunities when we try to do business. I enjoyed this event very much because it gave me a new inspiration to do something on my own,” Naresh Sampangi, a Marketing student, said.
Drumroll please…
After careful consideration of both the merits and drawbacks of each presentation, the judges announced the winners of the WSU’s Wright Venture event. Sam (Healthy) Snacks emerged victorious, securing the top spot. Professor Lynny claimed the second position, while the Clean Elite took third place.
“This is the first time that we pitched somewhere about our business and we won. It’s a great inspiration for us, and we will try to do better with the prize money we are going to get,” Hamed said.
Inspiration and looking ahead
Following the conclusion of the program, a wave of inspiration swept through the student body, motivating many to contemplate pitching their own business ideas in the upcoming Wright Venture program.
Fueled by the excitement and valuable lessons gleaned from the event, students were eager to explore their entrepreneurial potential and contribute to the vibrant business landscape of the university community.
