SU students take home cash prizes after pitching their business ideas to a panel of judges, “Shark Tank” style.
The Charles H. Diller Jr. Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation hosted Ship Tank, on April 10. This was an event meant to “provide Shippensburg students with a chance to explore their entrepreneurial interest in an environment where they can learn, grow, and earn some cash,” according to the Diller Center.
Students pitch their ideas to a panel of “sharks,” who range from Shippensburg University faculty and community leaders to their peers in the audience. The competition is based on ABC’s “Shark Tank.”
Nine ideas were pitched, and six lucky students took home prizes.
The first-place winner was Teagan Weaver with Presso, a fully manual portable espresso machine meant for hikers, commuters and frequent travelers. Weaver won $2,000.
The second-place winner was Karim Brice with True Capture, an app meant to pair professional photographers and videographers with those in need. Brice won $1,000.
The third-place winners were Kade Rush and Daniel Byomujuni with The Underground: Arena, a website meant to streamline the process of creating video game tournaments. Byomujuni and Rush won $750.
The fourth-place winner was Dominic Vizza with TravelTech, a suitcase with built in technology to prevent theft and eliminate the need for extra gadgets or accessories. Vizza won $500.
The fifth-place winner was Carson Heberling with ThermoGrip, a golf accessory built with both cooling and heating technology so golfers can play in any weather. Heberling won $250.
The Crowd Favorite winner was Brandon Stiner with AngelLink, an app meant to match startups and small businesses with potential investors. “It’s like Tinder, but with startups and investors,” Stiner said. He won $500.
The other pitches consisted of Courageous Hearts by Giovanni Beato and Cumberland Lanes and Games by Kamron Livingston. Courageous Hearts is a clothing brand meant to combine fashion and social justice with proceeds going to various worthy causes, such as cancer research or mental health awareness. Cumberland Lanes and Games would be a multi-entertainment option in Shippensburg, featuring a bowling alley, arcade, laser tag and virtual reality room.
The “sharks” of this year’s Ship Tank were Georgina Cranston, a business consultant at the Small Business Development Center at Shippensburg University; Leora Appleby, the Director of Business One-Stop Shop and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development; Micheal Metz, Vice President and Commercial Relationship Manager of F&M Trust; and Micheala Wetzel, Community Coordinator for Downtown Ship & Beyond.
For more information about Ship Tank, visit ship.edu/dillercenter.
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