The exciting event drew a big crowd to watch the pitches fly on April 16 in the Student Center Piazza on the Mount Carmel Campus. Ultimately, mechanical engineering majors Evan Jones, ’25, Jonathan Gold, ‘25, and Ian Van Riper, ’25, rode away with the top prize of $5,000 for their Electric Bike Active Safety System. The School of Computing & Engineering buddies developed the front and rear mounted system as a safety-focused innovation to enhance the protection and awareness of electric bike riders through integrated active safety features. Professor of Mechanical Engineering John Reap assisted the team as its scientific advisor.

Mostafa Analoui, director of the M&T Bank center for innovation and entrepreneurship, said this year’s competition began with 24 submissions of student ideas. From there, 11 semi-finalist teams went before six judges during two sets of pitch presentations from which the five finalist teams emerged.

“One message we have for all 24 participants, regardless of whether they get to the final pitch, or they win or not, is that we are committed to support them all,” said Analoui. “That’s our commitment not only during the time that you’re a student at Quinnipiac. Post-graduation, if you’re committed to pursue these ideas, you’ve got our full support.”

School of Business Dean Holly Raider asked the audience to join her in thanking Analoui for helping to bring entrepreneurship and innovation across all disciplines at Quinnipiac, together with Patrice Luoma, professor of entrepreneurship & strategy and advisor to the university’s collegiate entrepreneurs’ organization; and David Tomczyk, associate professor of entrepreneurship & strategy and pitch competition leader.

“You can’t help but be on our campus and see ambition unleashed. I believe that entrepreneurship is the quintessential manifestation of ambition. And tonight, it is unleashed across all the university,” said Raider. “It’s wonderful that we have standing room only tonight, because it shows the community that we have encouraging students to find their ambition, to build it, and to work with us to unleash it.”

Among those in the night’s supportive audience was alumnus Russell Jackson, ’24. Jackson, a launchpad pitch finalist last year, said he came to show his support for this year’s student finalists.

“It’s really cool seeing how this event has grown over the last few years and especially from last year to this year. Dave Tomczyk and everyone involved has done a wonderful job in cultivating the ambition in students,” said Jackson.

Jackson said the pitch program leveraged his capabilities as an entrepreneurship and innovation major, leading him to develop Fluid Sports Tech, an app supporting athlete mental health. His pitch was awarded $1,500 in 2024. Jackson thanked Tomczyk for his mentorship and guidance.

“He pushed me and helped me find my passion, which is helping collegiate athletes that were in a similar space as me in the past, and from that, he pushed me to do these pitch competitions. He was able to instill confidence in me and my idea, and I’m glad he was able to see the results from all his guidance which has helped me in my career,” said Jackson.

After graduating from Quinnipiac, Jackson entered the M&T Bank branch management program. He was recently promoted to Branch Manager for M&T Bank in West Haven, Connecticut.

Tomcyzk emceed the fast-moving action on April 16. He thanked the night’s judges for asking important questions and providing insightful comments to each of the finalist teams. Pitch competition judges were EY (Ernst & Young) Partner Jeanna Doherty; Director of The Lab at ConnCORP Jahkeeva Morgan; Travelers Senior Vice President of Innovation Bruno Sardinha; Morgan Stanley Managing Director LaToya Wilson; and M&T Bank Regional President Frank Micalizzi.

Micalizzi said he was impressed with the spirit of innovation and thorough business concepts shared by all of the student finalist groups.

“I think it’s terrific. What came out loud and clear with all of the presenters was it starts with a passion, an idea. Taking your passion and trying to translate it into something that your community can activate around and then trying to make a business model which is sustainable is a very difficult thing to do. To see these five presenters come together with that common theme was really impressive,” said Micalizzi.

In addition to selecting the night’s winning pitch team, the judges awarded significant monetary prizes to each of the night’s other finalist teams.

The competition’s second prize of $3,000 went to School of Nursing students Keira Hines, BSN ’25, and Jack Ashcom, BSN ’25, who pitched their Young at Heart Social Club. Their nonprofit organization focuses on combatting isolation and loneliness among older adults through meaningful social connection and community engagement.

As a representative of the group project Sizzle Pop, College of Arts and Sciences criminal justice major Regan Kaye, ’25, made a pitch which earned $1,000 from the judges. Kaye discussed the group’s plans to go to market with a quick, all-natural soda powder that flavors and carbonates water instantly; made with real fruit, low in calories and sugar, and free of artificial additives.

The SwiftLock Adjustable Rod Holder team of mechanical engineering majors Owen Korper, ’26, Chris George, ‘26, and Cynthia Staroscik, ’26, was awarded $500 by the judges for their flush mount adjustable fishing rod holder. The holder rotates both vertically and horizontally, is easy to install, and is built to hold its position and the rod securely. The SwiftLock team also won the night’s Audience Favorite vote, a $500 prize.

School of Business students Ryan Elwood ’26, MS ’27, and Shair Sood ‘26, MS ’27, earned a $500 prize for The 1929 Fund. They pitched a plan for growth and development of the student-led initiative offering financial aid, personalized learning, and mentorship opportunities to Quinnipiac students.

In 2025, M&T Bank Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Quinnipiac also launched its very first student T-shirt design contest. Fourteen students submitted designs based on the theme “Innovation for a Better Future,” said Becky Spalthoff, senior director of marketing and communications. During the pitch competition, Spalthoff unveiled the winning design by student artist James Higgins, ’25, a game design & development major. Higgins retains the copyright for the T-shirt art and received several printed T-shirts as part of a limited run which was also gifted to all audience members on April 16.

For Jones, Gold, and Van Riper, taking home the pitch competition’s top prize at the 2025 Spring Launchpad Pitch Competition was surprising and satisfying.

“The prize money is really cool, but also just the experience to be around people of a different discipline,” Van Riper said. “We’re a team full of engineers and we had no idea what any of the business stuff was going to be. Going through the process and having the judges from semi-finals, and Dr. Analoui who was a really big help, and all of the business side of this competition was a really cool experience that I don’t think a lot of other schools would offer their students.”