Ten students won prizes during Wells College’s eleventh annual Business Idea Competition last week, hosted by the Sullivan Center for Business and Entrepreneurship. Up to $12,500 in prize money was available for students to win in multiple categories.
After they submitted a written business plan, the students were mentored on their ideas through the Business Center. This year, a new 90-second pitch portion of the competition was introduced. Instead of preparing a full business idea, some students had only 90 seconds to present. The panel of judges consisted of two faculty members, Associate Professor of Business Erinn Ryen and Director of the Center for Sustainability and the Environment Marian Brown, and three Wells alumni who had experience competing in state business competitions or professional careers in business and entrepreneurship. Two additional students served as moderators with Business Center Director Kevin Miles. As presentations were given and judges asked questions, gift cards and other door prizes were raffled off to all the students who participated and attended the competition.
Here are the student winners and their ideas for both portions of the competition in three categories, including an additional Sustainability Prize.
For Be Your Own Boss
For-Profit
- First Place: Diya Baldev ‘26 for “Nova Gear,” a clothing and protective gear line for female motorcyclists
- Second Place: Cameron Hayman ‘25 for “Delta Invest,” a financial self-help app for post-graduate students
Social Impact
- First Place: Mary Pearl Echard ‘24 for “Window Gardening,” a customizable online subscription of indoor houseplants for people who live in apartments or families with young children
- Second Place: Chastity Andino ‘24 for “Paws and Pastries,” an interactive space for patrons to visit, play with, and adopt dogs from local shelters while enjoying pastries
Friends and Family
- First Place: Lauren Spiegel ‘24, Lydia Thomas ‘24, and Morgan Adams ‘23 for “Allara Jr.,” a virtual health care platform for teens and young adults to seek advice and services on chronic hormonal disorders.
Sustainability Prize
- Mary Pearl Echard ‘24 for "Window Gardening."
For the 90-second Pitches
- First Place: Cameron Hayman ‘25 for “A Day in the Life,” an app that connects student athletes with mental health and counseling services on their campus
- Second Place: Becca Adelman ‘27 and Ryah Fitzgerald ‘27 for “Coffee Crops,” a transportation service that brings used coffee grounds from local coffee shops to local farmers for composting
- Third Place: Login Abudalla ‘26 for “Solace,” an online subscription service that matches customers to tailored skin care products and routines
Sustainability Prize
- Becca Adelman ‘27 and Ryah Fitzgerald ‘27 for “Coffee Crops."
