Five student teams were selected for this year’s annual Fairfield StartUp Showcase earlier this week at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the Showcase starts at 7 p.m.
The investor panel awarded the winning teams monetary prizes. And the Shark Tank-style entrepreneurship event was free and open to the public. Fairfield awarded the teams $30,000 in showcase seed grants to help support expanding their startups.
- $2,500 for honorable mentions
- $5,000 for third place winner
- $7,500 for runner up
- and $12,500 for the top team
Over the last semester, students progressed through workshops to develop their pitch presentation skills. Then the teams were invited to pitch during the Qualifier Round in front of a panel of judges.
These five teams made it through that round and have been collaborating weekly with mentors to craft their business plans and practice pitches in preparation for the live Showcase event:
- Financially – A comprehensive, no-cost financial wellness app that collaborates with users, no matter their previous financial knowledge, providing personalized tips and simplified financial education to support the development of a secure financial future.
- Misfits of the Sea (MOTS) – The future of trophy sportfishing with innovative lure designs. And MOTS empowers anglers to catch trophy-class fish on light tackle.
- Wave Creations – A beach-inspired lifestyle brand that encourages individuals to ride the WAVE of life’s adventures and build a community of beach lovers and adventure enthusiasts who share their deep passion for exploring the world.
- PathwayPro – An empowering tool for higher-ed students that bridges the gap between career and curriculum, utilizing comprehensive insights for efficient course planning, career readiness, and progress tracking.
- Higher Skills – A student-focused SaaS platform that leverages reactive AI and machine learning to refine essential soft skills for workplace success. Our immersive simulations analyze students’ abilities while providing personalized insights to elevate their careers.
The 2024 Investor Panel included:
- Joseph R. (Joe) Bronson ’70 – Currently CEO and Principal of The Bronson Group, a business advisory group focused on operational and financial consulting, which was founded in 2011.
- Chris Hillock ’00 – Leads the portfolio development function for Dell Technologies Capital (the venture capital arm of Dell Technologies).
- Jamie Ramerini ’13 – COO of COMPEL CEOs, a thriving family business. Ramerini brings a wealth of experience and a strategic vision that propels the company forward.
- Mindee Blanco P’24 – COO and co-founder of Barnum Financial Group. Barnum Financial Group is an award-winning firm with over 500 advisors & associates serving 280,000 clients across the country.
- Thomas M. Scalera ’93 – CEO of Delticus Group. He is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of ITT Inc., a $3 billion global manufacturer of engineered solutions for the Industrial, Energy, and Transportation markets.
This year’s StartUp host was Mariana Antaya ’23, a product manager at Microsoft Teams and founder of quantifAI (a fintech startup that commenced at Fairfield Startup in 2022). Antaya actively mentors on product management, big tech, and startups on Tik Tok and in her online community Product House.
KEY QUOTE:
“This year we have a fun cohort of students and ideas to work with. The students come from all graduation years and most participants are not business majors. The companies range from financial services to skills training to consumer goods. What makes it special for me is that I have no idea which teams are going to get the biggest checks. Like everybody else, I will have to wait until April 25.”
- StartUp Program Director Chris Huntley, PhD
