The Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship’s annual pitch competition aims to help students grow their startup businesses within the entrepreneurship program. Any Kent State student is welcome to apply individually or as a team. 

Students were welcome to submit an application to the competition where 15 to 20 were then selected as semi-finalists. After the in-person semi-finals, seven finalists were selected to pitch their businesses at the live pitch event. 

Seven pitches made it to the final round where they will compete in a live pitch event for the winner. 

“For the semi-finals, I came in and did my two-minute pitch, gave out my business cards and some info and a week later I got a call that I made it, which was super exciting,” Gabrielle Spigelmire, a senior entrepreneurship major and a finalist in the competition, said.

Spigelmire’s pitch came from her experience as a dance teacher and coach.

“I’ve seen a huge need for affordable dance attire,” Spigelmire said. She purchased a vintage camper to turn into a mobile boutique as well as second hand dance attire to sell at an affordable price. 

Spigelmire originally signed up for the competition as a requirement for part of her entrepreneurship class, not expecting to make it to the final round. “I wish I had known about it sooner because it’s been such a fun process,” Spigelmire said. 

“It’s more than just a competition, there are mentorships, you get access to resources and [the] entrepreneurship center and any mentors there,” Mark Virgil Jamer, a senior business management major, said. 

The finalists are given a mentorship program to prepare them for the competition. The live pitch event will award $20,000 in total. 

Jamer’s pitch “Gro up!” is a Philippines-based social enterprise that focuses on teaching kids STEM subjects through games.

“What really inspired me was my experience having very little access to instructional materials back home,” Jamer said. 

Spigelmire shared her plans on continuing to grow their business and how winning the competition will push their business further along. 

“Any funding I get from the competition will go directly into finishing the boutique,” Spigelmire said. 

Jamer also plans to divide up the possible winnings to go into production, product development and developing new materials for his product. 

“It’s more of scaling or impact to reach more children in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries as well,” Jamer said. 

Jamer, as an international exchange student, was glad that the competition was open and accepting of everyone. 

“The competition being open to international students tells a lot about how at Kent State and the entrepreneurship center has been welcoming to different kinds of students and providing different kinds of resources to every student here,” Jamer said. 

“It’s been so cool just to learn about what everyone else is doing,” Spigelmire said, “the funding obviously is very helpful for people, especially young people starting a business.” 

Students are able to grow and develop their own businesses through this competition and others that the Brinzo Center hosts over the year. 

“It takes a lot of investment of your own money into it, so getting this help from the university is awesome,” Spigelmire said. 

The live pitch competition takes place April 23 in the Oscar Ritchie auditorium.

Talia Milewich is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected]