The Clark University Entrepreneurship & Innovation program and Clark University School of Management hosted the Clark University Business Pitch Competition, an extension of the Clark Tank program, on February 27, 2023, in ASEC202 at Clark University. As with all Clark Tank events, there is a related course and generous funding awards provided by Samantha Goodman (’11) and Michael Goodman.
The Course and Funding Awards
The special topics course, taught by Clark alum, Emilee Cocuzzo (‘18, MBA ‘19), focused on helping entrepreneurs develop a top-notch pitch deck for their venture. Throughout this class, students are provided with tools and resources to help develop their pitch. This course helps students explore their market, understand their customers and competitors, build their business model, and finalize their financials. At the end of the course, students pitched to a panel of judges for a prize pool of $1,500.
Throughout the course, the students were also inspired by guest speakers of entrepreneurs and VC leaders, which included Andrew Stern, Connor Schoen, Alex Turgeon (‘16, MBA ‘17), and Greg Montemurro.
The Competition
At the end of the course, the participants pitched to a team of judges – Katie Cella (‘07 ), Ryan Cohen (MBA ‘18), Brad Kern (P ‘25), Rick Treitman (‘73), and Greg Montemurro. The winning teams included Noah Katz (The Umpire Channel), who won 1st place, Wynne Dromey (Colors of the Wynned), who won 2nd place, and John D’Eufemia, Mikey Schiappa, and Dylan Harloff (stayjustintime.com), who won 3rd place. Special recognition to Rowan Turner (ParentLock) and Alec Tarnowski (Top Tier Wrestling) for winning an honorable mention from Ryan Cohen (MBA ‘18), who generously donated additional funds to those students.
Student Successes
Wynne Dromey (’25)
Wynne Dromey, the Founder of Colors of the Wynned, learned about the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest, a grant program started by FedEx in 2012 to award U.S. based small businesses with grants to enhance their businesses, from Professor Cocuzzo. Motivated to compete, Wynne submitted her application with a fantastic business overview video. You can find her entry page here.
Noah Katz (’26)
Noah Katz, the Founder of The Umpire Channel, learned about the Future Founders program from Professor Cocuzzo. Because of this, he applied and is now participating in the Future Founders Startup Bootcamp, a comprehensive program aimed at equipping aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge they need to turn their innovative ideas into successful businesses.
Learn More
To see the final class presentations, you can view them via this livestream link.
The Clark Tank 2023 – Business Plan Pitch Competition – was a tremendous success. Please follow the E&I Program’s social accounts – LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram – to keep up with the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program’s Clark Tank 2023-2024 events and other activities.
If you are interested in getting involved with the Clark Tank or E&I program, please reach out to Teresa Quinn at TQuinn@clarku.edu.
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About the Clark University Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program:
The E&I courses are designed to help a student identify problems, ideate solutions to those problems, and implement the best solution to bring about the desired change. Whether your interest is business ownership or social change, Clark University’s E&I minor complements any major to help you gain the full benefit of your educational experience and future goals.
Media Contacts:
Emilee Cocuzzo, Adjunct Professor
Email: ECocuzzo@clarku.edu
Teresa Quinn, Manager of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program
Email: TQuinn@clarku.edu
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Special Thanks
Jack Rogerson (’23), Tech Wizard
Maile Marguleas (’25), Event Master of the Ceremony
Jeremiah Adames (’26), Event Assistant
Erica Cai (’26), Clark Tank 2023 Logo Design
Highlighted Photos
Photo credit to Moses Millman (‘24) and Henry Reyes (‘24) from Millman Management.