The University of Vermont is excited to announce the finalists for the third annual Vermont Pitch Challenge, an entrepreneurial-focused competition that provides high school students worldwide with an opportunity to win cash prizes and a full tuition scholarship to UVM by pitching innovative business plans designed to create a positive impact.  

“The Vermont Pitch Challenge showcases the incredible talent, innovation, and passion of young entrepreneurs from around the world,” said Jay Jacobs, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at UVM. “These students are tackling real-world challenges with creative, forward-thinking solutions, and we are honored to support their journey. We look forward to welcoming them to campus next month and seeing their ideas in action and the impact they’ll create in the years to come.”  

Students submitted their business plans online between October 15, 2025 and February 15, 2026 and the business plans were then evaluated by members of the UVM Entrepreneurship Club. The no-entry-fee challenge invited students from across the globe to participate in teams of one to three, submitting business plans that tackled pressing issues and provided meaningful solutions. More than 100 teams from 24 states and 3 countries entered their ideas for consideration.  

The five finalist teams will now compete in person at UVM on April 7, 2026, where they will be ranked from first to fifth place. The first-place team members will each receive a full tuition scholarship to the University of Vermont (contingent upon admission). The second and third place teams will each receive a $5,000 check to be split among team members. The fourth and fifth place teams will receive a $1,000 check. 

 The finalists for this year’s Vermont Pitch Challenge are: 

Crux Threads

Charles (Eli) Lipsius | Denver, CO

Crux Threads is a climbing‑focused apparel company founded to address common problems with traditional climbing pants, such as restrictive fits, bulky belts, items falling out of pockets, and fabric catching on the heel during climbs. The company’s signature product is a pair of lightweight, breathable, baggy climbing pants made from recycled nylon, and climbing specific-design features. These pants aim to blend functionality with the style preferred by many younger climbers while remaining durable and environmentally responsible. The goal of Crux Threads is to expand to other apparel items and outdoor gear, and make climbing apparel fashionable and functional.

Elegant Grace Apparel

Naba’a Hussein | South Burlington, VT

Elegant Grace Apparel is a modest clothing business created to serve Vermont’s growing Muslim community by offering accessible, stylish options such as hijabs, abayas, and everyday modest wear. The store aims to provide an in‑person, community‑centered shopping experience that online retailers cannot, while also fostering inclusion through cultural events and workshops. Elegant Grace Apparel also offers clothing recycling programs and has a commitment to eco-friendly materials where possible. Elegant Grace Apparel plans to begin online sales with the hopes of offering in-person shopping experiences as well.

Navis AI

Roy He and Kevin Xia | Potomac, Cabin John and Bethesda, MD

NAVIS AI is an AI-powered self-driving cane that uses an onboard depth camera and real time computer vision to detect obstacles before users reach them. Its reinforcement learning controller processes depth imagery to steer users around hazards while multiple modes support indoor navigation, GPS routing, and sidewalk tracking. NAVIS AI is designed to be affordable, fully on-device, and cloud independent. The NAVIS AI team has filed a provisional patent for their core AI and is currently working to expand their business and continue testing and manufacturing equipment.

ReTech for Kids

Chris Qian | Midlothian, VA

ReTech for Kids is a non-profit organization dedicated to making technology accessible for students in grades K-12. Since its launch in 2013, ReTech has collected and donated 1,100 devices (estimated value of $103,000) across 2 countries, 7 states and 13 cities.  ReTech aims to address technology access issues for students while reducing the amount of electronic waste across the globe. ReTech uses fundraisers, grants and donations to maintain low operational costs and uses a chapter-based model and partnerships with corporations and school districts to distribute technology to students.  

Yevla

Aarav Upadhyay and Ayden Pinto | Asbury Park and Englishtown, NJ

Life-threatening delays are some of the most common complications search and rescue teams face.  While over 500 search and rescue teams in the United States alone use drones, most cannot afford the professional systems that would benefit these types of search and rescue missions. Yevla is an affordable, modular search and rescue drone kit equipped with thermal and low light cameras, long range GPS and radio connectivity, powerful motors, and an Nvidia Jetson Nano for onboard processing. Yevla includes two-way audio so victims can communicate in real time. The kit-based design allows for lower production costs, reduced waste, customization options and lower purchase prices compared to professional drone systems.