On May 5, 2017, ten teams of students from across campus participated in the final round of this year’s UVM Business Pitch Competition, hosted by the Grossman School of Business.
A panel of judges, made up of successful alumni and business leaders, evaluated each team’s presentations and business plans and provided feedback. In the end, they selected five top teams, all of which received cash prizes.
- 1st Place – Casey Husband (CEMS first-year) – Lazarus Defense
- 2nd Place – Silas Hill (CEMS senior), Alissa Johnson (CEMS senior), Jake Saccoccio (CEMS senior), and Ben Woodruff (CEMS senior) – Endoscopic Dilation Monitor
- 3rd Place – Meaghan Winter (GSB senior) and Riley Phillips (GSB senior) – Lease Finder
- 4th Place – Rose McLaughlin (RSENR junior) – Tiny Trails, LLC
- 5th Place – Jana Gailiunas (SEMBA) – Noble Essence
Honorable Mention
- Evan Greenwald (CEMS junior) – Music Headquarters
- Sean Bruso (RSENR junior) and Abigail Goldfarb (GSB junior) – NatureVentures LLC
- Mara Carini (CDAE senior) – Outside the Box
- Aidan Rogers (RSENR junior), Lucas Fishman (GSB junior), and Austin Sandler (GSB junior) – Point of Departure Tours, LLC
- Brian Tucker (GSB senior) and Brooke McFarlin (GSB senior) – Vermont Brew Barn
Very special thanks to the 2017 judges: Bruce Hernandez ’82 (Spire Capital), Steve Ball ’00 (Whitmeyer IP Group), Hannah Wood ’95 (Talent Skatepark), Jack Manning ’81 (The Classic Bike Experience, LLC), and Sarah Kearns (Vermont Small Business Development Center).
Sponsoring Schools and Faculty Organizers
- Grossman School of Business – Erik Monsen
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources – Dave Kaufman
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences – Rob Williams
- College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – Dustin Rand
The UVM Business Pitch Competition is supported by a generous gift from David Aronoff ’86.