April 08, 2022
Student Entrepreneurs to Compete in State System Startup Challenge Finals
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg 鈥� Three student entrepreneurial teams will compete in the annual State System Startup
Challenge, the Pennsylvania鈥檚 State System of Higher Education (黑料专区) announced
today. The students will pitch their original business plans to a panel of judges
for a chance to win funds to support their start-up or expand their business. The
Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) will air the competition live at 7 p.m., April 13.
You can also watch it live on .
鈥淓ducating and supporting student entrepreneurs is a priority for State System universities,
and these amazing finalists demonstrate the innovation coming from our students and
supported by our faculty,鈥� said Board of Governors Chairwoman Cynthia D. Shapira.
鈥淪everal past winners have launched their own businesses from the ideas born of this
real-life experience, and I look forward to the new businesses that may emerge from
this year鈥檚 competition.鈥�
The top prize is $10,000, and second- and third-place finishers will receive prizes
of $5,000 and $2,500, respectively. The finalists were selected from nearly 60 students
and student teams from across the state-owned universities.
鈥淭hank you to the students and universities that competed in this year鈥檚 State System
Startup Challenge,鈥� said Chancellor Dan Greenstein. 鈥淥ur State System universities
are preparing thousands of students for success as entrepreneurs here in Pennsylvania,
and the remarkable ingenuity and energy of these finalists speaks volumes about the
spirit of innovation that is thriving at our universities.鈥�
The three State System Startup Challenge Finalists include:
- Luke Melcher, George D鈥橝ngelo, Joseph Donatucci, and Connor Egan, Mechatronics Engineering
Technology seniors at California University of Pennsylvania: The Vispec Safety System
would revolutionize the personal electric vehicle market with added safety features
for riders of electric skateboards, scooters, bicycles, and other single-rider forms
of transportation. The system monitors for hazardous road conditions, including blind
spots and potential collisions, to warn the rider of dangers.
- Shantal Ewell, MBA student, and Kevin Smyth, Master鈥檚 in Student Affairs student,
at Kutztown University: The Schedula Degree Planner is an online platform that would
redefine the way college students and advisors interact. The platform creates a personalized
degree plan so students can avoid unnecessary courses to graduate in four years or
less while improving the efficiency of advisors and the graduation rates of universities.
- Erin Burney, Business Management senior at Shippensburg University: IRE Productions
is a prop making company that primarily services cosplayers with high-quality and
affordable pieces. Customers can select from exclusive designs of weapons, armor and
other accessories to complete a cosplay ensemble or enjoy the experience of providing
their own design and the company will bring the item to life.
The judges will be Laura B. Haffne, Region Bank President, Senior Vice President,
Greater Pennsylvania Region for Wells Fargo; Matt Lutcavage, Vice President of Team
Experience and Chief Human Resources Officer for The Giant Company; Manny Mar, Vice
President for Bank of America; Mary Oliveira, Chief Membership Officer for Pennsylvania
Chamber of Business and Industry and Nandish Patel, an entrepreneur.
Pennsylvania鈥檚 State System of Higher Education oversees 14 four-year public universities
educating nearly 90,000 students. The State System offers more than 2,300 degrees
and certificates in more than 530 academic areas. The State System universities are
Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown,
Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester
universities of Pennsylvania.