Parker Raven introduces CrossFit Greenville Kids during the second round of the Pirates Entrepreneurship Challenge. (ECU photo by Steven Mantilla)
After making their presentations, seven teams stood out from the rest and advanced to the finals of the 2023-24 Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge.
The second round took place on Tuesday at East Carolina University’s Health Sciences Student Center. After 13 teams presented in front of a panel of judges, seven teams were selected for the chance to win $170,000 in cash and in-kind prizes. This year marks the seventh year of the Pirates Entrepreneurship Challenge.
“This round is very different from the first round because it’s communication in front of an audience,” said Chip Galusha, acting director of COB’s Miller School of Entrepreneurship. “Their focus was not just on growing their business venture, but on conveying the value of their concept to the judges. Many of the ideas are made up of multiple team members and take advantage of each member’s strengths. For example, we have several ideas that have technical leaders, business development and people who are good at communication.”
Tuesday’s second-round participants began their quest in October as part of the first round, when more than 70 teams presented their ideas at ECU Mall.
All teams were evaluated by the following judges:
- April Kelly – Founder and COO of Sure!, a plant-based infant formula that provides complete nutrition, quality and convenience for infants and toddlers.
- Tyler Lumley – Start-up Business Counselor and Reappointment Examiner at ECU Small Business Technology Development Center (SBTDC).
- Vin McCaffrey – A successful entrepreneur, he grew and sold Game Plan.
- Dr. Tirwanda (T) SteinbergDBA – Vice President of Learning and Development at Southern Bank and Miller School Entrepreneur-in-Residence.
- Kate Wiggins – Program Support of NC Idea, North Carolina’s leading entrepreneurial advocacy foundation. Former local small business owner.
Each of the five judges chose a team to coach, and one team was chosen by audience vote. Due to a tie in audience votes, seven teams advanced to the finals.
The finalists are:
- CrossFit Greenville KidsIt’s a place that gives local children strength and confidence.
- Horizon ShieldPedestrian safety systems for intersection monitoring.
- Limulus BiomedicalWe are a company that designs, builds, and maintains horseshoe crab farming systems with the aim of sustainable hemolymph collection.
- Moon Grip, A novel universal pill bottle opener that makes it easier to adhere to medication regimens.
- Palm Quartixis a service-based business that works with boat dealers and private owners to provide repair services specializing in fiberglass and gelcoat repairs.
- Surf StickIt’s surf wax in a heat-resistant, eco-friendly twist-up-down stick container (like a deodorant).
- Chattinga virtual reality speech environment that helps speech-language pathologists support patients who stutter in real-world situations.
The finals will feature students from the School of Allied Health Sciences, School of Business, School of Engineering and Technology, Thomas Harriott School of Arts and Sciences, and School of Fine Arts and Communication. The team that will advance to the finals will be made up of six undergraduate students, two master’s students, and one doctoral student.
“The finalists will have the opportunity to set themselves apart by demonstrating a market need and proving the validity of their concept to a panel of expert judges,” Galusha said.
For Parker Raven, a third-year entrepreneurship student, CrossFit Greenville Kids is an idea that allows him to share his love of exercise with a group of people who are still working on self-discovery.
“Growing up, I never played any sports and I never liked exercise,” she says. “My dad wanted to get me off the couch. I had a lot of energy and he thought he could put it to good use. And he was right. I fell in love with CrossFit and want to pass on my love of exercise to the next generation in Greenville.”
Her idea came about when she noticed kids at the gym playing on tablets because they had no other options.
“Kids now choose to play with rings rather than tablets or iPads.”
The Pirate Challenge seemed like a natural next step to further develop her idea.
“When I heard about this competition, I thought since I’m already doing this this would be a fun additional challenge and a way for me to learn a lot. I’m looking forward to learning from my mentors and working closely with them,” Raven said.
Surf Stick was the last of the 13 groups to present to the judges that night and was voted by the audience to advance to the final round. The two freshmen, finance major Garrison Miller and entrepreneurship major Will Jones, didn’t know each other before the semester began, but an idea brought them together.
“The idea came to me in a friend’s beach house kitchen about two years ago,” Jones explains. “It had been in the works for a few years. I met with John at ECU and told him about the idea. He mentioned the (Pirates) Entrepreneur Challenge and said I should participate, and then he asked me to do it with him. He helped with the concept, bought the products, put it together, and it took off.”
“I started a little clothing company in high school and have always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” Miller said. “I wanted to try something, and when I met Will, he said he wanted to do it too. I encouraged him to do it, and then he asked me to come along, which I was happy to do. It was a dream come true.”
The final round of the Pirates Challenge is scheduled for April 10 at the Student Center on the main campus.
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