B-school business pitches win big

April 20, 2017

Spider Pride

We’ve always known our students are pretty smart and ambitious. Now, we can see a glimpse of what they’re going to achieve after Richmond.

The annual Business Pitch Competition at the b-school challenges all undergraduate students to come with their best product or business ideas and pitch them confidently to a panel of judges. Each year the Entrepreneurship Club sponsors the contest, which awards prize money to the top pitches.

This year’s top prize went to Jeffrey Weinert and Will Klingner for Keybodo, a keyboard cover with the shape of each letter raised on each key to improve typing speed and character recognition. You can check out their invention at keybodo.com.

Marc Kessler’s idea, FeelTheVibe, took second place. FeelTheVibe is a cell phone app that enhances concert experiences by allowing users to connect with artists and purchase merch during performances.

Fitness freaks will rejoice for Pep Ruckpanick’s idea Feasy, which provides customizable protein powders to suit different health needs.

“We want our students to be able to create and present a business concept that is novel and marketable,” said Eric Martin, director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program. “We then work with students to identify an approach to building the venture that is reasonable and achievable. This competition allows them to test their concept and approach."