Five Wright State students face Wolves for startup funds in annual entrepreneurial competition

Wright State students will pitch their business plans to a panel of three local entrepreneurs during Wright Venture on April 3 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Student Union Atrium.

Five Wright State University students will present their innovative business ideas to a panel of industry experts, known as the “Wolves,” in the annual Wright Venture competition, vying for $5,000 in startup funds.

This entrepreneurial event, hosted by the Raj Soin College of Business, is modeled after the “Shark Tank” reality show.

The students will make their business pitches to a panel of three local entrepreneurs in the Student Union Atrium on Thursday, April 3, from 2 to 4 p.m.

After being held in Rike Hall for several years, the Wright Venture finals will return to a larger, more accessible space to encourage more students, faculty and staff to attend.

The students and their projects:

• BFF Connect, a digital app to improve social connection and mental health well-being, by Ugboaku Chukwudi, a graduate student studying public health.
• Lewen, which provides real-time policy status of insurance data, by Michael Mathews, an MBA student.
• Kyantra, software to improve the productivity of shared kitchens, food trucks and small- to medium-sized restaurants, by Tharun Nandingam, a graduate student in computer science.
• Mint Auto Spa, a mobile detailing service for vehicles, by Mina Marion, an international business major.
• ZUZU, a service to help international students transition into American life, by Vani Kombaiah, a graduate student in social and applied economics.

These five projects were the finalists from nine submitted by students for consideration.

“The next generation is now, and Wright Venture is here to hone the entrepreneurial potential of students,” said Jerry Stewart, president of the Entrepreneurship Club, one of the event’s organizers. “Congratulations to the participants. They have taken a significant step to greatness. In my eyes, they are all winners. I’m looking forward to a memorable event.”

Wright Venture encourages entrepreneurial thinking and activity and allows students to use what they have learned in class. It reflects an actual business startup, including mentorship, networking, idea development, product design, financial management and marketing.

“Interested students attend entrepreneurial workshops in January and February to learn more about small business planning, finance, operations, and marketing, in preparation for Wright Venture presentations,” said Kendall Goodrich, Ph.D., professor of marketing and chair of the School of Supply Chain, Marketing and Management in the Raj Soin College of Business.

The budding entrepreneurs have prepared their April 3 presentations through a series of entrepreneurial workshops, led by Wright State faculty and local experts.

“Every business in this world needs exposure and this is what the Wright Venture competition provides,” said Stewart, who is pursuing a master’s degree in logistics and supply chain management. “It nurtures your potential and gives you a platform to compete, learn and fail forward.”

Being in the Student Union Atrium will “create a more vibrant environment for greater audience participation. The participants will have a good experience of a real-world pitching atmosphere,” Stewart said. “Hopefully, this engages the entire Wright State community for recognition of the Wright Venture competition and motivation for future participants.”

Past Wright Venture winners include Sam Snacks, a healthy and nutritional alternative to overly engineered in-between-meals food; Galatune, a strategy card game; and Tumble, an on-demand laundry and dry-cleaning service.

The judges for this year’s competition are Lesley Ott, chief operating officer at James Investment Research; Jonah Sandler, founder and former chief entertainment officer of Scene75, and Beth Savage, former owner and CEO of PQ Systems.

Wright Venture is funded by Barry James/James Investment Research and organized by the School of Supply Chain Management, Marketing and Management in the Raj Soin College of Business and the Entrepreneurship Club.