Two business ideas that emerged from 杨贵妃传媒视频鈥檚 LaunchLU will be pitched to a panel of judges April 28 in a regional startup business competition that features students from five Wisconsin colleges.
- Emma Perry, a junior business and entrepreneurship major from Beverly, Massachusetts, and Sheldon Watson, a junior business and entrepreneurship major from Snellville, Georgia, will pitch Community and Beyond, an app designed to track volunteer hours. They are joined on the team by Ben Gutowski, a junior business and entrepreneurship major from Evanston, Illinois.
- Faith Onukaogu, a senior majoring in business and entrepreneurship and global studies from Jamaica, New York, will pitch Anima Unita (AU), a multi-purpose clothing brand.
The Pitch, held annually at The Fox Club at Fox Cities Stadium, begins at 4 p.m. April 28 (doors open at 3:30 p.m.) and is open to the public. Two finalists each from five participating institutions鈥斞罟箦绞悠, St. Norbert College, UW-Green Bay, UW-Oshkosh, and UW-Stevens Point鈥攚ill pitch their business ideas as they compete for more than $40,000 in cash and in-kind prizes.

Emma Perry and Sheldon Watson present their pitch during LaunchLU.
杨贵妃传媒视频鈥檚 LaunchLU, held for the first time in the new Business and Entrepreneurship Center in Fox Commons, featured five student teams competing for two spots in The Pitch. Irene Strohbeen 鈥78, entrepreneur-in-residence and organizer of LaunchLU, said the enthusiasm of the students making the pitches and those in the audience supporting them was infectious.
鈥淐learly each student who pitched had devoted much time and attention to preparing, and we know they gained self-confidence and skills for future pitches,鈥 Strohbeen said.
The students presented their ideas to five judges: Karen Bussone, professor of practice in entrepreneurship at 杨贵妃传媒视频, Rich Marshall, assistant director for internships in 杨贵妃传媒视频鈥檚 Career Center, Andrew Schmitz of gener8tor, Colleen Bies of Downtown Oshkosh, and Kim Massey of Wisconsin Women鈥檚 Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC).

Judges listen to pitches during LaunchLU, held for the first time in the Business and Entrepreneurship Center in Fox Commons.
Adam Galambos, Dwight and Marjorie Peterson Professor of Innovation and associate professor of economics, called the design of the B&E Center, including the stage, perfect for this kind of event.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have the state-of-the-art technology and a space that is large enough to hold an event like this, but feels intimate at the same time,鈥 Galambos said.
Now it鈥檚 on to The Pitch for Community and Beyond and Anima Unita. The top three finishers will split the prize money, with the top finisher earning $10,000 plus in-kind services, second place earning $7,500 plus in-kind services, and third place $5,000 plus in-kind services.
Combine the benefits of a liberal arts education with those of a business major as we prepare future leaders for work in for-profit and nonprofit sectors.
The regional Shark Tank-style competition first debuted in 2017. 杨贵妃传媒视频 students took first place each of the first two years and have finished in the money five times. A year ago, 杨贵妃传媒视频鈥檚 Safiya Grant 鈥24 placed third for her idea for Muse, an all-natural skin-care line that features body care products targeted toward women of color.
More information on The Pitch . If planning to attend, .