High Point University students proposed their business ideas to a panel of judges and earned a combined $20,000 in start-up funds during the 14th annual Elevator Pitch Competition. Pictured from left are judges Jennifer Holmes and Jeb Beckwith; first-place winner Reeve Fatuova; second-place winner Jackson Tuomey; third-place winners Brian Namnoum and Mike Auld; Rock Star Rookie Award winners Jadelyn Coleman and Paige Harms, and judge Quentin Barrial.
HIGH POINT, N.C., Nov. 22, 2024 – High Point University students proposed their business ideas to a panel of judges and earned a combined $20,000 in start-up funds during the 14th annual Elevator Pitch Competition. The competition was part of HPU’s Global Entrepreneurship Week, an international initiative that introduces entrepreneurship to young people across the globe.
HPU students made 13 presentations on Nov. 13 as they competed for funding to launch or continue developing their business plans. Those plans will be the focus of another competition on April 9, 2025, with approximately $30,000 in awards available for start-up funds, said Kathryn Elliott, professor of entrepreneurship and director of the Entrepreneurship Center.
Reeve Fatuova, a junior entrepreneurship major, was awarded first place and received $10,000 for her business, BUSTZ. Her idea is for producing a quality sports bra that provides modesty and mobility for women wrestlers. In last year’s Elevator Pitch, she placed third and earned $3,000 to develop her business.
“I’ve been doing this for three years and something I always say is, ‘Never give up on your dreams,’” said Fatuova, who is from Ramsey, New Jersey. “If you keep working hard, something will come your way. I will be using the money for our new production run and development of our new products. This helps tremendously. I’m grateful for all the support and backing HPU does for its students.”
Jackson Tuomey, a senior entrepreneurship major from Frederick, Maryland, earned second place and $4,500. He presented Mod Menu, a business idea that simplifies the process of finding, purchasing and managing car modifications.
“I’m extremely grateful for the guidance of my advisors and all the people supporting me – some of the alumni and people graduating soon who have been successful, helping and guiding me to where I got to today,” Tuomey said. “I did put a lot of work into it, but I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Two students tied for third place and earned $2,000 for their business. They were:
- ZenGuard by Mike Auld, a senior dual major in media production and studio art.
- Attorney Alert by Brian Namnoum, a senior business administration major with a double minor in entrepreneurship and finance.
“This is going to go toward product development and software development,” said Namnoum, who is from West Hartford, Connecticut. “It will be used in our sponsorship for the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL). It’s a step in the right direction. I’m excited to come back for the Business Plan Competition and improve.”
The Rock Star Rookie Award and $1,500 was presented to Paige Harms, a senior finance major, and Jadelyn Coleman, a senior strategic communication major with a minor in business administration. They won for their business idea, Waggle, a digestible stuffing for dog chew toys made from ground rice.
“We are so unbelievably excited and thankful, honestly,” said Harms, who is from Brielle, New Jersey. “We thought of this idea last year. Now that we’re finishing our classes and finally have the chance, we really want to work with the Entrepreneurship Center and Professor Elliott.”
Conducting more research on materials and manufacturing costs will be among the next steps for Harms and Coleman as they develop their business plan.
“After getting that confidence boost that this is a good idea not just to us, but that other people have confidence as well, we’re just taking our momentum and running with it,” said Coleman, who is from Frederick, Maryland.
The judges were Jeb Beckwith, a published author, speaker and CEO of Cooper Beckwith LLC; Jennifer Holmes, co-founder of MIS Solutions, one of the top IT consulting firms in Atlanta; and Quentin Barrial, an HPU alumnus and entrepreneur who is COO at ProductFlo. Barrial, who won an Elevator Pitch award before his December 2023 graduation, has founded six companies and created Axis Framework, a methodology that helps start-ups refine and sharpen their product strategies across the U.S.
Gary Simon, owner of Simon Jewelers, sponsored the Rock Star Rookie award for a third consecutive year. Other sponsors were Steve and Jackie Bell and the Bell Foundation, and The Bailey and Trey McKee Entrepreneurship Fund.