Future entrepreneurs showcase big ideas in The Pitch

On April 4, students put their business acumen to the test in a quick-fire competition known as The Pitch.  

The annual event, sponsored by Roanoke College’s Center for Leadership and Entrepreneurial Innovation (CLEI), is a Shark Tank-style contest that gives each competitor a strict, five-minute window to pitch a business idea to a panel of local leaders. 

The competition is open to students of all majors and class years. Preparing for it requires them to develop a compelling proposal, back it up with market research and deliver it in a concise but persuasive way. 

Justin vanBlaricom ’04, CLEI director and an entrepreneur in his own right, said he loves that The Pitch gives students a space to share their ideas and get real-world feedback. 

“In a startup, it’s important that you’re able to convey your passion and expertise in what you’re presenting,” he said. “This gives our students real experience with that. It’s an opportunity for them to learn and build confidence in their skills.” 

This year’s judging panel included vanBlaricom; Josh Yerton, co-founder of award-winning Noke Van Co.; and Brad Boettcher, innovation administrator for the City of Roanoke’s Department of Economic Development. 

Competitors only get one chance to make a good impression on the judges. Afterward, they field follow-up questions on everything from a proposal’s financing to market viability. 

Ethan Stevenson ’24, a politics and economics double major, won first place this year with his pitch for an original board game, RETIRE, which he designed to teach students about retirement planning. 

The idea sprang from research he conducted with John S. Shannon Professor of Economics Alice Kassens that found only about 15% of college students realize the current retirement age is 67. 

Stevenson resolved to come up with a fun, engaging way to educate his peers about what they’ll need to safeguard their futures. He hopes to present his prototype to educational game publishers.  

The Pitch offered the perfect testing ground. 

“It was a great opportunity,” said Stevenson, who plans to go into financial services after graduation. “I was able to sharpen my presentation skills while also learning how to make projections for a board game business.”  

Katherine Vaughan ’24, a business administration major, snagged second place with her environmentally friendly proposal for a silk floral arrangement rental service. She realized the floral industry takes a big toll on natural resources, and over 80% of flowers used across the United States are shipped in from abroad. 

Renting silks flowers is a more eco-conscious and cost-effective option for weddings and other celebrations, she concluded.  

“I was excited to get feedback from the expert judges,” Vaughan said. “Even if I didn't win, I wanted to know how I could make my idea better and more feasible. Plus, it was another great way to sharpen my speaking skills. Every presentation gets better with practice.” 

Business administration majors Lewis Edwards '24 and Ethan Palaskas '24 nabbed third place with their idea for a food truck app, Blue Ridge Bites. The app would use GPS to help hungry diners track down their favorite food trucks in real time.

"We were most excited about bringing the community together through an easy-to-use app," Edwards said. "This helps both the consumer and small, locally owned businesses. Many of which are immigrant owned."

The top competitors in this year’s event took home part of a prize pool that totaled $3,000. More information about The Pitch and other CLEI programs is available at roanoke.edu/clei.