Pitch George

The annual Pitch George competition is one of GW's premier entrepreneurial initiatives organized by the GW Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence (CFEE). This "elevator pitch" competition takes place each fall semester and allows young entrepreneurs from any GW school to present their business ideas, get valuable feedback on the viability of their business concepts, and win up to $10,000 in startup capital. The competition offers a real-world view into entrepreneurship through the support of the GW academic community plus network of mentors and business executives. Many students continue on to the spring semester GW New Venture Competition (top-ranked for cash prizes).

Pitch George Eligibility

1. At least half of your team must be composed of currently enrolled GW students.
2. Your team should be affiliated with a GW Entrepreneurship-related course or club (please identify specifically which one on your application).
3. If you are applying independently from a course or club, we strongly recommend you sign up for the GW Entrepreneurship Club to partake in their Pitch George-related training sessions and social activities.

How Pitch George Works

1. Think of an idea and/or venture
2. Attend an information session
3. Form a team of one to five members
4. Submit the Pitch George application
5. Attend a coaching session 
6. Present your business pitch to a panel of judges
7. Win prizes, network with D.C.-area business moguls, and have a lot of fun

Meet the 2023 Winners

 

Top Team Awards

First Place ($2,500)

Recovery Connections

The Pitch

Recovery Connections is a pioneering digital healthcare platform designed to empower individuals struggling with substance use disorder (SUD) to effortlessly access the care they need through online scheduling. Navigating the complex landscape of treatment options for SUD can be both daunting and time-consuming. Recovery Connects serves as the vital bridge between those in search of care and the diverse array of available options. Real time appointment availability can be searched and booked online. Personalized preferences, such as: accepted insurance types, treatment modalities, geographical location, and more, can be tailored to meet individual needs. The platform also offers AI-driven recommendations for the most suitable therapeutic options. Recovery Connects is committed to transforming the way individuals access SUD treatment, making the process more efficient, personalized, and responsive to their unique needs.

Team member

• Krystl Haerian - Graduate, School of Business

Second Place ($1,500)

Hue Media

The Pitch

HUE Media is a production company that creates content centralized around human connection and empathy through the active de-stigmatization and desensationalization of typically “polarizing” or difficult conversations. Out of the 45 participants interviewed, around 90 percent agreed or strongly agreed that they would “like to see media that is focused on common ground.” This indicated to us that there is a market and a need for the content HUE Media plans to create. The content HUE Media produces will be posted on social media to ensure that our videos are readily accessible and shareable. Our mission is to highlight the spectrum of experiences of everyday people and give our community the power to actively counteract the increasing divide currently seen in our country. This will also be reflected within the company by having production and research teams that are comprised of people of diverse backgrounds in the hopes we as a company can get closer to objectivity and fairness.

 

Team members

• Keja Ferguson - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Laura S. Lopez-Vilanova - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Nanako Kondo - Undergraduate, School of Media and Public Affairs
• Reagan Heth - Undergraduate, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences

Third Place (Tied; $1,000)

BeerTein

The Pitch

Love beer? How about one that fuels your body too? BeerTein crafts delicious beers packed with high-quality, organic protein, perfect for fitness enthusiasts and beer aficionados alike. Our brews blend the best of both worlds, delivering a refreshing experience with up to 15g of protein per serving and 250 calories per can/bottle. Elevate your post-workout recovery, guilt-free relaxation, and flavor-packed moments. Join us in redefining beer culture. Cheers to a healthier, happier you with BeerTein!

 

Team member

• Ethan Levy - Undergraduate, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences

Credit Catalyst

The Pitch

It’s not a secret that many Americans have crippling debt and are struggling to make ends meet, let alone save and invest to have prosperous futures. 61% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck (Jdickler, 2023). College students who are beginning to manage personal finance find it difficult to navigate budgeting and investing and can find themselves struggling to pay off student loans to prepare for a financially successful future. A survey of 100,000 incoming college students found that most could not answer basic financial literacy questions, with an average of answering only 2 out of 6 questions correctly (EVERFI). Credit Catalyst will bridge the gap between college students and those new to personal finance through an application-based platform to be coupled with an existing credit card company. A cash back program will be implemented to help users start passively investing and grow their financial assets.

 

Team members

• Anh Huynh - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Bea Hylton - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Noam Ellinger - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Sofia Bertini - Undergraduate, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
• Talia Fain - Undergraduate, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences

 

Special Category Awards ($1,000 each)

Horizon Hub (Excellence in Problem-Solving)

The Pitch

Horizon Hub is our continued pursuit of ending hunger by preserving meals through weekly community-based food drives. We plan on continuing our work in commercial chamber-sealing meals so that they can last up to two years when stored properly. To do so, we plan to implement the RPSD system: Receive Task > Pick-up Donation > Store > Consumer Drop-off. This means establishing relationships with restaurants and making them part of the Horizon Hub network of suppliers. They would be charged a low fee in order for us to both finance our operations and to aggressively expand. So far we’ve donated 1,702 frozen meal packages saving an estimated $22,100 worth of food in the Boston area. We hope that this work, God willing, will continue benefiting our community for the better.

 

Team members

• Ahmed Babaeer - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Mohamed Redzuan Bin Mohamed Raffe - Undergraduate, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences

MyStyleAI (Excellence in Market Analysis)

The Pitch

In recent years, America has experienced an increasing decline in test scores, signaling a potential crisis in education. Addressing this challenge head-on, MyStyleAI aims to revolutionize the way students learn and increase academic outcomes across the nation. MyStyleAI is a cutting-edge app, powered by artificial intelligence, designed to cater to the unique learning styles of individual students. Recognizing that traditional one-size-fits-all teaching methods don't resonate with every learner, MyStyleAI's platform delivers tailored educational content based on three primary learning styles: Auditory, Visual, and Kinesthetic. Each style is complemented by a suite of specialized tools and resources. This approach not only enhances the learning experience but also empowers students, putting their educational journey directly in their hands. With MyStyleAI, every student is afforded the opportunity to learn in a style that works for them, unlocking their full academic potential.

 

Team members

• Justn Siket - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Andrew Fleig - Undergraduate, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
• Dylan Fox - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Elizabeth Snyder - Undergraduate, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
• Jayson Soleimany - Undergraduate, School of Business

Siyehtech (Excellence in Competitive Analysis)

The Pitch

Autonomous Landmine Detecting Ball (ALMDB). This autonomous 3x3-foot landmine detecting ball will be placed at the edge of a field that is assumed to have landmines or unexploded ordinance. The user will trace out the desired plot of land for the ball to investigate on the provided tablet. The user will give the command to the ball to investigate the selected plot of land through the tablet interface. The ball will travel in rows around the specified field of land and stop when metal is detected with its onboard metal detector. The ball will communicate to the operator on a heatmap where it detects possible landmines or unexploded ordinance. Once complete, the ball will go around the landmine, continue scanning the field, and return to the user once the entire field has been scanned. The ALMDB will expedite the locating and detection of landmines and unexploded ordinances compared to traditional methods that are either very risky to human life or require multi-million-dollar machines.

Team member

• John Harrison - Graduate, School of Business

Pocket Retina (Excellence in Financial Viability)

The Pitch

The Pocket Retina is a model eye that provides health professional students a platform to practice retinal examinations. The retina of the human eye is a window into the health of the entire human body, that countless specialties routinely examine. However, examining the retina has a steep learning curve which is further challenged by the fact that real eyes can only be examined seconds at a time due to the painfully bright lights required. The Pocket Retina is the first of its kind simulation model eye that allows limitless independent student practice. The pocket-sized model closely approximates the anatomy and realism of a human eye, offering a uniquely immersive learning experience. Since launch 2 months ago, the company has over $7,000 in lifetime revenue from customers in over 30 institutions in 8 countries. Startup capital would allow for further product development, upscale production, and explore IP protection. Thank you for the opportunity to share Pocket Retina with you.

 

Team member

• Sinan Akosman - Graduate, School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Protection Real Estate (Excellence in Team Collaboration & Delivery)

The Pitch

As skyrocketing home insurance costs in California and Florida force homeowners to move, and as natural disasters destroy billions of dollars in property, people are looking for houses in safe areas. Protection Real Estate’s mission is to connect these buyers to climate change resilient locations. We can match homes to buyers without our company putting down a down payment or becoming a real estate broker through real estate wholesaling. Real estate wholesaling is when someone buys an undervalued home from a seller and then proceeds to sell the rights of the contract to another buyer for a fee. Real estate wholesaling is a $3 billion industry that helps motivated sellers move on from properties faster and allows home buyers to find a good deal with less hassle. Protection Real Estate creates value for customers by meeting their climate change needs, while also benefiting sellers by creating bigger markets for their homes. Our company is on the forefront of a growing, but niche, market.

Team members

• Gabriel Pinsker, Undergraduate, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
• Jake Anszelowicz, Undergraduate, School of Engineering and Applied Science
• Max Selmser, Undergraduate, School of Business
• Waleed Hajeer, Undergraduate, School of Business

RepurposeArts (NextEra Energy Award)

The Pitch

RepurposeArts (RPA) is a matching service that connects excess materials from commercial theaters to relevant non-profits and organizations. Theatres often order large quantities of food that doesn’t get eaten, use sizable amounts of wood and building materials, and keep leftover shirts and merchandise with no use. Repurpose arts would help inspire a new movement of theatre philanthropy by matching excess with need in communities. Non-perishable extra food can go to community kitchens, shirts could go to those who need low-cost clothing, and wood could be given to non-profit arts organizations, high-schools, or anyone who could make use of it.

Team member

• Lydia Melka - Undergraduate, School of Business

 

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Thank You to Our Lead Sponsors

Ken & Linda Chaletzky

 

 

Additional Support

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Partners

 

 

 

 

Donate and Support Our Entrepreneurs

 

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Meet the 2022 Winners

New Venture Track

First Place ($1,000)

Adjust-A-Bra

The Pitch

The venture my team and I are pitching is Adjust-A-Bra. Adjust-A-Bra is an online B2C shop that features a new patent pending redesign of the everyday sports bra. The product features a corset back that modifies the sizing of the bust, along with adjustable straps and a drawstring bottom band, all while being ethically made with sustainable fabrics. The Adjust-A-Bra target market will be women between the ages of 18-34 in the middle class who live a healthy lifestyle despite struggling with body changes. Based on competitive pricing, the product will be around $55 and have a profit margin of 30% per bra. This product eliminates the need for specific sizing, helps women save on added costs of a new bra, and removes the focus on body changes that come with bra shopping. The Adjust-A-Bra website will also feature an online community forum to discuss body image and promote helpful resources. Overall, Adjust-A-Bra wants to help hold women up without letting the cost of life slow them down.

Team members

• Camryn Baum - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Elizabeth Paul - Undergraduate, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
• Ornella Libi - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Maria Camila Torres - Undergraduate, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
• Myrto Aikaterini Kontoleon - Undergraduate, School of Business

Runners Up ($500 each)

Viewpoint Recovery Group

The Pitch

In 2021, over $49 billion in unclaimed assets were found throughout the United States. New York alone had $17 billion of unclaimed funds, only managing to return about 2.3% of it. State treasuries are intentionally doing a poor job at returning unclaimed assets to increase their own state budgets. At Viewpoint Recovery Group, our ultimate goal is to put money back in the pockets of everyday people by establishing an innovative and simplified path to claim assets. The industry of recovery groups is currently far behind the rapidly changing digital world, thereby limiting their outreach, and thus, their potential growth. Viewpoint’s core values are centered around trust. We prioritize establishing personal communication between us and our client base. We simplify the process so that the customer can gain a complete understanding of asset reclamation. By implementing our modern approach in an archaic field, we intend to alert the public of any potential unclaimed funds in their name.

Team members

• Stephen Shaw - Undergraduate, School of Business

GAAMI

The Pitch

It is not easy to teach your kids how to create a budget or how to make the right purchasing decisions. Parents find it difficult to control their children when it comes to money, how much are they spending, where are they spending their money, and when are they spending. Our solution is to create a platform where parents are able to transfer funds to their children using phone numbers and restrict the use of the funds. The way in which the platform would work is that both parents and their children would download the app and register using their phone numbers. The parents will be able to allocate which categories their children can use the funds for and how much in each category. Categories include food, entertainment, school supplies, savings,etc. This could give parents more control on how much and where their children spend money and greater assurance that the funds are spent responsibly.

Team members

• Ala Al Farsi - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Anas Mheir - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Giovanna Romariz Lino - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Ernesto Abreu Navarro - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Malcolm Nyman - Undergraduate, School of Business

Social Venture Track

First Place ($1,000)

She-Empowered

The Pitch

She-Empowered is a social enterprise headquartered in Botswana, Sub-Saharan Africa. While Botswana is the country with the highest number of women business-owners in the world, women in the country still face complex challenges related to female entrepreneurship. These include lack of knowledge and technical skills to better design and run profitable businesses, as well as limited access to credit when compared to men. She-Empowered is designed to address these issues. Providing women entrepreneurs with appropriate training in business management and connecting them to new digital marketplaces and business opportunities will enhance their skills and ultimately improve their chances of obtaining access to micro-credit financing. She-Empowered also alleviates women’s burden of running a business and a family by offering a network of philanthropic support to overcome the social biases against women operating in a traditionally male world (i.e., daycare services and convenient facilities).

Team members

• Julia Cardoso - Graduate, School of Business
• Zay Bo Bo Oo - Graduate, School of Business
• Yantonius Edyson Bessie - Graduate, School of Business

Tech Venture Track

First Place ($1,000)

Ellexco

The Pitch

Li-ion batteries have become ideal power supplies for cellphones, laptops, and electric vehicles. The national and international demand for Li is growing rapidly. The estimated demand for Li in 2030 is five times the size of the current Li supplies. The United States urgently needs to develop domestic Li supply to ensure energy security. Unconventional resources like geothermal brine contains high concentrations of lithium and can potentially serve as domestic lithium source. Ellexco offers a chemical-free, electricity-driven innovation to directly convert geothermal brine to lithium hydroxide. Our goal is to make lithium extraction cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

Team members

• Lingchen Kong - Graduate, School of Engineering and Applied Science
• Xitong Liu - Faculty, School of Engineering and Applied Science

Runners Up ($500 each)

Domus

The Pitch

Domus, meaning "house" in latin, is a platform centralizing renter and rentee agreements, leases, and payments. Similar to the Common Application used by students applying to college, Domus serves to eliminate the cost and hassle for potential renters by allowing them to search and apply for available rental spaces without having to create multiple applications for various leasing options. On the flip side, property owners will be able to reduce costs spent on leasing staff by offering tenants various housing options all in one platform. Domus uses smart contract technology, digital contracts stored on a blockchain, to automate the implementation of an agreement so that all parties may instantly be assured of the result, without the need for a middleman or further delay.

Team members

• Lisa Roberts - Undergraduate, Corcoran School of the Arts and Design
• Victoria Medina - Undergraduate, Corcoran School of the Arts and Design
• Ryan Lehman - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Vinay Patel - Undergraduate, School of Engineering and Applied Science

SkyLuggage

The Pitch

Big families want to travel and they want to buy extra space but it's so expensive. At the same time many people travel for business or for quick trips and they don't use the luggage space they have and they don't use. Those people can benefit by selling their extra space at a cheaper price to those who need it. Our solution is a mobile app that is going to connect the seller (extra space) to the buyers (people who need extra space for cheaper prices). We will take a transaction fee for our service as a revenue model.

Team members

• Ala Al Farsi - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Nicolas Yepez - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Noor Yazbeck - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Anamae Garcia de Paredes - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Anas Mheir Alsaadi - Undergraduate, School of Business

Globant Be Kind Tech Fund Awards

First Tier Winners ($1,500 each)

FutureZ

The Pitch

FutureZ confronts the future of employment for young talent. Employee retention is staggering low for young talent in many notable industries, as the incentives, values and perceived mobility are clearly not enough to establish loyalty between employee and company. Our company will be based on a network of young talent where we relay concerns, wants and needs of our employees as well as provide machine learning data analytics to best communicate ways in which companies can build a stronger work environment and drive the want to stay. We have two key aspects of the business: the data we can provide companies through our base of individuals in our system, and the implementation of talent workshops based on an annuity model to showcase eager talent introducing new ideas, hoping to fill greater roles, and wishing to drive innovation within their respective companies. We wish to join both the strength of data and the hidden potential of action to create a more understanding future of work.

BKTF Component

AI bias within the hiring process of employees is a great issue in unfairly promoting talent that may be unfairly judged based on a very set list of conventional credentials. With our machine learning data, we hope to target the often racial, sexist or prejudiced notions AI pushes in reflection of our own society within traditional resumes. Instead, we want to focus on other variables to what makes an employee or candidate more worthy of a position or a potential project within a company. Even with our own data, we have another side of our consultancy which is to showcase talent potential, so that the data alone will not be the sole influencer in determining whether an individual is worthy or not of work.

Team members

• Aidan McAndrew
• Matteo Larrode

Dripsy

The Pitch

Dripsy provides ketamine therapy in a safe, supportive, and comfortable clinical setting to be paired with complementary therapies to address conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, substance dependencies, and chronic pain.

BKTF Component

Dripsy will address data and privacy concerns. As a venture that specializes in health and wellness we understand the emerging concerns regarding the security and privacy of data and records when undergoing sensitive treatment. Through the use of HIPAA compliant software and EHR to analyze and store data, patient's will be reassured that any potentially published clinical will be de-identified and if to be shared with another treating provider, a signed release form will be required. A thorough consent form will be carefully explained to confirm that the client understands the nature, condition, risks, and potential benefits.

Team members

• Scott Whetsell - Graduate, School of Business

MOON

The Pitch

MOON is designed to guide the younger generation familiarize themselves with investing. Teachings the principles of investments and growing your wealth. This app would provide children, in basic terms, a general understanding of how to grow their wealth and build merit. Being a simple and straightforward game, kids would be able to digest the concept of stocks at an early age, giving them a better understanding before growing up and entering the adult world, this will help them understand financial literacy at an early age and will allow them to make smarter financial choices through their lives. This app will be unique at exposing its users to age-specific content as kids will be able to "Buy Stocks" with STAR dollars and if this stock appreciates they will able to sell it and get rewards in exchange for that which they will be able to use as gems/credits in other apps. The goal of this app will be for its users to reach the MOON.

BKTF Component

Screen time abuse: the app will monitor the screen time of its users and it will punish them by decreasing the stock value by 1% if the app is used for over 1 hour a day. Additionally, It will have backend data protection software that will protect the users information.

Team members

• Alejandra Taboada - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Diego Gonzalez - Undergraduate, Elliott School of International Affairs
• Mashail Alsheikh - Undergraduate, School of Business

Runners Up ($500 each)

Kokee.io

The Pitch

Kokee.io is a marketing technology firm shaping the future of advertising. We partner with retail brands to bring mixed reality (MR) applications to their marketing mix, helping these companies to gain a first mover advantage on new advertising technology. MR ad placement costs are projected to be significantly lower than traditional marketing channels, since advertisements can be placed on any physical surface when viewed through an AR or VR device. Despite the clear opportunity, MR has yet to become a staple advertising solution for many organizations. We believe this is a risky, short-sighted view. These companies are at risk of being left behind, relying too heavily on costly traditional marketing channels like search, email, social, TV, social, and print media. Kokee’s mixed reality applications will help these firms to gain a competitive advantage for years to come.

BKTF Component

Marketing technology relies on customer data that is oftentimes gathered without the individual’s consent, resulting in a breach in data privacy. Kokee will not use cookie-based data to serve advertising solutions through its AR or MR applications. Instead, it will rely on direct consent from its customers to serve up custom, personalized advertisements. Furthermore, augmented reality advertisements developed by Kokee will be created in a manner that is accessible to all, ensuring no barriers that prevent interaction with our applications by differently abled persons.

Team members

• Rob Vazquez - Graduate, School of Business

ReSwap

The Pitch

This venture is based on providing access to customers for restaurants that are in high demand in order to manage reservations that would otherwise be unavailable. More often than not, the reality of canceling an existing reservation is slim to none, leaving restaurants with empty tables they can no longer fill. This causes a disadvantage to both restaurants and customers. Through ReSwap, restaurants will be able to make optimal revenue by successfully filling their availability. Meanwhile, customers wanting to attend high demand restaurants that are subject to availability are able to find reservations. ReSwap will allow the users to post existing reservations to the platform for others to claim. Incorporating a point system will motivate the users to post their existing reservations that they no longer want. Last minute cancellations often result in a fee, but through ReSwap, people can alleviate this inconvenience by giving up their reservation for whoever wants it.

BKTF Component

Data and privacy is one of the 5 harmful facets of technology we have chosen to address in ReSwap. In the world of technology, there has been an issue of transparency regarding cookies and how an app shares and stores the users data. In the creation of an application of ReSwap, we are keeping this at the forefront, and strive to be 100% transparent with the users on how their information is being collected and stored for their benefit, not harm. All users will be provided an easy to read terms and conditions that will need to be accepted upon downloading the app. In comparison to most applications and their difficult to understand agreement forms, ReSwap will provide a transparent and simple method of communicating with the user. This helps avoid simply pressing "accept" and ensures the user retains all information regarding their privacy.

Team members

• Mia Safar - Undergraduate, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
• Amalya Ghazzawi - Undergraduate, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
• Isabela Maria Pleitez - Undergraduate, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
• Clendenin Ryan Stewart - Undergraduate, School of Business

Val-assessed

The Pitch

Val-assessed is more than an idea. Val-assessed is the future. We aim to develop a software which uses an algorithm that allows both, individuals and business, to evaluate an idea or business development strategy respectively. How? By analyzing databases about different authentication criteria required to produce the results. Our mission is to provide closest to precise valuation, rate of success and/or PnL ratios to all individual ideas and business development strategies, helping people achieve their goal. We are based in Washington, DC and have an on-demand and subscription-based business model. Our company is part of the $5.2 trillion global technology industry. We aim to become the world’s go-to software for our wide target market of all aspiring entrepreneurs, investors, employees and business owners to evaluate their startup ideas and business decisions. Are you ready to be Val-assessed?

BKTF Component

In Val-assessed, our mission is to provide the best service possible for our clients. However, we also recognize that we have a duty. This duty consists on contributing to create a culture of responsibility and ethic use of technology, being accountable for our actions. In this attempt, we want to make a promise: to use our technology for the common good. Since our technology does have existing AI used to interpret user inputs, all interpretations of keywords and data from the databases used to produce results will be taken from credited sources and not produced by us. We want to create a service that doesn’t discriminate any one, regardless of age, race, nationality, income and so on. Moreover, our algorithm will consist of an error possibility to avoid biased results. We aim to create a powerful tool, and hence the need to protect it from AI bias and unreliable results, ensuring these steps are taken is vital.

Team members

• Jai Anshul Monga - Undergraduate, School of Business
• Judit Ibanez

Special Category Prizes ($1,000 each)

Best Delivery: Domus
Best Customer Discovery: GAAMI
Best Problem/Solution: Viewpoint Recovery Group

Past Winners

2021

2020

Contact Us

For more information, please contact Kathy Korman Frey, director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence (CFEE), at [email protected]. Questions and comments can also be directed to the project manager, Jessica Vodilka, at [email protected].

Learn about our Fall semester "Mini Pitch George" competitions