Twelve teams are hard at work preparing for the final round of the Skandalaris Venture Competition (SVC). While these teams have already qualified for funds to support hosting summer interns, they will soon present to a panel of expert judges and compete for up to $25,000 in funding (and hoist the SVC trophy!). Check out our blog post after finalists were announced to learn more about the teams and their ventures.
Join us on Thursday, April 20, beginning at 5:00 p.m., in Holmes Lounge for the Washington University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Awards presented by the Skandalaris Center. We will celebrate both our SVC and Global Impact Award (GIA) finalists, and announce those who will receive venture funding through these two competitions. RSVP here and join in the celebration!
We recently asked our SVC finalists a few questions to learn more about their ventures, their SVC journey, and their advice for other entrepreneurs. Check out their responses below!
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned through the SVC cycle?
Opportunities are rare, so be enthusiastic and overprepare for each one.
Ice Cream for Bears – Timothy Berg (GM ’22)
I’ve learned that the more you pitch your idea, the more refined and better it becomes. The SVC cycle includes pitching in front of judges, mentorship meetings, cohort gatherings, and more chances where you can share your idea. Keep pitching—it only makes you better!
Top Tutors For Us – Angelica Harris (BU ’21, EN ’21, SI ’22)
Iteration drives success. It’s ok if it’s not good at first, just start, improve every time, and you’ll end up in a good spot.
Booster – Jordan Rivera (LA’23), Jacob Dodd (EN ’23), Alex Welch (EN ’23), Cadi Zhang (BU ’25)
We have understood the importance of not falling in love with the initial version of our idea. All the steps of the SVC cycle, the industry experts we interviewed, as well as the legal processes we pursued re-shaped our initial idea over a multitude of iterations. Through this process we found new avenues and closed ones which were not pursuable.
Trinity Systems – Sourav Pal (GH ’23), David Mok (GH ’23)
What do you love about being an entrepreneur?
I love that it allows me to be creative and try something new every day. There are so many unexpected roadblocks and challenges that come up and I love being able to find creative solutions to get around them and keep moving forward.
Magnifi – Sydney Nagorsky (EN ’23), Jared Mantell (BU ’26), Isabel Silverman (EN ’23), Jayce Borderlon (EN ’25), Ryan Lo (BU ’25)
I love that I get to tackle meaningful problems in the world. I feel like the work I’m doing has massive potential to positively impact people around the world, and every day is a new learning opportunity.
Lumilin Therapeutics – Grayson Derossi (EN ’22)
The people I get to meet and learn from throughout the process: my team members, people in the Skandalaris Center, mentors, advisors, and customers!
Papertrail – Kuo Wang (EN ’24, TG ’25), Jimmy Lancaster (BU ’25), Drew Kassman (LA ’25), Christian Robinson (BU ’26), Josh Magare (EN ’25), Andrew Padousis (BU ’25)
What words of advice do you have for those starting a business?
Step outside your comfort zone! Creativity spurs entrepreneurship.
Contrast AI – Julian Lu (LA ’24), Michael Cafiero (EN ’24)
If it was easy everyone would do it. It’s not easy, but it gives you the freedom and satisfaction that no other route will give you. So be courageous. Take risks. Trust your gut. Be comfortable being uncomfortable, and don’t give up.
PassBack – Magdalen Pike (PM ’23)
Don’t be afraid to discuss your idea with others. At the beginning, I felt the urge to harbor my idea in secrecy as I worked on developing it. However, I actually started making the most progress when I began having open and candid conversations about my business idea with other students, mentors, and potential users. Each individual I spoke with offered invaluable insights, and in those initial stages, every bit of feedback proved to be immensely helpful since each person brought a distinctive perspective rooted in their own experiences.
LabLink – Arnav Desai (LA ’25), Kiran Mammen (LA ’24), Isha Vasil (EN ’26), James Baba (EN ’25), Pranav Palakodety (EN ’26)
As far as words of advice, we would both recommend staying hungry and being proud of the work you do. Not many people can build things from scratch; be confident in your direction, ready to work hard, and stay curious.
Mend – Olivia Baba (FA ’23), Nisha Mani (LA ’23) Elisha Tibatemwa (GM ’23), Ryan Yang (GB ’24)
