Sixteen WashU student and recent alumni ventures have been selected as finalists in the fall 2024 Skandalaris Venture Competition (SVC). On October 23, 32 semifinalists presented their best pitch to a closed-room panel of judges. These scores were used to identify the teams who advanced to the next stage of the competition, where they will compete for funding and the chance to hoist the SVC cup!
“Every WashU school was represented in this cycle of the Skandalaris Venture Competition, representing the true interdisciplinary approach we take to entrepreneurship at Washington University. It was spectacular to see the teams come together – connecting and supporting each other,” shared Associate Director Adam Wilson. “With a stronger entrant pool than ever before, we had to rely on our community to volunteer their time to judge the semifinalist pitches. And they showed up with expertise and enthusiasm, and we could not do the work we do without their valuable contribution.”
We are excited to announce that the finalist teams will be competing for up to $50,000 in funding to launch or expand their ventures, an increase from $25,000 in previous competition cycles. The increase in funding is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to our Diamond-level sponsor, Bob Skandalaris.
The spring 2024 SVC finalists are:
4 Her Sport is a brand focused on uplifting, inspiring, and empowering girl and woman athletes worldwide. Christina Walker (MSW ’25)
CERV is a FemTech startup that aims to enhance maternal healthcare by improving labor monitoring with a novel medical device that will ensure accurate, comfortable, and continuous cervical dilation measurements. Elizabeth Buzbee (SI ’25), Sandy Montgomery (SI ’25), Annika Avula (SI ’25)
Chick is a probiotic skincare brand that helps to balance and restore the skin microbiome. Christina Trivisonno (LA ‘ 25), Mary Trivisonno (BU ’25)
Connect is a video chat/messaging platform for high schoolers to get college and career guidance from alumni and parents from their community. Michael Lee (LA ’26), Fortuna Kadima (EN ’26), Ethan Ng (Beyond Boundaries ’27)
DogTag is a mobile app that uses existing pet GPSs, microchips, and other trackers to create and manage automatically-updated network of missing pets geospatially. Oseremen Ojiefoh (EN ’28), Varun Elagandula (LA ’28), Lotanna Okoli (EN ’28)
Eagleland is a revolutionary method to protect fruit trees of any size from wildlife damages. Jack Zhang (BU ’26), Roy Li
Element is a full-circle marketplace that connects verified artisans from Latin America with buyers in the US. Maria Kamila Severiche Buelvas (MBA ’24)
Innovative Beverage Can is a new beverage can design that improves upon existing market solutions. Gavin Hart (LW ’26)
Menalated is a hair care and grooming brand for men with textured hair. Jeffrey Clorissaint (GM ’26)
Page Pacer is an online reading tool that helps people read faster and stay focused. Aaron Hubhachen (EN ’27), Yenifer Alvarez (BU ’25), Al Schulz (GM ’25), Luke Wuri
Phoenix is a prosthetic with interchangeable parts designed for easy adjustment and customization using household tools. Lili Hostetler (SI and MBA ’24)
Portal is a career exploration tool helping you see inside careers through short-form videos made by professionals. Brad Raizner (BU ’26), Eric Tabuchi, Brian Yu
Quture helps GenZs find their personal style with ease by connecting the fashion communities worldwide via UGC content; allowing creation, inspiration, and exchange to all take place with the click of a button. Rey Yu (BU ’26), Emily Han (BU ’26), Austin Perez (EN ’26)
Rasa Chai is bringing an authentic chai experience to the US. Shradha Challa (MBA ’24)
UniLink connects startups to exceptional intern and new grad talent. Rohan Kamalakantha (BU ’25), Harry Gao (EN ’25), Jason He
WUWA Textiles is reimagining cardboard coffee sleeves with post-industrial textile waste. Mac Barnes (EN ’26), Lucia Umbreit (EN ’26), Rachel Charendoff (EN ’25)
Following the closed judging, each team presented a condensed 60-second pitch to an audience of WashU and St. Louis community members. Attendees voted for their favorite venture to win one of two $500 People’s Choice Awards.
The SVC People’s Choice winners are: Flashcardify and Page Pacer
Each of the semifinalist teams will receive valuable feedback from the judges, which will help them as they refine their ventures and enhance their pitches as they progress forward. “Today brought such excitement as we watched the semifinalist teams pitch – each venture brought the energy and showcased their entrepreneurial spirit,” said Cyril Loum, Venture Development Manager. “I am so proud of these young entrepreneurs who have developed products and services that address real problems facing their customers, and we look forward to supporting them as their ideas continue to progress.”
The fall 2024 SVC winner will be announced at the Washington University Innovation & Entrepreneurship Awards on November 20. All are welcome to join in this celebratory evening!