HWS News
2 February 2024 Pitch Finalists Announced
The finalists of the annual Shark-Tank style startup pitch competition will compete to win $10K.
Five students have been selected to advance to the finals of the Todd Feldman and Family Pitch Competition. This year’s competitors are Cori Bohan ’27, Lucas Johnson ’24, Emily Rourke ’24, Rex Eidlin ’26 and Saugat Raj Joshi ’25, who have demonstrated innovation and creativity across diverse industries.
The final will take place on Thursday, March 7 at 7 p.m. in the Vandervort Room of the Scandling Campus Center.
Established in 2011, the entrepreneurial competition begins with students submitting a business plan for a product or service. Then the finalists, who are chosen by the Pitch selection committee, present their plan to a panel of alumni judges for the opportunity to win $10,000. Leading up to the final event, each student is partnered with an alumni mentor to learn from their extensive experience and refine and strengthen their plans.
The finalists are:
Cori Bohan's ’27 nonprofit Stories We Tell provides middle school students with a platform to grow confident in public speaking and gain essential 21st Century communication skills. Through affordable, engaging workshops, youth will be able to find their passion and potential.
With 3Face, Lucas Johnson ’24 is going to grow the fingerboard community globally by enabling creativity at home and crafting quality products accessible for all! Collaborating with a diverse group of artists, skateboarders and enthusiasts, the initiative redefines the boundaries of fingerboarding, challenging the conventional perception of what fingerboarding can be.
Rex Eidlin ’26 and Saugat Raj Joshi ’25 will showcase a product for the packaging industry, the EcoPack Bio Foam Roll offering a sustainable, biodegradable, and cost-effective alternative packaging solution derived from mycelium and agricultural waste. Their mission is to combat the environmental hazards of traditional packaging materials by offering a sustainable, biodegradable alternative.
With Em’s Threads, Emily Rourke ’24 is focused on making the fashion industry more sustainable. Em’s Threads upcycles clothing and taps into the unlimited possibilities for creativity and personalization in fashion.
This year’s judges are Paul Harden ’82, Small Business Growth Hub Director at Rhode Island Small Business Development Center; Lee Jokl '05, Director at T-Rowe Price; Lydia Loizides P '26, Managing Partner & CEO of Talentedly; and Khawar Khokhar '00, Executive Director at SAKS Health.
Todd Feldman ’89 and his family generously sponsor the competition. Founder of The Feldman Co., Feldman has more than 30 years of experience developing and building businesses. Read a 2021 profile of Feldman here.
In the photo above stands Cori Bohan ’27, Saugat Raj Joshi ’25, Rex Eidlin ’26, Emily Rourke ’24 and Lucas Johnson ’24.
