HWS News
6 March 2025 • Alums Pitch Finalists: Where Are They Now?
On March 6, Diya Baldev ’25, Maeghan Mahoney ’26, Chloe Odell ’26, and Ahata Laska ’27, will compete in the 2025 Todd Feldman ’89 and Family Pitch Contest for a chance to win $10,000 to bring their business idea to life. Over the past 13 years, 66 finalists have taken the stage at the annual Pitch contest.
To explore its lasting impact, we connected with finalists from the past five years to hear how the experience has shaped their lives and careers. Across all responses, finalists emphasized the mentorship and collaboration embedded in the Pitch process. The support of Centennial Center staff, mentors, and Todd Feldman was instrumental in their success, both during and after the competition. Read their stories below.
Alexandria Knipper ’21
In 2020, Knipper competed in the Pitch Competition with UVA, an online cancer connection community. After graduating in 2021, she pursued a career in the nonprofit sector, stating, “My heart was always dedicated toward the philanthropic route.” As the community fundraising coordinator for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, she credits the Pitch for teaching her perseverance and building confidence in her work ethic. She encourages HWS students to “take the chance” and compete, calling it “an incredible opportunity that will set you up for success.”
Moritz Marchart ’22
Marchart and his team won the 2022 Pitch Contest with Fibrworks, a hemp-based alternative to plastics in industrial landscaping. They established an LLC and continue to develop the venture. Now a consultant for ESM Software in Germany, he also rows for the German national team and is preparing to row across the Atlantic with three other HWS alumni. Marchart says, his experience in the Pitch helped him build the skills to found a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, secure funding, and continues to support him when pitching his project to sponsors.
Matthew Nusom ’23
Nusom won the 2021 Pitch Contest with SymBIO Designs, an initiative to improve waste management in dining spaces. He later co-founded the CTFO podcast with Reece Wilson ’24 and Seamus Galvin ’23. Now a risk and financial advisory analyst at Deloitte specializing in anti-money laundering, he credits the Pitch with teaching him adaptability. “It’s okay to pivot,” he says. “Being agile allows you to adapt to changing circumstances.”
Zaheer Bowen ’23
Bowen’s 2023 Pitch idea, NiteCap, proposed a “cloud kitchen” restaurant model that utilizes already present cuisines and restaurant spaces for late-night availability. After realizing the local market in the Finger Lakes Region was too small to support the concept, he reimagined the vision. Now in NYC, he is owner and CEO of Innate Hospitality Projects and its first restaurant Silk Road. He is currently hosting pop-ups as he prepares for a full launch. Bowen says, the Pitch was invaluable in honing his ability to present ideas to investors and consumers, a skill essential to Silk Road’s growth.
Reece Wilson ’24
Wilson competed in the 2022 Pitch with UTime, an automated scheduling system. Through his experience developing UTime, he grew his passion for entrepreneurship. Now the Entrepreneur in Residence at Colgate University, he mentors student founders through the Thought Into Action program. Reece believes, “You have to fail before you succeed,” emphasizing that the Pitch taught him lessons that made him a better leader, mentor and entrepreneur. He is also currently co-creating a podcast with Matt Nusom ’23 and Seamus Galvin ’23, named “CTFO.” Their mission with this podcast is to “show young professionals and recent graduates that success isn’t linear – it’s a journey full of pivots, failures, and unexpected opportunities.”
Jack Maloney ’24
Maloney also competed in the 2022 Pitch Contest with UTime, an automated scheduling system. After the Pitch, he interned at Somos Inc. a global provider of phone number, data and identity management solutions where his team’s Pitch mentor Gina Perini ’95 serves as CEO and Chair of the Board. Maloney says working at Somos ignited his love for technology sales, leading him to land his current role as senior sales development representative at Harness, a large enterprise software company. Maloney credits the Pitch’s network for helping him forge his career path.
Emily Rourke ’24
Rourke won the 2024 Pitch with Em’s Threads, a sustainable fashion brand that upcycles clothing. After the competition, she expanded her pop-up shops along the East Coast and partnered with stores in New York, Massachusetts and Florida. As company founder, she grew her team to six people sewing for Em’s Threads. “The Pitch inspired me to follow my dreams,” she says. “Now, I get to do what I love every day.”
Top: President Mark D. Gearan welcomes attendees during the 2024 Todd Feldman '89 and Family Pitch Contest.
