Last Friday, Oglethorpe students competed in the second “Shark Tank”-style Idea Incubator for a chance to win up to $4,000 for their start-up business. The event was sponsored by the Hammack School of Business and the Oglethorpe Entrepreneurship Club.

Like the hit show “Shark Tank,” student entrepreneurs gave short pitches detailing their business ideas for a panel of judges. Each pitch included a business case, competitive analyses and plans for expansion. Afterward, judges were allowed to drill down on presenters and ask questions about their businesses. The competition was organized Entrepreneurship Club President Roei Levi ’21 and advisor Glenn Wasser. 

Altogether, seven students presented five different start-ups for a panel of five judges that included Oglethorpe Alumni Association President Richard Bakare ’03, OU First Lady Randa El Jurdi, former Dean of the Hammack School of Business Dennis Kelly, Senior Lecturer in Marketing David Nasser, and Director of Career Development Erin Sherill.

Presentations included:

• Dauren Parker and Aviva Pechenik, “Pitty Proof” – Indestructible dog toys
• Declan Furlough, “ChomRis” – All-in-one pants and underwear that will not bunch
• Drew Luzzatti and William Ransom, “Encore” – Website to assist job seekers age 50+ in finding work
• Morgan Rosberg, “Delfin Pari Gaming” – Online betting for role-playing games
• Amina Sahovic, “Glossy and Bossy” – Website and social media for lip gloss and associated natural beauty products

The winners of the competition were Dauren Parker and Aviva Pechenik’s “Pitty Proof” and Amina Sahovic’s “Glossy and Bossy.” Both teams split the award, earning $2000 each.

Watch each presentation, as well as past presentations on the Oglethorpe University YouTube channel.