Competitors Now Hone Their Startup Ideas for Final Pitch Night on May 8

The YU Innovation Lab, Sy Syms School of Business and the Shevet Glaubach Center for Career Strategy and Professional Development launched the third annual Innovation Challenge pitch competition that empowers students to bring a business idea from concept to execution. The Challenge allows students to form teams around their original business idea, which they eventually pitch to a panel of judges, helping them gain the real-world entrepreneurial skills needed to launch a successful company.

The Lab held the kickoff brainstorming session on March 20 attracting approximately 40 competitors from across Yeshiva University and Central High School for Girls. Some students came with ideas that were fully formed and ready for primetime, while others wanted to support their fellow students as business team members.

One student with and innovative idea was Elle Ohayon of Sy Syms. “Essentially my pitch idea is a smart pen that teaches students how to read and write by using AI. Kids proceed at their own speed and thrive in their own way. No two kids learn the same way, and this pen adapts to their specific needs. That’s the idea in a nutshell.”

Another student came up with an idea for a wine bottle that has the glass already attached, so no need to do pesky dishes! “One should drink wine from a glass and plastic is bad for the environment,” said Jollwin Gonsalves of Katz. “I designed a special bottle that you can take anywhere, and the removable lid is the glass and the bottom contains the wine.”

The group of Central High School freshmen came up with a smart cane idea to help blind people get around and be safe in the process.

By the end of the evening, the feverish back and forth and constructive advice from fellow students and Innovation Lab staff led to the creation of many competitive teams.

After the kickoff, the students proceeded to attend weekly mentorship workshops to hone their ideas. Two sessions have already been held: Validating Your Market on April 2 and Financial Projections for a Startup on April 9. The final workshop will be on May 2 on best ways to pitch your idea.

This is all leading up to the finale, Innovation Challenge Pitch Night on May 8 on the Beren Campus. All selected teams will make pitches to a panel of judges, just as if they were pitching to a group of investors. The winner of the pitch will receive $1,000 to support their innovative business idea. The event will also feature a special recognition for those who developed ideas that address the impact of the war in Israel.

The whole concept behind the Innovation Challenge is to help students understand what it takes to come up with a great idea and bring their company to market.

“People come with ideas and use this as a platform to validate and articulate their ideas, and meet new people,” said Natasha Srulowitz, Director of the Innovation Lab. “People inherently have an entrepreneurial curiosity and how to leverage and foster that is what we are trying to do here, to encourage our students to learn how to take their idea further.”