Three students win at the third annual Powers Pitch Competition

The third annual Powers Pitch Competition took place this spring at the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business. Organized by the Department of Management, the competition offers the opportunity for student entrepreneurs to pitch their business ventures.

Students had to complete several steps in order to qualify and compete in the competition. First, students first had to submit a video application explaining their business concepts. Then, the chosen applicants completed an initial pitch to a series of judges, where they received feedback. For the culminating Powers Pitch Competition, the finalists had to pitch to a new set of judges, where they were assessed on their knowledge of their market and target audience, their presentation quality and their ability to handle the Q&A portion with the judges.

Judges were selected for the pitch competition that represented Clemson’s entrepreneurial ecosystem:

• Robertson Allen ’00, co-founder of The Cassina Group
• Jennifer Battles, founder of health tech startup and nonprofit advocate
• Molly Inclán, program manager and ecosystem builder at NextGen
• Tom Merritt, founder and co-CEO of OOBE Apparel Design Group
• Paul Shaw, president of HealthPro Heritage, Board Member of Assembly Health and Operating Partner of Shore Capital
• Blake Thomas ’97, president and president of Tigerwise and former COO at Corkcicle

This year, 23 student ventures participated, with 7 making it to a final round of pitches. The winners of the Powers Pitch Competition this year were Lucas Martin, Bryce Alexander and Marley Barrett with Learnripl Inc. Learnripl is an AI-powered learning platform designed to personalize high school students’ homework based on their individual interests. By creating unique interest profiles for each student, the platform tailors assignments in a way that makes learning more engaging and relevant. At the same time, it provides teachers with an easy-to-use system to set up, manage, and monitor their classes, saving time while also boosting student participation and outcomes.

Lucas Martin, a sophomore management and accounting major, says, “I had a lot of fun competing in the Powers Pitch Competition, and it gave me real confidence in pitching my idea to a broader audience. The preparation leading up to the event helped sharpen our pitch, and the opportunity to connect with fellow student entrepreneurs and industry professionals made it even more impactful. It’s an experience that has genuinely prepared me for future opportunities to pursue funding and grow our business.”

Final Pitch Winners

• First Place: Learnripl Inc. – Lucas Martin, Bryce Alexander, Marley Barrett
• Second Place: The Olive Branch Club – Leslie Staniar
• Third Place: HemoFlow – Adam Neil

Chad Navis, Arthur M. Spiro Professor of Entrepreneurial Leadership, says, “One of the things that makes this competition special is how much time all our professors spend outside of class helping students improve their ideas and pitches. It’s a team effort that really builds students’ skills and confidence,” he explains. “I’ve seen students walk away from this experience more motivated, more confident, and more ready to start something of their own. It gives them the belief that they can actually do it, and many of them do.”

About the Department of Management

The Department of Management at Clemson University is a connected community of thought leaders. The department provides exceptional value to communities, marketplaces and the global economy.

Recognized for its top-rated General Management program, the department offers multiple areas of emphasis that allow students to tailor their degrees for specialized expertise and career success. These emphasis areas include:

• Entrepreneurship
• Business Analytics
• Operations
• Human Resources
• Information Systems
• Supply Chain
• General Management
• International Management

At the graduate level, the department provides several degree options, including:

• Master’s degree in data science and Analytics
• Ph.D. in Executive Leadership