SAN LUIS OBISPO — California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) students won $1,000 at the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s (CIE) 15th annual Elevator Pitch Competition, a fast-paced, high-energy competition for student entrepreneurs, held on Nov. 14 at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo. 

Ten finalists, selected from dozens of applicants, had 90 seconds each to pitch their innovative products, services and startup ideas. They were evaluated by a panel of judges on four criteria: how well was the problem or opportunity explained; was the idea innovative; was the direction clear; and was the pitch persuasive.  

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – NOVEMBER 14: Elevator Pitch judges from left to right: Dan Weeks, Melissa James, Matt Pontes and Benjamin Arts. Photo by Ruby Wallau for CIE

This year’s judges included CIE Alum Benjamin Arts (business administration, ‘24); CIE Entrepreneur in Residence, Dan Weeks; County Administrative Officer of SLO County, Matt Pontes; and President and CEO of REACH Central Coast, Melissa James. 

Electrical engineering sophomore David Rock of Irvine, California, received the $1,000 first-place prize with his pitch for Drone Line. 

Drone Line is a modified inspection drone that can continuously charge through inducted wireless charging. 

“Winning the Elevator Pitch Competition is just more proof that this is a good idea and I should pursue it for years to come,” Rock said.

Sebastian Ugarte-Capel of Aliso Viejo, California, a business administration freshman, received the $500 audience choice award. 

His pitch for Revitalized Ramen, a combination of caffeine and instant ramen for extra fuel and nourishment, impressed the crowd. 

“It felt great to win the audience choice award and I’m happy people liked my jokes. It’s a simple product but I think it’s something a lot of people could actually use,” Ugarte-Capel said. 

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – NOVEMBER 14: Elevator Pitch audience choice winner Sebastian Ugarte-Capel (left) and overall winner David Rock (right). Photo by Ruby Wallau for CIE

Other Elevator Pitch Competition finalists included: 

— BlockTerra, a startup that is utilizing blockchain technology to democratize farmland ownership in the United States so that anyone, regardless of their income, can own a piece, pitched by economics senior William Stevens of Los Angeles, California.

— Collaps-a-Box, a drawstring-controlled corrugated cardboard box that can shrink to fit its contents without any complicated machines or custom box sizing algorithms, pitched by aerospace engineering sophomore Drew Stannard-Stockton of San Francisco, California. 

— DoubleDesk, a lightweight, collapsible desk extension that snaps onto your lecture hall desk to extend your workspace, pitched by business administration sophomore Heidi Judson of Turlock, California. 

— Ecoplasticity, a biodegradable coating made of seaweed that will replace plastic lining found on to-go containers, single-use coffee cups and more, pitched by business administration master’s student Mayela Fernandez of Monterrey, Mexico. 

— NoseFlow, a chemical-free and eco-friendly pocket-size misting spray that cools your nasal cavities to alleviate nose bleeds, pitched by business administration freshman Solomon Perera of Snohomish, Washington. 

— NourishSnacks, a brand reimagining snacking by providing healthier alternatives to favorites such as PopTarts, using fewer ingredients, no harmful dyes and superfoods for added nutrition, pitched by business administration freshman Sienna Jones of Encinitas, California. 

— Staxx, the world’s only smart poker chip linked to a mobile app that tracks your stats and provides immediate feedback, monitoring your decisions, calculating probabilities and analyzing strategies, pitched by computer engineering sophomore Benjamin Klein Pastor of San Diego, California. 

— Twist and Toss Pasta Co., a food service that uses a unique build-your-own meal style for pasta lovers, offering a personalized experience, pitched by business administration sophomore Cameryn Pina of Morgan Hill, California. 

To watch this year’s Elevator Pitch Competition pitches, visit the CIE YouTube channel here. 

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About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship: 

The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunities to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue across the university and throughout San Luis Obispo. For more information, visit https://cie.calpoly.edu/.  

SAN LUIS OBISPO  — The Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) will showcase eight startups at its annual Demo Day in-person at Rod & Hammer Rock and online via YouTube Live on Friday, Sept. 6.

The event, held from 4-6 p.m., culminates the CIE’s 2024 Summer Accelerator program, an intensive 12-week program that helps Cal Poly students and recent graduates develop their startup ideas into scalable businesses. Representatives from each startup will pitch their business ideas and present what they’ve accomplished over the summer with the help of dedicated CIE mentors and staff.

“This year’s cohort is really exceptional in that they are showcasing such a diverse range of innovative solutions that reflect their understanding of market needs and entrepreneurial resilience,” explained CIE Academic Programs Director Dr. Thomas Katona.

When asked why people should attend Demo Day, Katona encouraged the community to “witness firsthand the next wave of talented entrepreneurs who are driven by a passion to make a real impact on the world.”

The Summer Accelerator provides $10,000 in seed funding to grow each startup, as well as mentorship from industry experts and workshops that teach the various components of building a business. Demo Day will give these emerging entrepreneurs the opportunity to demonstrate how hard work and collaboration are helping propel their startups to the next level.

These include people like recent Cal Poly alumnus Diego Curiel (Computer Engineering, ’24).

“My experience so far with the Summer Accelerator can be summarized with the word ‘fun,’ ” Curiel said. “It’s a lot of work and it’s tiring, but it’s really exciting. We are creating something that is meaningful and valuable. Being able to wake up every day and know that I’m going to spend my time putting energy into something that will bring good into the world makes me really happy.”

Demo Day Participants

The cohort includes many recent Cal Poly graduates who represent a variety of industries and disciplines, from medical devices to gaming software. The startups include:

• Everest Medical, which is creating a surgical device aimed to create a safer alternative treatment method for mothers and their infants during shoulder dystocia complications from vaginal births. The startup was created by biomedical engineering graduates Jenna Eissmann of Reno, Nevada; Maddie Mumford of Snoqualmie, Washington; and Rachel Rowe of Bellevue, Washington.

• GreenSight Tech, which aims to revolutionize electronic resellers’ workflow by creating a solution driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The startup was created by computer engineering senior Diego Curiel of Santa Barbara, California; general engineering graduate Jake Daniels of Lake Oswego, Oregon; computer science senior Chris Lawson of Atascadero, California; and computer engineering graduate Mackenzie Kettwig of Colfax, California.

• MindSprout, a mobile app aimed at replacing a person’s gambling addiction with healthy habits through a gamified approach. The startup was created by business entrepreneurship graduate Austin Hatfield of San Clemente, California; and business entrepreneurship/computer science graduate Diana Koralski of Redmond, Washington.

• NeuroCom, which is creating a wearable device to reduce friendly fire and enhance situational awareness on the battlefield by enhancing human sensory perception with technology. The startup was created by mechanical engineering senior Alex Rosenbaum of Seattle, Washington.

• ODIN Diagnostics, which is creating a portable headset to quickly and accurately diagnose concussions through the use of ocular tracking technology. The startup was created by economics graduate Connor Heffler of San Diego; biomedical engineering senior Josh Gottschalk of Branford, Connecticut; computer science graduate Noah Cain of Bolingbrook, Illinois; biomedical engineering graduate Marina Zellers of Lompoc, California; computer science graduate Sarah Duncan of Santa Barbara, California; and electrical engineering senior Seth Saxena of Manalapan, New Jersey.

• ONGAWA, a rhythm gaming software offering a unique fusion of music and role-playing elements and supports indie musicians by showcasing and monetizing their work. This startup was created by computer science masters graduate Lucas Li of Morgan Hills, California; computer science graduate Brett Hickman of Mission Viejo, California; business administration senior Pedro Fernandez of Philo, California; and business administration senior Jeremy Tai of Los Angeles, California.

• SafePlate Technologies, a startup dedicated to revolutionizing food safety in America, creating a safer world for individuals with food allergies and intolerances. By leveraging synthesized DNA biosensors to detect protein structure within samples, they simplify the allergen testing process for food manufacturers. The startup was created by mechanical engineering senior Nahal Sadgehian of Folsom, California; mechanical engineering graduate Mitchell Dann of Torrance, California; computer engineering graduate Avery Taylor of Orangeville, California; and business administration graduate Josh Chao of Seattle, Washington.

• Skymark Systems, which aims to create a handheld detection technology for warfighters, which would allow them to instantly identify whether any small drone in the sky is friend or foe. This startup was created by computer science junior Oleksandr Gorpynich of San Jose, California; Matan Kedar of San Jose, California; and computer science junior Vasanth Pugalenthi of San Ramon, California.

Demo Day general admission tickets to Rod & Hammer Rock, 855 Aerovista Place, San Luis Obispo, are $10. In-person seating is limited. The event will be live streamed to those who register for virtual tickets. Register for tickets at https://ciedemoday24.eventbrite.com/?aff=PressRelease.

About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunity to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue across the university and throughout San Luis Obispo County. For more information, visit cie.calpoly.edu.

SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) has accepted eight startup teams into its Summer Accelerator, an intensive 12-week program that provides Cal Poly students and recent graduates with the resources necessary to turn their innovative ideas into full-fledged startups.

Participants receive $10,000 in seed funding and access to expert mentorship, entrepreneurial workshops and a dedicated workspace in the HotHouse, the CIE’s office in downtown San Luis Obispo.

“This Summer Accelerator cohort is unique because several teams used Innovation Quest as a springboard to advance into this program, which demonstrates the relative maturity of business development for those entering the Accelerator this year,” said Dr. Thomas Katona, CIE academic programs director. “I think this group is going to be a source of excitement and pride for our alumni and local community.”

Six teams in this cohort participated in Innovation Quest (iQ), a high-stakes competition where Cal Poly students pitch their innovative business ideas to a panel of judges in the hopes of winning funding for their startups.

The 2024 Summer Accelerator teams represent a variety of ideas, from military technology with Neurocom and Skymark to combating medical issues with The Infantry.

“It’s interesting to see how several of these students have been involved in our entrepreneurship programs in the past. Even if they were working on different ideas then, they’re sticking with their entrepreneurship journey, which brought them to the Accelerator,” said Oliver Haas, CIE student programs coordinator.

This year’s cohort includes:

GamRewired: A mobile app designed to replace a person’s gambling addiction with healthy habits. It was created by business administration graduate Austin Hatfield of San Clemente, California and computer science and business administration senior Diana Koralski of Redmond, Washington. GamRewired received the second-place prize of $10,000 prize at iQ 2024.

Greensight AI: Aiming to revolutionize electronic resellers’ workflow by creating an Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven solution. Created by general engineering senior Jake Daniels of Palo Alto, California, computer engineering senior Diego Curiel of Santa Barbara, California and computer engineering senior Chris Lawson of Atascadero, California. Greensight AI was a participant in iQ 2024.

Neurocom: Increasing situational awareness on the battlefield with a new type of human-machine interface headset that lets soldiers access geospatial data. Created by mechanical engineering junior Alex Rosenbaum of Seattle, Washington. Neurocom was a participant in iQ 2024.

ODIN: A portable headset designed to quickly and accurately diagnose concussions through the use of ocular-tracking technology. It was created by: economics major Connor Heffler and biomedical engineering student Trace Bell, both seniors of San Diego, California;  biomedical engineering junior Josh Gottschalk of Branford, Connecticut; computer science senior Noah Cain of Bolingbrook, Illinois; mechanical engineering senior Graham Edelman of San Jose, California; and biomedical engineering graduate student Marina Zellers of Lompoc, California. ODIN received the top prize of $15,000 at iQ 2024.

SafePlate Technologies: Creating a safe and worry-free food experience for Americans with allergies and intolerances by enabling food manufacturers to provide customers with accurately tested products through infrared technology. SafePlate was created by: mechanical engineering seniors Nahal Sadeghian of Folsom, California, and Mitchell Dann; computer engineering senior Avery Taylor of Orangeville, California; and business administration senior Josh Chao of Seattle. The startup was a participant in iQ 2024.

Skymark: Enabling warfighters to identify if a drone is a friend or foe through detection technology. It was created by computer science junior Oleksandr Gorpynich of San Jose, California, computer science sophomores Vasanth Pugalenthi of San Ramon, California, Brian Mai of San Lorenzo, California and Shynn Lawrence of Fremont, California and computer engineering sophomore Matan Kedar of San Jose, California.

The Infantry: A single-use device creating a safer alternative for mothers and their infants during shoulder dystocia complications from vaginal births. The startup was created by: biomedical engineering seniors Rachel Rowe of Bellevue and Madeline Mumford of Snoqualmie, both in Washington state; and Jenna Eissmann of Reno, Nevada. The Infantry received the third-place $5,000 award at iQ 2024.

Virtuosos: A rhythm gaming software designed to auto-generate levels based on music that participants and musicians upload. It was created by computer science graduate student Lucas Li of Morgan Hills, California; alumnus Brett Hickman (Computer Science, ’23) of Mission Viejo, California, business administration junior Pedro Talavera Fernandez of Philo, California and business administration senior Jeremy Tai of Los Angeles, California.

“I look forward to working with such a special group that is tackling very challenging global problems,” said Katona.

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About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE):

The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunities to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue across the university and throughout San Luis Obispo. For more information, visit cie.calpoly.edu.

CARSON — Two California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) startups won prizes at the Sunstone Startup Launch Competition, a California State University (CSU) pitch competition with a total of $200,000 in prize money, held at CSU Dominguez Hills on Friday, May 3, 2024. Various teams showcased their ideas to a group of 50 judges from all over the state.

Nexstera Tech, a startup aiming to shape the future with AI-driven radar technology by pinpointing lithium-ion battery risks within waste streams, received the third-place overall grand prize of $10,000, two first-place showcase awards totaling $12,000, and $5,000 for reaching the finals. In total, Nexstera Tech won $27,000.

“I thoroughly enjoyed sharing our mission and vision with the judges and guests. It was inspiring to see so many young entrepreneurs striving to make a positive impact, whether on the environment, society, or their specific target market. The funding we received will enable us to bring in radar and software experts to assist my co-founders with their R&D efforts and help us acquire the necessary equipment to develop our advanced radar system,” said Penny Lane Case, CEO of Nextera Tech.

The Nexstera Tech team is composed of three co-founders: recent Cal Poly business administration graduate Penny Lane Case of Santa Rosa, California, who acts as the company’s CEO; recent Cal Poly mechanical engineering graduate Stefany James of Chula Vista, California, who acts as the company’s CTO; and senior Cal Poly computer science student Kylene Landenberger of Roseville, California, who acts as the company’s CPO.

Nexstera Tech recently received first place at AngelCon, a pitch competition that connects Central California tech startups and dedicated investors for funding and mentorship, hosted by the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Small Business Development Center (SBDC), receiving $165,000 in equity investment.

ENTEIN, a startup utilizing food waste to grow insects as an affordable animal feed protein supplement, won the third-place award in competition advantage, receiving a prize of $1,000. The competitive advantage awards were given to startups that differentiated themselves from existing or potential competitors, providing an edge in the market.

ENTEIN is founded by Cal Poly materials engineering senior William Burns of The Dalles, Oregon, who acts as the company’s CEO.

Both winners participated in the 2023 Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Summer Accelerator, an intensive 12-week program that provides Cal Poly students and recent graduates with the resources necessary to turn their innovative ideas into full-fledged startups.

The Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Competition followed a new format this year, consisting of a “science fair” style expo where judges roamed the room evaluating the startups for up to 3 hours. Six to eight teams were later selected as finalists to compete in the Grand Finale. Finalists delivered a 3-minute pitch presentation, followed by a 5-minute Q&A from the judges. Seventeen of the 23 CSU campuses participated, totaling 33 teams.

Next year’s Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Competition will be held at San Francisco State University in Spring 2025.

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About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE):

The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunities to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue across the university and throughout San Luis Obispo. For more information, visit https://cie.calpoly.edu.

SAN LUIS OBISPO — Three student startup teams split $30,000 at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s (CIE) annual Innovation Quest (iQ), a high-stakes competition where Cal Poly students pitch their innovative business ideas to a panel of judges in the hopes of winning funding for their startups. The entire day of pitches took place on April 27 on Cal Poly’s campus, with awards presented later at a local venue. 

Taking home the first-place prize was ODIN, a portable headset with ocular tracking technology that rapidly and accurately diagnoses concussions. The winning team consists of industrial engineering senior Cory Garlinghouse of Scotts Mills, Oregon, biomedical engineering senior James Bell of San Diego, California, computer engineering senior Wilman Li of Tracy, California, economics senior Connor Heffler of San Diego, California, business administration junior Jeremy Tai of Los Angeles, California and business administration senior Jack Denger of Bellevue, Washington. 

“Winning iQ meant a lot to me and my team because we’ve been putting in the work since January. This $15,000 will go a long way,” said CEO and co-founder of ODIN, Jeremy Tai.

They intend to use the cash prize to further develop ODIN and “make this company a reality,” said Tai. 

The Rich & Jackie Boberg Innovation Award for second-place prize of $10,000 went to Gamrewired, a mobile app aimed at replacing a person’s gambling addiction with healthy habits, created by business administration seniors Austin Hatfield of San Clemente, California Camille Boiteux of San Francisco, California, as well as computer science and business administration senior Diana Koralski of Redmond, Washington. Gamrewired intends to participate in the Summer Accelerator program this year. 

“It feels pretty good winning second place in iQ, but I think what means the most about this is that my best friend has a gambling addiction, so it gets us further to being able to help who we want to help. That’s the most valuable part of this experience,” said Hatfield, co-founder of Gamrewired. 

Biomedical engineering seniors Rachel Rowe of Bellevue, Washington, Madeline Mumford of Snoqualmie, Washington, Jenna Eissmann of Reno, Nevada and Brittany Trinh of San Gabriel, California, received the third-place award of $5,000 for their startup The Infantry. The Infantry isa single-use device aimed to create a safer alternative for mothers and their infants during shoulder dystocia complications from vaginal births.

“I’m beyond thrilled to have this opportunity to develop my company. My team has already started talking about what we will do with the money and we are so excited to continue developing.” said co-founder Mumford. 

Thirteen finalists pitched their innovative ideas in Cal Poly’s Nash Family Entrepreneurship Lab. The event’s banquet and awards ceremony were held at Rod and Hammer Rock later that evening. 

Penny Lane Case, past iQ participant and CEO and co-founder of Nexstera Tech, spoke at the banquet about her experience in iQ, the Summer Accelerator program and her upcoming live pitch at AngelCon. 

Nexstera Tech aims to shape the future with AI-driven radar technology by pinpointing lithium-ion battery risks within waste streams. 

iQ was founded in 2004 by Cal Poly electrical engineering graduates and business leaders Carson Chen, Richard Boberg and Laura Pickering. Since its launch, iQ participants have received over $400,000 that has helped launch several successful businesses, such as iFixIt, Liftgator and Alydia Health. 

“I was really impressed by all the teams today. It’s the first year since I’ve been here that, at the end of the day, I had no idea who was going to win. It was a great competition, really competitive and they did a great job,” said Dr. Thomas Katona, CIE Academic Director. 

In addition to the three winners, 10 finalists were chosen from more than 50 applicants: 

CSA Connect aims to streamline CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) research, is an easy-to-use commerce platform that builds a community connection between customers and local farms. CSA Connect received First Place in UX Fest for their mobile app, created by liberal arts and engineering studies senior Elena Kline of Seattle, Washington and graphic communication seniors Sierra Barnes of Orinda, California and Anjalie Shute of San Jose, California.

Ecoplasticity aims to redefine and replace plastic films with their marine biofilm for food packaging that has the ability to biodegrade within two months.. Ecoplasticity wascreated by Master’s of Business Administration  student Mayela Fernandez Cantu of Monterrey, Mexico and material engineering senior Michelle Cullen of Redondo Beach, California.  

GreenSight AI aims to revolutionize electronic resellers’ workflow by creating an AI (Artificial Intelligence)driven solution which provides Green Sight AI was created by general engineering senior Jake Daniels of Palo Alto, California, electrical engineering senior Evan Insley of Los Angeles, California, computer engineering senior Diego Curiel of Santa Barbara, California, computer engineering student Chris Lawson of Atascadero, California and business administration senior Mucio Martinez of Los Osos, California. 

HeatShield Biometrics aims to aid in battle against wildfires by safeguarding wildland firefighters with alerts for impending heat stroke. HeartShield Biometrics was created by mechanical engineering seniors Stuart Austin of Portland, Oregon and Kaleb Lam of Oregon City, Oregon, industrial technology and packaging senior Max Irwin of Long Beach, California, electrical engineering senior Mason McGuire, environmental engineering senior Kelden Larsen of Taos, New Mexico and business administration senior Molly Davies of Traverse City, Michigan. 

Mr. Turtle Laundry aims to remove plastic from the laundry process with a sustainable refill station, saving the planet and your money. Mr. Turtle Laundry was created by business administration seniors Michael Hennessy of Huntington Beach, California, Benjamin Arts of San Jose, California and Kevin Polanco of El Monte, California and economics graduate Colin Brown of Bend, Oregon. 

NeuroCom aims to increase situational awareness on the battlefield, with a new type of human-machine interface that enables soldiers to interface directly with geospatial data. NeuroCom was created by mechanical engineering junior Alex Rosenbaum of Seattle, Washington. 

Anemo AI aims to accelerate the literature review process for academia and R&D (Research and Development) through a generative AI-powered platform. Anemo AI was created by computer science juniors Ameer Arsala and Ishan Meher of Sacramento, California, as well as computer engineering sophomore Miguel Villa Floran of Los Angeles, California. 

Rayaway aims to sterilize door handles in healthcare facilities with their product CoverClean, an externally mounted automatic cleaning device that utilizes UVC (Ultraviolet-C) light with a deployable shield. Rayaway was created by business administration freshman Lansing Crawford of San Francisco, California and mechanical engineering junior Alex Rosenbaum of Seattle, Washington. 

SafePlate Technologies aims to create a safe and worry-free food experience for Americans with allergies and intolerances by enabling food manufacturers, provides their customers with accurately tested products through reliable and innovative infrared technology. SafePlate Technologies was created by mechanical engineering seniors Nahal Sadeghian of Folsom, California and Mitchell Dann, computer engineering senior Avery Taylor of Orangeville, California and business administration seniors Josh Chao of Seattle, Washington, Zane Shatnawi of Santa Rosa, California and Jacob Renert of Carlsbad, California. 

Specter Snow Collective aims to produce sustainably-made snow gear and is building high performance alpine skis and soon snowboards. Specter Snow Collective was created by general engineering graduate Mathew Morin of Seattle, Washington, Master’s of Biomedical Engineering student Andrew Wandinger of Fremont, California, agricultural business graduate Julian Donnelly of Big Sur, California and mechanical engineering graduate Spencer Hann of Santa Barbara, California. 

SAN LUIS OBISPO — Camp PolyHacks, an interdisciplinary hackathon based on social entrepreneurship, was held on Jan. 20 and 21 at the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) HotHouse in downtown San Luis Obispo.

During the two-day hackathon, 57 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) students worked in groups to develop a solution to an issue impacting San Luis Obispo. Each of the 13 teams was assigned one of four issue categories, including civic engagement, artificial intelligence (AI), classroom project continuation and the Cal Poly Digital Transformation Hub (DxHub) powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) projects. 

Teams could develop solutions in the form of a product, service, information or marketing campaign, policy proposal or a demonstration or prototype of a mobile application.

Camp PolyHacks was sponsored by the CIE, as well as the City of San Luis Obispo, Amazon Web Services, DxHub, Dignity Health, Cal Poly College of Engineering and Cal Poly College of Liberal Arts.

The event was organized by student volunteers and David Askay, a Cal Poly communications adjunct professor and CIE faculty innovation lead.

“I am so impressed with seeing the commitment and drive of so many talented students,” Askay said. “While we fueled participants with food and community coaches, it was their own passion and creativity that moved them forward.” 

Day one of Camp PolyHacks included a 90-minute team brainstorming session, followed by opportunities for students to attend workshops and receive coaching and mentorship from industry professionals and Cal Poly faculty members. On day two, teams were given just over two hours to fine-tune their projects before presenting their innovations to a panel of judges.

Team Hopper won $500 for Top Project in Continuing a Class Project. They developed a personalized app and optimized dynamic bus routes to improve student transportation. The group consisted of business major Kennedy Urcelay; recreation parks and tourism administration major Kennedy Barlow; communication studies major Quoya Mann and international exchange student in computer science Othilia Norell.

Team TherapEase won $500 for Top Project in Artificial Intelligence. They developed a physical therapy app that tracks improvements in mobility and movement over time and encourages compliance with home exercises. The group consisted of computer science majors Isha Varrier, Pihu Jha, Dhanvi Ganti, Sunishka Sharma and Sammer Maheshwari; and graphic communication major Bella Santos. 

Team Kudos won $500 for Top Project in Civic Engagement. They developed an app to help empower rental tenants by finding rentals, reviewing landlords, tracking code violations and providing an AI chatbot to answer questions about renters’ rights. The group consisted of communication studies major Brenden Jacoby; computer science major Soren Fliegel; and city and regional planning majors Margo Ezcurra and Jodie Huang. 

Special awards for $200 were also given for achievements such as “Best Demo,” “Best Pitch” and “Best Design.” 

These award winners included:

— Best Demo: Team LocalLens, who created an AI chatbot trained on the City of San Luis Obispo council records to increase and facilitate access to the public. This team included computer science majors Jason Jelincic, Pallavi Das, Miguel Villa Floran, Nick Riley and Taran Singh; and electrical engineering major Roy Vicerra. 

— Best Pitch: Team Credito, who provided undocumented U.S. immigrants a way to access credit. The team included interdisciplinary studies major Jorge Sanches; liberal arts and engineering studies major Casey Hartley, electrical engineering major Soumil Joshi; economics major Sevasian Juarez; and business major Zitao Guan.

— Best Design: Team Moment, who created an app to predict and prevent burnout in healthcare workers. The team included computer science majors Sofija Dimitrijevic, Jonathan Hagendoorn, James Irwin and Ellie Pearson; and computer engineering major Nick Weiss.

Other teams included: 

— Team GeoGraph who used geographic information system (GIS) and lidar data to provide the City of San Luis Obispo Sustainability Manager Chris Read with the estimated square footage of non-residential buildings in San Luis Obispo to track carbon emissions and inform policy decisions. 

— Team Rewired who developed an app for pre-screening and tracking gambling addiction. 

— Team Humorfy who developed a health and fitness app to encourage meeting goals with humor and fun. 

— Team WellNex.AI who used AI to create a digital patient intake form to create pre-diagnoses and optimization of visits for free healthcare at the Noor Clinic. 

— Team Bike CV who created an app to track bike accidents.  

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About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunities to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue across the university and throughout San Luis Obispo County. For more information, visit https://cie.calpoly.edu/.

SAN LUIS OBISPO — A Cal Poly freshman won the top prize at Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s (CIE) 14th annual Elevator Pitch Competition, a fast-paced, high-energy competition for student entrepreneurs, held Nov. 7 at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo.

Ten finalists, selected from dozens of applicants, had 90 seconds each to pitch their innovative products, services and startup ideas. They were evaluated by a panel of judges on four criteria: how well was the problem or opportunity explained; was the idea innovative; was the direction clear; and was the pitch persuasive.

Material engineering freshman Erin Wang of Irvine, California, received the $1,000 first-place prize with her pitch for Intelladaptive Jacket, an active, self-regulating temperature jacket that uses sensors and a removable, rechargeable battery to adjust to the user’s temperature.

“I’m so grateful and super excited,” Wang said. “I’m just a freshman so I wasn’t expecting a ton out of it, but I’m so glad I was able to be here.”

Marley Timmerman of Huntington Beach, California, an electrical engineering senior with a minor in entrepreneurship, received the $500 audience choice award.

Her pitch for Bike Knight impressed the crowd. Bike Knight is a secondary electronic e-bike lock that pairs with your existing metal lock, combining electronics with physical strength, to create the maximum bike security system.

“I think it’s awesome that I won the Audience Choice Award,” Timmerman said. “This means that people in the audience had their bike stolen and really want something like this — there’s real interest.”

This year’s judges included: Cal Poly Associate Professor Erik Sapper, the faculty innovation lead for the Bailey College of Science and Mathematics; Lynn Metcalf, professor emeritus of entrepreneurship, who recently retired after 35 years at Cal Poly; and Penny Lane Case, co-founder and CEO of Nexstera Tech, and a Cal Poly alumna, who graduated this year with a bachelor’s degree in business administration degree and concentration in entrepreneurship.

Other Elevator Pitch Competition finalists included:

— Sun-Tractable Shield, a windshield sunshade that hooks onto the dashboard when in use and retracts into a case when not in use, pitched by theater arts freshman Laurel Desilets of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

— Fit Friends, a service that lets users connect with other members at their gym to find workout partners, pitched by computer science senior Joseph Hammana of Santa Cruz, California.

— Quick Shield, a bulk sunscreen dispenser service that provides athletes easy access to sunscreen to prevent sunburn and skin cancer, pitched by electrical engineering fifth-year Dan Murphy of Wayne, New Jersey.

— Virtuosos, a unique rhythm game that empowers music creators to collaborate, showcase their work and transform their compositions into immersive in-game experiences, pitched by computer science graduate student Lucas Li of Morgan Hill, California.

— Fermy Foods, a fermented baby foods company specifically targeted to kids, pitched by William Dietz, a business administration senior concentrating in real estate finance and minoring in real estate property development. Dietz is from Batavia, Illinois.

— Hobby Hub, a platform where you can choose from a wide variety of hobbies and join a hobby group where you can meet like-minded people starting this hobby as well, pitched by industrial technology and packaging senior Greta Peacock of Towson, Maryland.

— ClassMate AI, software that turns professor lectures into unique chatbots for every class, allowing students to easily ask questions and get answers, ensuring a personalized and accessible learning assistant is always available, pitched by computer science junior Raja Adil of Sacramento, California.

— Conspire Commerce, an innovative e-commerce group shopping solution that  provides chat, call and shared cart functionality, along with split-payment options, offering a convenient and collaborative way to shop together online, pitched by Richard Tanaka of San Marcos, California. Tanaka is a business administration senior concentrating in information systems.

To watch this year’s Elevator Pitch Competition pitches, visit the CIE YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUZ0YMs8MZptzGdZBNE6aSY7wDdg1g5Ld.

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About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunities to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue across the university and throughout San Luis Obispo County. For more information, visit https://cie.calpoly.edu/.

SAN LUIS OBISPO  — The Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) will showcase eight startups at its annual Demo Day in-person at SLO Brew Rock and online via YouTube Live on Friday, Sept. 8. 

The event, held from 4-6 p.m., culminates the CIE’s 2023 Summer Accelerator program, an intensive 12-week program that helps Cal Poly students and recent graduates develop their startup ideas into scalable businesses. Representatives from each startup will pitch their business ideas and present what they’ve accomplished over the summer with the help of dedicated CIE mentors and staff. 

“Developing a support structure when starting a business is extremely important and this group has actively built that support system to help them through this challenging program,” said Thomas Katona, the Summer Accelerator program director and an assistant professor of engineering. 

When asked why people should attend Demo Day, Katona encouraged the community to come and “hear from the next generation of bright young entrepreneurs who not only dream of a better world but are doing the hard work required to try to make a positive change in our community and beyond.”

The Summer Accelerator provides $10,000 in seed funding to grow each startup, as well as mentorship from industry experts and workshops that teach the various components of building a business. Demo Day will give these emerging entrepreneurs the opportunity to demonstrate how hard work and collaboration are helping propel their startups to the next level. 

These include people like Samantha Moberly, a mechanical engineering student with a minor in entrepreneurship who graduated in June. 

“Having such a strong community while working on a startup is so rare, I can’t explain how grateful I am for it,” said Moberly, a Windsor, California resident and the CEO of the startup Social Spark, who will be one of the Demo Day presenters. “There can be so much unknown, loneliness and discouragement in the startup world, and working in this environment has really cut through much of that and kept us all excited and hopeful.”

The cohort includes many recent Cal Poly graduates who represent a variety of industries and disciplines, from medical devices and environmental sustainability to healthy beverages. The startups include:

— Ecoternatives is an online marketplace that sells sustainable and plastic-free products at more affordable prices. The startup was founded by economics graduate Aidan Riehl of Kailua, Hawaii, on the eastern shore of Oahu. 

— ENTEIN is reducing greenhouse gas emissions from landfills by utilizing food waste to grow insects as a sustainable and high-protein animal feed. The startup was created by two College of Engineering seniors, William Burns of The Dalles, Oregon, CEO, who is studying materials engineering and entrepreneurship, and material engineering student Cameron Yartz of Laguna Niguel, California. 

— Horizen Biotech is developing a non-invasive, single-use smart patch that measures body sweat to estimate Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) levels. When a person consumes alcohol, traces of it enter the bloodstream. BAC measures how much alcohol is present in the bloodstream. In California, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08% or higher for drivers over 21 years old. The patch allows users to track their level of sobriety. The startup was founded by 2023 industrial engineering graduate Owen Works of Victoria, British Columbia, and Camden Ford of Camas, Washington, who is pursuing a master’s degree in biomedical engineering.  

— Nexstera Tech is using radar to detect lithium-ion batteries in trash containers to prevent costly fires from erupting. Pyrottach uses frequency-modulated continuous waves of FMCW radar, and signal processing to detect batteries in waste bins before they are compacted and spark a blaze. Fires in the waste stream account for over $1.2 billion in annual damages in the U.S. and Canada alone, posing a significant threat to recycling facilities, communities and the environment. The startup was created by four students: mechanical engineering majors, Stefany James of Chula Vista near San Diego and Sydney Fairchild of Henderson, Nevada, who both graduated in June; and business administration majors, Penny Lane Case of Santa Rosa, California, a 2023 graduate, and senior Thaddeus Ziarkowski of Auburn, California, who, like Case, also has a focus on entrepreneurship. 

— Plan For Mí is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify the event-planning process to connect local vendors and customers. The startup was founded by Moberly and software engineering graduate Parker Callison of Winchester, California.

— Social Spark is a social networking platform aimed to combat loneliness by helping recent college graduates create genuine friendships in their new cities. The startup was founded by mechanical engineering graduate Moberly of Windsor, California and software engineering graduate Parker Callison of Winchester, California. 

— TensorMaker makes building machine-learning applications fast, easy, and accessible to developers of every skill level. The startup was created by liberal arts and engineering student  Avi Peltz of Berkeley, California, who is also the CEO. 

— Té Piña is creating a pineapple beverage, packed with vitamins, minerals and anti-inflammatory agents intended to help people prevent and recover from respiratory illnesses. The startup was founded by business administration seniors Mathew Reis of Turlock, California, with a concentration in financial management, and Benjamin Arts of San Jose, California, whose studies also focus on marketing management.

Demo Day general admission tickets to SLO Brew Rock, 855 Aerovista Place, San Luis Obispo,  are $10. In-person seating is limited. The event will be live-streamed to those who register for virtual tickets. Register for tickets at https://demoday23.eventbrite.com/?aff=PressRelease. 

Demo Day is sponsored by Palo Alto, California-based Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, the premier legal advisor to technology, life sciences, and other worldwide growth enterprises and represents companies at every stage of development, and Bridge Bank, founded in 2001 in Silicon Valley, a steady and reliable resource for the diverse commercial enterprises that count on them in the innovative economy. 

About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunity to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue across the university and throughout San Luis Obispo County. For more information, visit cie.calpoly.edu.  

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SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Cal Poly Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) accepted eight startup teams into their Summer Accelerator, an intensive 12-week program that provides Cal Poly students and recent graduates with the resources needed to turn their innovative ideas into full-fledged startups. 

Participants receive $10,000 in seed funding, as well as access to expert mentorship, entrepreneurial workshops and a dedicated workspace in the HotHouse, the CIE’s office in downtown San Luis Obispo.

“The Summer Accelerator program is unique because it marks the point where students apply all of the foundational learning that takes place on campus and dedicate their time over a 12-week period to working towards launching a business,” said Tom Katona, the CIE’s interim co-executive director. “Cal Poly alumni, the local community and the CIE all come together to support and challenge these students in pursuit of their entrepreneurial endeavor.”

The eight teams were officially announced at the CIE’s May Entrepreneurship Forum on Tuesday, May 16 at 4:30 p.m. in the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (PAC).

The forum also featured a fireside chat with guest speaker Kate Somerville, the founder of a world-renowned luxury skincare brand. After years of struggling with eczema, Somerville pursued a degree in esthetics. After completing her schooling, she opened her own clinic in a San Luis Obispo cosmetic surgeon’s office. Now, her paramedical esthetics clinic in Los Angeles is bringing advanced medical technology into a more comfortable environment.

At May Forum, Somerville shared the story behind her startup, from a childhood that propelled her towards entrepreneurship, to personal care product company Unilever’s acquisition of the Kate Somerville brand in 2015.

“This is the best part — because I was one of them, and I still am. Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur,” Somerville said. “This is such a great program. I’m so glad I was able to be a part of it.”

Somerville’s interview was conducted by Haley Pavone, a CIE alumnus and the founder and CEO of Pashion Footwear, a footwear company whose patented shoes can easily convert from a pump to a flat. Pavone founded Pashion Footwear as a Cal Poly business administration junior. 

The 2023 Summer Accelerator teams represent a variety of different concepts, from machine learning with Tensormaker, to social connectivity with Social Spark.

“I’m really looking forward to working with this diverse group of entrepreneurs,” Katona said.

This year’s cohort includes:

Drinkwise, a startup developing a noninvasive SmartPatch that indicates the user’s blood alcohol content (BAC) level, created by industrial engineering senior Owen Works, biomedical engineering senior Camden Ford and psychology senior Aynsley Ramsaur.

Ecoternatives, an e-commerce store that sells sustainable and plastic-free home essential products at more affordable prices, founded by economics senior Aidan Riehl.

Entein Feeds, a startup utilizing food waste to grow insects as an animal feed protein supplement, founded by materials engineering sophomore William Burns and mechanical engineering sophomore Cameron Yartz.

Nexsterra Tech, a startup developing technology that can detect batteries in waste bins before they’re compacted in order to prevent costly fires, created by business administration seniors Penny Lane Case and Thaddeus Ziarkowski and mechanical engineering seniors Stefany James and Sydney Fairchild.

Plan A Lot, an event planning platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify the planning process, founded by computer science junior Luis Guzman and mechanical engineering junior Marciela Carrillo.

Social Spark, a startup organizing and facilitating social activities for recently relocated college graduates, founded by mechanical engineering senior Samantha Moberly and software engineering senior Parker Callison.

Tensormaker, a startup enabling all web developers to build their own machine learning software, founded by liberal arts and engineering senior Avi Peltz.

Té Piña, a startup producing a caffeinated, pineapple-based beverage that provides consumers with a healthier alternative to existing energy drinks, created by business administration seniors Matthew Reis and Benjamin Arts.

View the cohort’s pitches here.

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About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE):

The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunities to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue across the university and throughout San Luis Obispo. For more information, visit https://cie.calpoly.edu/.

SAN JOSE — Two recent Cal Poly graduates won the top prizes at the Sunstone Startup Launch Competition, a California State University (CSU) pitch competition with a total of $200,000 in prize money at stake, held at San Jose State University (SJSU) Friday, May 5. Competing teams are divided into three categories, including product, service and social enterprise.

Recent Cal Poly computer science graduate Emily Gavrilenko won the service track’s first-place prize of $25,000 with her startup Ryde, a travel marketplace for college students connecting drivers and riders for long-distance travel.

“When I was pitching, I felt really confident because we’ve come so far in the past year. I was pitching a business, not just an idea,” Gavrilenko said. “I was more nervous for the awards ceremony than the actual pitch because I didn’t want to let my co-founders down. I really wanted to call them and tell them we won — so it was really exciting to hear the good news.”

Gavrilenko plans to use the prize money to fund Ryde’s upcoming expansion to a new college campus.

Manufacturing engineering graduate Evan Lalanne won the product track’s second-place prize of $10,000 for X-Adapt, a startup building a compact, capable and intuitive mobility device by modifying commercially available electric unicycles for adaptive riders. 

Lalanne is planning on introducing the product to early adopters later this year.

Both winners participated in the 2022 Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Summer Accelerator, a three-month program that provides Cal Poly students and recent graduates with the resources needed to turn their startup ideas into real, scalable businesses.

“The Summer Accelerator made a world of difference,” Gavrilenko said. “It really helped me on my pitch. I became confident up on stage and also had quality content to put in my pitch. The Accelerator really taught me how to talk about my business.”

Two pre-qualified students or recent graduates from each CSU campus presented an eight-minute pitch to a panel of judges. The pitch was followed by a five-minute question and answer session. Judges evaluated the pitches based on desirability, feasibility and viability. 

The Sunstone Startup Launch competition was held for the first time in 2021 at Cal State Long Beach (CSULB), and only five of the 23 CSU campuses participated. Eighteen campuses participated this year, including Dominguez Hills, East Bay, Fresno, Fullerton, Humboldt, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Monterey Bay, Northridge, Pomona, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Luis Obispo, San Marcos and Sonoma.

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About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunity to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue throughout San Luis Obispo County. For more information, visit cie.calpoly.edu. 

Contact: Stephanie Zombek
805-225-4738; szombek@calpoly.edu