An app that allows golfers access to esteemed partner courses at reduced rates captured the top prize at Union’s third annual business competition Thursday night.
Eight teams of students had five minutes each to pitch their idea to a panel of alumni judges in Olin Auditorium for a chance to win up to $30,000 in startup capital. The prize money is a gift from an anonymous donor.
Winners of the SparkLab business pitch competition with the alumni judges: Krishamsu Subedi Chhetri ’26, Bobby Syed ’03, Brian Selchick ’06, Matthew Peoples ’24, Katherine McNulty ’27, Catharine Potvin ’97 and Mert Tureli ‘26. Peoples took top honors, winning $15,000 in startup capital for his idea.
Representing a diverse mix of majors, the students were part of SparkLab, an entrepreneurial initiative created by Roger Woolsey, executive director of the Career Center at Becker Hall. Students met weekly to learn basic business principles from accomplished alumni. Topics included marketing, sales, fundraising and technology.
Students also learned how to create a pitch deck - a 10-12 slide presentation that provides a short summary of a company, its business plan and the startup vision - to attract potential investors.
The initiative culminated in the pitch competition. Matthew Peoples ’24, an economics major, created Golf Share to win the top prize of $15,000. A subscription-based membership model, the app is aimed at “empowering golfers to indulge in their passion for the sport while growing a vibrant community of like-minded players”
Mert Tureli ‘26 and Krishamsu Subedi Chhetri ’26, mechanical engineering majors, took second place and $10,000 for ModuFly, whose mission statement promises “to revitalize a market that has been dormant for over three decades by introducing cutting-edge innovations and a modern twist that will reignite the forgotten passion for rocketry.”
In the nonprofit category, Katherine McNulty ’27, an environmental engineering major, won $5,000 toward her project for Court Kid’s Closet, which would “empower children in the court system by giving them basic necessities to help restore their dignity.”
Other student ventures included:
DoctorU
Icaro Gouveia ’27 (economics), Janak Subedi ‘26 (computer science), Aaron Carretero ’25 (biomedical engineering) Baibhav Barwal ‘25 (computer science and math)
Mission statement: Streamline medical services and save time for patients and doctors while reducing healthcare costs.
AI Infusion Consultancy (AIIC)
Evan Matthews ’24 (biomedical engineering)
Mission statement: Empower small/medium sized businesses with AI technology, enabling them to make data-driven decisions, streamline operations and gain a competitive edge in their respective industries.
VisiMed CT
Chiharu Mamiya ’26 (electrical engineering)
Mission statement: Empowering medical education through innovative imaging solutions.
Campus Research Bridge
Theo Goldman ‘26 (managerial economics and environmental science), Theo Steiger ‘26 (computer science and physics)
Mission statement: We bridge the gap between businesses and the next generation of lifelong consumers.
Judges included Catharine Potvin ’97, founder and CEO of Stragility; Brian Selchick ’06, partner at Cullen and Dykman LLP; and Bobby Syed ’03, COO of iSimulate.
“True to the liberal arts, student groups representing ventures they truly believe in presented their final projects with intellectual curiosity and passion to a captive audience,” said Woolsey. “I’m so very proud of all of these students for the work they put in.”