Round 1: Problem/Solution
December 4, 2025
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Cooper Auditorium
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, ten for-profit and nonprofit business ideas were presented in Round 1 of the PioBiz Competition in the Cooper Auditorium on the Marietta College campus.
Round 1 of the PioBiz Competition involves identifying a problem worth solving and describing a new product or service that addresses the issue. The proposed solution must potentially lead to the establishment of a for-profit or non-profit organization.
This year’s competition was delivered in PowerPoint format. Each team of students had up to five minutes to pitch their idea and an additional five minutes to answer the judges’ questions. The key components of the presentations were:
- Problem: A clear description of the problem
- Solution: Description of the good or service that solves the problem
- Customer Segment: Who has this problem? Define the characteristics of your typical customer.
- Unique Advantages: The degree to which the good/service has an advantage over the alternatives.
- Use of AI: Description of how AI was utilized.
- Future Plans: What needs to be done next?
The top five winners were selected by a panel of the following four judges
- Kristin Meeks: Owner of WV Social Media Consultants
- Dr. Jeremy May: Assistant Professor of Biology and Environmental Science at Marietta College
- Rocky Peck ’88: Owner of Rocky Peck Sales & Marketing LLC
- Suzanne Schultz: Executive Director at Betsy Mills Club and Owner of Canvas Fine Arts
Top Five PioBiz Projects
Product/ Service | Abbreviated Description | Team Members and their Majors | Award |
Cupakin’ Around Inclusion | A food truck that provides opportunities for students to learn job and business skills applicable to the workforce, particularly for disabled, special education, and low socioeconomic students. | Bre Herrick’26 ( Special & Elementary Education) and Connor Reed’26 (Finance) | $200 |
SmartSort | An easily accessible laundry basket that sorts your clothes by color. It is targeted towards college students to be an easy access for a laundry basket that folds but also sorts the clothes, so all you have to do is throw the bag into the washer and start it. The laundry detergent is already built in so its very easy and accessible. | Camryn Yoho’29 (Sports Medicine), Tyler Blackwell’29 (Computer Science), and Kam Sabree’29 (Undecided) | $180 |
TerraSole | The concept is a recovery shoe made of recycled and repurposed plastics, utilized to create a durable shoe made for athletes and other users who require foot fatigue recovery. | Joseph Tenta’28 (Sport Management) and Bryce Simé’29 (Management)
| $160 |
Rx Express | A pharmacy mobile pickup with a parcel system reduces waiting time for medication pickup. | Ella McFee’27 (Management), Drake Bowling’29 (Sports Medicine), and Jordan Clayton’29 (Management) | $140 |
Campus Crew | A service where people post chores they need done, and people wanting to make quick money on campus can sign up and go do them. | Connor Heramb’28 (Management), Harper Scott’28 (Management), Ainsley Kocanjer’29 (Entrepreneurship) | $120 |
In addition to the judges’ selections, the audience also had a chance to vote for their favorite product. The crowd’s support was evenly split between the Terra Sole and the Chameleon Deck—a programmable deck of cards featuring a variety of popular games—created by Adam Flachbart ’28 (Marketing), Andrew Stein ’27 (Sport Management), and Taahir Sabree ’26 (Management). As a result, the two teams shared the $100 Audience Choice Award.
The winners and the judges.
Joseph Tenta’28 and Bryce Simé’29 present Terra Sole.
Chameleon Deck—a programmable deck of cards featuring a variety of popular games.
Round 2: Proof of Concept
April 23, 2026
3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Cooper Auditorium
Ten business ideas were pitched in Round 2 of the PioBiz Competition in Thomas 124 (Cooper Auditorium) on the Marietta College campus on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
PioBiz is a 3-Round Business Start-Up Competition open to all Marietta College students and their partners. The competition is in part supported by the Entrepreneurship Program Sponsors.
Specifically, we would like thank Douglas C. Greene’62, Tres Ross ’97 and the Ross Foundation, and the Economic and Community Development Institute for sponsoring PioBiz.
Round 2 of the competition is entitled “Proof of Concept”. The competitors must provide evidence that their business ideas are feasible. The key components of the 7-minute pitch presentation are as follows.
- Problem: A clear description of the problem
- Customer Segment: Who has this problem? Define the characteristics of your typical customer.
- Solution: A clear description of your product or service.
- Proof of Need: Share the results of your secondary research on the overall demand in the market, and the potential demand for your product. Report the results of your primary need finding (surveys and interviews) research.
- Existing Alternatives: How do your target customers currently solve the problem? Describe the nature, availability, and price of the competing products or services.
- Unique Value Proposition: What is the advantage of your product or service over the alternatives? Why should people buy your product?
- Prototype/Experiments: Display a prototype, and/or describe the results of your experiments and hypotheses testing.
- Existing & Needed Resources: What are the major resources that you already have, and what are the major resources that you need to start producing your product or service?
- Cost Structure: Describe the major sources of your fixed and variable costs.
- Revenue Stream: Describe how you are planning to generate revenue.
- Road Map/Next Steps: Provide a timeline on what you are planning to do next.
Upon the completion of their 7-minute pitches, the competitors were provided up to 5 minutes to engage in a Q&A session with five judges, who chose the top three winners. In addition, the audience voted for their favorite project.
The competition judges were as follows:
- Kelly Gordon, Director, Women’s Business Centers of Central Appalachia
- Jack Moberg, Business Coach
- Suzanne Schultz, Executive Director, The Betsey Mills Club
- Shawn Taylor, Market President, SVP, Truist Bank
- Annie Warmke, Owner, Warmke Farm LLC
Top Three Award Winners & Their Businesses
Product/ Service | Abbreviated Description | Team Members/Majors | Award |
TerraSole | A sustainable recovery slide designed to provide comfort, support, and affordability. The product uses BLOOM Foam, an eco-friendly material made from algae biomass, which helps reduce environmental impact while still delivering high-performance cushioning. | Joseph Tenta’28/ Sport Management and Marketing | $400 |
HairFlow | A universal, clip-on car window attachment designed to redirect airflow away from the passenger’s head, allowing individuals with long or styled hair to enjoy open windows without discomfort or damage. | Lacey Frame’27/ Entrepreneurship | $300 |
Greenhouse Guys | Custom designed greenhouses and raised garden beds that provide access to fresh produce, herbs, flowers, and more. | Max King ‘26/Biology & Cael McCutcheon’26/ Entrepreneurship | $200 |
In addition, two projects tied for the Audience Choice Award, with each receiving $75.00. The first was the HairFlow project by Frame. The second project is described below:
Cupcakin' Around Inclusion
- By: Connor Reed’26/Finance and Breanna Herrick’25/ Special/Elementary Education
- Project: Through a cupcake food cart, the competitors will teach students job skills necessary to gain employment. They will learn proper food handling techniques, financing and budgeting for ingredients, marketing, advertising, sales, and customer service. They will use a food cart to sell products to the public, setting up at school, local events, fairs, and festivals. Throughout this process, students will develop resume and interview skills to help them when it is time to enter the workforce.
Winners and judges.
