UAB students showcase entrepreneurial spirit at third annual Halloween-themed ‘Pitch Your Passion’ competition

Reynaldo Moorer, Joshua Jackson and Pedro Hernandez with Patrick Murphy, Ph.D.The J. Frank Barefield, Jr. Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham hosted its third annual "Pitch Your Passion" competition Oct. 31. Students from across schools and departments showcased their innovative business ideas and competed for $7,000 in cash prizes.

The event, aimed at sharpening students' pitching skills, transformed the Collat School of Business' Medical Properties Trust Commons with elaborate Halloween decorations and entrepreneurial energy. A total of 38 undergraduate and graduate students from schools across UAB pitched their ideas in a poster session, five finalists pitched ventures for the judges, and hundreds of attendees showed support.

"This program is designed for students to pitch new venture ideas in a low-pressure environment," said Patrick J. Murphy, Goodrich Endowed Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. "It gives them valuable practice. The range and diversity of student ideas were incredible and showed lots of entrepreneurial potential. Everyone left with new connections and experience discussing their entrepreneurial ideas."

Sree Nataraj with Murphy"The Best Coffee You Can Buy," presented by entrepreneurship students Reynaldo Moorer, Joshua Jackson and Pedro Hernandez, won first prize and $3,000. Their venture addresses the lack of high-quality, reasonably priced coffee in Birmingham with a one-stop shop, education about specialty coffees and coffee skills training.

"The Pitch Your Passion competition provided an excellent platform for me and other UAB students to unite and support each other while presenting our entrepreneurial ideas," Jackson said. "This was a great opportunity, especially for those who might feel uneasy about public speaking since it is a platform to step outside your comfort zone and gain valuable insights."

Sree Nataraj, a biomedical engineering major, won second place and $2,000 with his idea "Phonoma," a speaking device for people struggling with vocal expression due to larynx-based disorders. The device mitigates speech disorders with a neck strap and sensors that detect tongue movements to generate speech sounds.

Hannah Reister and Makiah Forge"Tailor Ed," a college experience improvement tool by Makiah Forge, a finance major, and Hannah Reister, an industrial distribution major, won third place and $1,000. The student-oriented app prevents wasting time and money on unnecessary classes by evaluating personalities and preferences to advise students on the best courses and programs for them.

Pitch Your Passion featured Best Costume and Jack-o'-Lantern contests. JC Sivley, an entrepreneurship major, won $500 for his Batman costume. Princess Nevils, an entrepreneurship major, and Hannah Wilson, a finance major, won $500 for their "Menacing Unicorn Cat" jack-o'-lantern.

Murphy thanks his program assistants, Mary Lynn Bailey and Nicholas Gregory, for organizing the event and entrepreneur judges Keyani S. Washington, Jègil Dugger, Barry Hodge and Mack Cornwell for generously sharing their expertise with UAB's entrepreneurial community.

JC Sivley as Batman"We have been able to launch an incredibly successful entrepreneurship program at UAB because of Birmingham's vibrant and supportive community," Murphy said. "Today was a small glimpse into the entrepreneurial potential of our students and our ecosystem. We love collaborating with partners across UAB and in Birmingham."