High School Entrepreneurs Awarded $50,000 in Cash and Scholarships in Pirates Pitch Competition 2023

Ten talented student entrepreneur finalists with start-up concepts or fledgling businesses,
out of an international field of 170 contestants, faced off at Seton Hall University’s
ninth annual Pirates Pitch for High School Students competition, hosted by the Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship on November 17, in Jubilee Hall Auditorium. The finalists were awarded $50,000 in
cash and scholarships. 

Kevin Zhang, a sophomore from Annandale, NJ, who attends North Hunterdon School, was awarded
first place for Aetherstar. Gauri Kshettry, a junior from Edison NJ, attending Edison High School, came in second place for
Therapose. Rafael Flores, a senior from Carlstadt, NJ, attending Don Bosco Preparatory High School, received
the Audience Choice Award for startup idea EKOS, a personal property management system
app designed to help small-scale landlords more efficiently collect rent and more
easily communicate with tenants. 

This tournament also celebrated Global Entrepreneurship Week activities taking place around the world from November 13 to 19. The 10 future business
leaders who had successfully submitted original business proposals describing an innovative
product or service in 350 words or less, had competed against 170 young entrepreneurs
from 18 U.S. states as well as Canada, Germany, Nigeria, India, and Singapore, to
qualify for more than $50,000 in prizes and tuition scholarships.

“This year’s competition showcased the work of a remarkable group of teen entrepreneurs.
The finalists demonstrated creativity and innovation in their well-developed pitches.
Their ideas were wide-ranging, and I was impressed that many of them focused on societal
benefits,” said Susan Scherreik, M.B.A., founding director of the Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Stillman
School of Business. “These included an app designed to provide fair pricing information
to coffee bean farmers in Guatemala, an innovative recycling kiosk design for old
cell phones, and a chocolate brand that follows fair trade and ethical practices.
Their achievements point up the popularity of entrepreneurship education courses,
which are increasingly being taught in high schools and even middle schools.”

Scherreik shared that adding to the vibrancy of the event were student volunteers
from the Entrepreneurship Club executive board serving as emcees and volunteers. These
students either have their own businesses or are working toward launching businesses.
In addition, Seton Hall MBA students and  entrepreneur RoseMary Stanchak, a 2018 winner,
delivered remarks. 

The 10 qualifying finalists will receive at least $4,000 in tuition scholarships to
attend Seton Hall. Kevin received a $2,500 cash award and a $10,000 tuition scholarship.
Gauri received a $1,000 cash award and a $6,000 scholarship to attend Seton Hall.
Rafael, Audience Choice Award winner, received  $300 as well as the $4,000 tuition
scholarship.

Kevin described his startup idea, Aetherstar, as an engaging online platform for high
school students seeking opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities
and find part -time jobs and internships. He noted that he only found out about the
Pirates Pitch for High School Competition by chance two weeks before the application
deadlines, so he still had time to apply. That gave him the idea that high school
students need a centralized forum to learn about academic competitions and other opportunities
that they seek.

“The Pirates Pitch competition is a great learning experience. The competition taught
me about identifying and addressing market needs with a solid business pitch. The
judge panel asked challenging questions and gave insightful advice as to how to improve
the business. It was an absolute honor to be chosen as this year’s winner,” said Kevin.
“I would like to thank Professor Scherreik, the panelists, the student volunteers
and Seton Hall University for holding such an enriching event. I would also like to
thank my family, Mr. Tomson—my business club advisor who told me about this opportunity—and
North Hunterdon High School for supporting me through this journey.”

Also praising the competition was Gauri, who achieved second place. 

She shared, “It was a great opportunity to be able to participate in the Seton Hall
Pirates Challenge and win second place because it helped build my confidence and practice
pitching in front of an audience. My idea was TheraPose, an AI-driven physical therapy
solution that uses pose estimation technology, providing personalized, real-time feedback
during rehabilitation sessions to optimize patient form through advanced motion tracking
and computer vision. I hope to be able to use my prize money of $1,000 to help start
my business idea.”  

The finalists conveyed their startup ideas in five-minute presentation followed by
five minutes of questions from a prominent judging panel including Stillman business
faculty and alumni entrepreneurs: Elizabeth McCrea, Ph.D., associate professor of
management and entrepreneurship; Sunny Bathla ’00/M.B.A. ’15, senior vice-president
and chief growth officer, Sonata Software, and founder, OSB Co., Alissa Lopez, M.B.A.
’19, founder and CEO of the Family Balance Planner, product marketing manager, PulsePoint,
and a first-place winner in the Seton Hall collegiate Pirates Pitch competition;,
and Victor Gomez, ’17, manager of Seton Hall Esports who has been instrumental in
the founding, creation, and growth of the University’s Gaming Sector club and the
current esports program at Seton Hall.

“The passion and grit these young entrepreneurs share for solving important problems
in the world, from the high costs of physical therapy to improving extracurricular
access for students, was impressive. The resources that Seton Hall’s entrepreneurship
center provides, from grants to mentorship, will help fuel that fire for years to
come,” said Lopez, competition judge. 

Scherreik noted that more than 50 alumni entrepreneurs visit the Seton Hall campus
annually to guest lecture in courses and network with students at extracurricular
events. 

“At Seton Hall University, we are similarly seeing a growing number of students enrolling
in our entrepreneurship concentration, starting businesses in their dorms and taking
advantage of the Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s many resources, including
mentoring by alumni entrepreneurs,” Scherreik explained.  

Event Finalists included:

• Matthew Choi, a senior from Fort Lee, NJ, attending Fort Lee High School 
  Startup Idea: Tech Cycle
• Jonathan De Caro, a junior from Moodus, CT, attending CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering 
  Startup Idea: Fair Price Information Network
• Nicole Freiler, a senior from Park Ridge, NJ, attending Park Ridge High School
  Startup Idea: Tidy Brush
• Julia Livolsi, a senior from Glen Rock, NJ, attending Glen Rock High School 
  Startup Idea: Bliss Bars
• Rachel Mokoko, a sophomore from Jersey City, NJ, attending McNair Academic High School
  Startup Idea: MERCS
• Kushagra Sadwal, a junior from Princeton Junction, NJ, attending West Windsor-Plainsboro High School
  South 
  Startup Idea: Mr. MD
• Akshaya Venkatesh, a junior from Chester Springs, PA, attending Downington STEM Academy
  Startup Idea: Ethnic Clothing Tailoring

The High School Pirates Pitch competition livestream can be watched here.

The High School Pirates Pitch is based on the Center’s highly successful collegiate-level
Pirates Pitch Competition, which awards $16,000 to Seton Hall University student entrepreneurs
annually. To learn more about the Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and its
activities, please visit here.  

View event photos here. 

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