Teravus, an emergency waiting room management software, took third place, receiving $4,000. The second-place winner, MadRun, a recovery cream for runners, won $6,000 to support their venture. Finally, the top prize of $10,000 went to Freedom Fans, a ventilation system for camper vans.

Due to the caliber of talent and quality of the pitches seen by the judges, the center surprised all participants who did not place in the top three with $2,500 in funding for their ventures.

But, for Stephen Recktenwald, CEAS ’24, founder of Freedom Fans, winning the competition came with more than just the prize money.

“As an entrepreneur, you believe in yourself and your idea — you have to, it’s what keeps you going,” said Recktenwald. “But to hear experienced entrepreneurs say they believe in you, too, and are excited to see what comes of your idea — that is impactful and incredibly motivating.”