HIGH POINT, N.C., May 30, 2024 – High Point University students presented their business ideas to a panel of judges at HPU's annual business plan competition and won thousands of dollars in start-up funding.
Students competed for funding to start their companies or continue to develop their business plans. Four student-run businesses were recognized and awarded start-up funding during the competition.
Vivian Love, an entrepreneurship major from San Francisco, California, who will graduate in 2024, won the top prize and $12,000 for her business, Aircierge, which she described as a virtual concierge that improves guest service and enhances the travel experience in 40 languages for 4 million Airbnb guests in 100,000 cities around the world.
Love, who graduated earlier this month, won first place in HPU's annual elevator pitch competition last fall, earning $7,000 for his business. Love said he realized the need for the product while studying abroad in Spain and didn't want to miss out on the tourist sites.
At HPU's annual Business Plan Competition, students pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges and won thousands of dollars in start-up funding. Pictured are (from left) Business Pitch Competition winners Vivian Love, Reeve Fatuova, Eli Sommer, Sean Martin and Andrew Bilich.
“After competing in the business plan competition last year, I knew I wanted to be on that stage again next year,” Love said. “It's been surreal, to say the least. I'm incredibly grateful for the support High Point University has provided me this past year. For AirCierge, it was a huge show of faith because we know our mission of helping people explore more of the world resonates. AirCierge launches this June, and I couldn't be more excited.”
Reeve Fatuoba, an entrepreneurship major from Ramsey, New Jersey, who will graduate in 2026, won second place and $8,000. Her company, BUSTZ, offers high-quality wrestling and combat sports bras designed for female athletes. Her company also won third place in last fall's elevator pitch competition, winning $3,000.
Entrepreneurship major Eli Sommer and the team of Shawn Martin and Andrew Bilich tied for third place. Sommer was awarded $5,000 for her business, Forthright Homes. Martin and Bilich as a team were awarded $5,000 for their business, Pouch Mag.
For the first time, the competition's judges included Katie Gelhausen, a 2020 HPU alumna and former contestant who founded the cell phone accessories brand Socket Lock It and led its expansion to more than 3,000 Walmart stores. Other judges were investment bankers David Babinski, managing director at Cambridge Wilkinson, and Diane Teed, chief operating officer at Brown Brothers Harriman.
The competition was supported by Truist Financial Corporation, The Bell Foundation and Simon Jewelers.
