2023 WVB Finals

April 28th, 2023 @ 12:45 PM

Sticht Lecture Hall

Click below to relive the final round!

Nine teams competed for their share of over $25,000!

How it works

Each team advancing to the finals made it through a rigorous round of review by independent reviewers, who scored the teams’ pitches based on criteria such as their solution to a real problem, their forecasted costs & revenue, and their unfair advantage.

Each team pitched to a panel of judges. Presentations were 8 minutes long, followed by 6 minutes of Q&A.

The Competitors

Athletes After

A sports recruitment platform designed to help give high school athletes the power and information they need.

Justin Demild ’24

Max Muncy ’24

Bridge

A creative media and networking platform for those in the music industry.

Elliot Eyre ’24

Caleb Warrick ’24

Maura Donatelli ’24

Cliqz

A social network designed to take people from bored in their apartments to out and doing things in as few clicks as possible.

Joe Gray ’24

Folded Hands

An application that allows members of a congregation to connect with other members of their church and their pastor to engage in prayer.

Dillon Werstiuk ’23

David Kraus ’23

Avalon Parsons ’23

Just Pause

An accountability and companion app for individuals living with Bipolar Disorder.

Luke Gilligan ’24

Mark Wilhelm ’23

PrayReal

A faith-based social media that connects you with your Christian friends when you respond to a daily, spontaneous notification to pray.

Grace Anne Shaw ’24

Cade Voller ’26

Jack Bowery ’26

Ally Gaines ’25

Sarah Anderson ’25

Sabbatica

Provides a 3 to 5 day micro-sabbatical program that aims to rest, refresh, & rejuvenate burnt out employees and pastors.

Jake Botkin ’23

Grant Baierl ’23

Rachel Goetz ’24

Songbird

A gamified education app that teaches music to students with special needs.

Jenna Knepper ’25

Zach Warrick ’26

Rachel Petschke ’26

Aliyah Shelatz ’25

Addison Byers ’24

Virtual Clarity

Virtual reality technology for behavioral health units and those experiencing depression.

Anna Ortiz ’24

Emma Ruby Whiteford ’24

 

Results

How much $$$ did each team walk away with?

Songbird: $6,050 +$500 Fan Favorite

Just Pause: $4,240

Bridge: $4,100 + $500 Fan Favorite

Athletes After: $3,650

Cliqz: $2,760

Virtual Clarity: $1,900

Folded Hands: $1,600

PrayReal: $1,520

Sabbatica: $300

Junior Judges Program

This year, we welcomed 50 students from 14 different high schools to join us at the battle as Junior Judges.

These students each had the opportunity to award a $20 prize to the team that they felt deserves their vote.

Thank you to our Reviewers!

Our reviewers faced the difficult task of narrowing the field of competitors down to the nine finalist teams.

Freddie Bremble ’80
Allyson Sveda ’88
Dean Faklis
Bob Baierl
Liam Krut ’14
Winifred McGee ’77
Alan Mesches ’71
Jennifer Gilliland
Alissa Sgro ’96
Lesley Winfield ’92
Rob Wright ’04
Paul Marshall ’78
Edward Huttenhower ’76
Scott Brainard ’76
Chris Botting ’83
Brad Dearborn ’78
Tiffany Bicek ’18
Kim Ford ’72
Melissa Jacobs ’92

Evan Lowe ’89
Scott McDowell ’87
Ronald Miller ’75
John Romain ’85
Steve Wickman
Lindy Hitzel ’19
Toby Basalla ’98
Steve Solman ’96
Frances Baldwin
Sandy Frederick
Glenn Grossman
Kim Marks
Chloe Sayers ’15
Ron Emery
Brian Gongaware ’92
Warren Poschman ’98
Craig Creaturo ’92
Scott Inderbitzen ’10
John Holt ’84

William Messner ’96
Ruth Entwistle ’07
Beth Lepore
Brian Montgomery ’96
Robin Parsons
Dianne Ruhl ’89
Tim Tobitsch ’03
Joshua Weatherstone ’15
Curt Given ’84
Alex Graham ’67
Bob Keller ’73
James Will ’98
Patricia Premick ’84
Barbara Johnson ’79
Charles (Bob) Scott ’72
Andrew Ellison
Collin Foster ’12
Don Lockhart ’67