2024 WVB Finals
May 3rd, 2024 @ 1:00 PM
Sticht Lecture Hall
The finals will take place in Sticht Lecture Hall and will be livestreamed on this page! The livestream will be visible below when it is turned on!
Eight teams will compete for their share of over $28,000!
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 will pitch to a panel of judges. Presentations are 8 minutes long, followed by 6 minutes of Q&A.
The Competitors
Carpenter
Mentorship through woodworking projects to restore father-figure relationships in the lives of boys and young men.
Ethan David ’24
Luke Mantzell ’24
Michael Crowley ’25
Fortifly
Fortifly partners with healthcare providers specializing in eating disorder treatment by gamifying healthy habit building within a supportive community.
Audrey Karwowski ’26
Eleni Kasianides ’26
Emma Fiscus ’25
Natalie Gilkinson ’27
Owen Gasser ’26
*Joel Riehl ’26
*Not Pictured
IDwear
Wearable RFID solutions to improve safety and bring convenience to college campuses across the US.
Caroline Dawson ’25
Quincy Chapman ’25
Meet Cute
An innovative dating platform that connects compatible singles with local businesses to go on discounted first dates, with the goal of fostering real connections and reimagining online dating to benefit both the user and the local venue.
Katelyn Rose Emmons ’24
Elliott Stratton ’24
Joey Guida ’24
SaaSquatch
A SaaS marketing consulting platform for the middle market powered by AI.
Luke Owen ’24
David Lugo ’24
Caleb Warrick ’24
Sleek Real Estate Photography
Sleek Realestate Photography delivers friendly service, breathtaking media, and 12-hour turnaround times.
Gus Minotto ’24
Striker Socks
An athletic sock that relieves calf pressure and reduces ligament injuries through grips on the bottom and breathable fabric in the back.
Aly Mapes ’24
Katie Blendermann ’24
Nate Hamel ’24
Tooli
A peer to peer tooling, equipment, and service rental application to help users monetize their clutter while reducing tool waste.
Elliot Eyre ’24
Vote for the Fan Favorite award!
During the Wolverine Venture Battle, you have the opportunity to vote for your favorite team!
Voting will remain open until the judges are ready to announce their final allocations.
The winner of the Fan Favorite vote will receive a $1500 cash prize. Second place will receive $1000 and third place will win $500.
To cast your vote:
Junior Judges Program
This year, we will welcome 13 students from 6 different high schools to join us at the battle as Junior Judges.
These students each have the opportunity to award a $50 prize to the team that they feel deserves their vote.
Wolverine Venture Battle 2024 Sponsors
Heartfelt thanks to our sponsors for their generous support.
WOLVERINE DONORS
Laura (Koller ’11) and RJ Fryan ‘08
The Habbershon Family:
Tim ’81, Grant ’06, Meredith ’07, Jonathan ’09, and Natalie ‘11
Dan Creston '81
The Pentz Family: Mark ‘81, Cheri ‘79, Michael ‘06, Yvonne ‘06
John '68 & Betsy Baun Charitable Foundation (Pittsburgh Foundation)
Elizabeth (Smith ’81)
and Peter Hanley
Susan (Peshek ’81) and Peter Durfee ‘80
IN-KIND SUPPORT
Three (3) hours accounting/financial consultation
Cedric E. Lewis, JD/MBA
Five (5) hours business liability consultation
One (1) year of webhosting
Thank you to our Reviewers!
Our reviewers faced the difficult task of narrowing the field of competitors down to the nine finalist teams.
| Bob Baierl |
| Frances Baldwin |
| Toby Basalla ’98 |
| Randy Beck ’85 |
| Chris Botting ’83 |
| Scott Brainard ’76 |
| Mark Brody ’83 |
| Craig Creaturo ’92 |
| Jeff Curran ’85 |
| Brad Dearborn ’78 |
| Steve DeCaspers ’98 |
| Benjamin Demers ’19 |
| Brian Dutton |
| Stephen Eckert ’84 |
| Andrew Ellison |
| Ruth Entwistle ’07 |
| Dean Faklis |
| Collin Foster ’12 |
| Beth Fox Lepore ’96 |
| Chuck Gaetano ’74 |
| Curt Given ’84 |
| Alex Graham ’67 |
| Matthew Hackworth ’97 |
| Alex Halton ’20 |
| Victoria Hassett ’12 |
| Michael Hemmerlin ’97 |
| Lindy B. Hitzel ’19 |
| William Howell ’81 |
| Melissa Jacobs ’92 |
| Haley Kahle ’15 |
| Bob Keller ’73 |
| Jeff Lininger ’87 |
| Darla Livermore |
| Don Lockhart |
| Evan Lowe ’89 |
| Beth Marraccini ’92 |
| Dean Marraccini |
| Lauren Marts ’10 |
| Scott McDowell ’87 |
| Mitch McFeely |
| Alan Mesches ’71 |
| Trey Miller ’95 |
| Robin Parsons |
| Mark Phillips ’09 |
| Lydia Price ’13 |
| Tiffany Rice ’18 |
| Charles (Bob) Scott ’72 |
| Alissa Sgro ’96 |
| Steve Solman ’96 |
| Cameron Suorsa ’21 |
| Allyson Sveda ’88 |
| Jill Sweet ’85 |
| Jack Thomas ’89 |
| Steve Wickman |
| Lesley Winfield |