2025 WVB Finals
April 25, 2025 @ 1:00 PM
Sticht Lecture Hall
Countdown to the Finals
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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!
Seven teams will compete for their share of over $38,000 in prizes!
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 finalist team will pitch to our panel of judges. Presentations will be 8 minutes long, followed by 6 minutes of Q&A.
The Competitors
Agora Initiative
A model and service that invites churches to invest in local communities by seeding redemptively minded businesses rooted in the needs of each community in order to foster relationships that lead to church plants.
Isabele Crouse ’26
Sam Hogue ’25
Austin Garrett ’25
Ryan Miller ’25
Careot
A secure, multi-faceted app disguised as coupons that provides essential information, tangible resources, and personal support to women seeking to leave their abusers.
Aliyah Shelatz ’25
Eleni Kasianides ’25
Jack Henne ’25
Great Frontiers
Creates outdoor adventure boxes to encourage kids to explore God’s creation and spend time away from screens.
Sarah Karns ’28
Jonathan Steen ’28
Emily Williams ’28
Kaitlyn Kuscevic ’28
JourneyWell
A food delivery travel service for people on the go who want easy access to healthy, personalized food whereever life may take them.
Caroline Dawson ’25
Craig Nyguist ’25
Lacey's Love and Paws
An event that functions like an auto show, but instead with dog breeders, adoption agencies, related vendors, food trucks, and mini shows.
Jonathan French ’25
Mom
An app that connects Christian moms who need reliable advice to experienced moms in a Godly community.
Lauren DeLeonardis ’28
Mara Brak ’26
Anna Scott ’27
Pronto
A fitness supplement company that delivers convenient, single-dose pods of pre-workout, creatine, BCAAs, and electrolytes—designed for use with Keurig machines or shaker bottles—and distributes through direct sales, e-commerce, and gym and retail partnerships.
Oliver Schwarz ’25
Christian Royer ’26
Mason Nichols ’25
Vote for the Fan Favorite award during the event!
During the Wolverine Venture Battle, you’ll have the opportunity to vote for your favorite team via text!
The winner of the Fan Favorite vote will receive a $500 cash prize.
Check back here during the competition for more information on how to cast your vote!
Wolverine Venture Battle 2025 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
The Kiska Family:
Stan ’85, Deanna ’87, Evan ’20, and Lauren
Winifred (Williams '77) and Chris McGee '77
Dan Creston '81
The Pentz Family:
Mark ‘81, Cheri ‘79, Michael ‘06, and Yvonne ‘06
John '68 & Betsy Baun Charitable Foundation (Pittsburgh Foundation)
Roberta and Allen ’64 Geyer
Elizabeth (Smith ’81) and Peter Hanley
Susan (Peshek ’81) and Peter Durfee ‘80
The Passaro Family
Lori (Shoemaker ’96) and John Brinker
IN-KIND SUPPORT
Three (3) hours accounting/financial consultation
CIRDEC Consulting, LLC
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 seven finalist teams.
| Jordan Atchison |
| Frances Baldwin |
| Chris Botting ’83 |
| Scott Brainard ’76 |
| Allison Braund-Harris |
| Mark Brody ’83 |
| Brian Coy |
| Craig Creaturo ’92 |
| Dan Creston ’81 |
| Brad Dearborn ’78 |
| Steve DeCaspers ’98 |
| Benjamin Demers ’19 |
| Jay DiNucci ’87 |
| Andrew Ellison |
| Kim Ford ’72 |
| Michelle Gerwick |
| Curt Given ’84 |
| Brian Gongaware ’92 |
| Glenn Grossman |
| Victoria Hassett ’12 |
| Michael Hemmerlin ’97 |
| Darcie Herron ’93 |
| Lindy Hitzel ’19 |
| Edward Huttenhower ’76 |
| Melissa Jacobs ’92 |
| Bob Keller ’73 |
| Beth Lepore ’96 |
| Evan Lowe ’89 |
| David Mannion ’78 |
| Wendy Marshall ’81 |
| Paul Marshall ’78 |
| Lauren Marts ’10 |
| Scott McDowell ’87 |
| William Messner ’96 |
| Trey Miller ’95 |
| Robin Parsons |
| Michael Pentz ’06 |
| Mark Pentz ’81 |
| Amy Petro |
| Patricia Premick ’84 |
| Keith Reagan ’06 |
| Steven Roman ’96 |
| Pamela Rossi-Keen ’99 |
| Charles (Bob) Scott ’72 |
| Barbara Shultz ’95 |
| Cameron Suorsa ’21 |
| Allyson Sveda ’88 |
| Jack Thomas ’89 |
| Steve Wickman |
| James Will ’98 |
| Sarah Winkler ’08 |