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Every four minutes for four hours, students stood before a panel of judges, took a deep breath and launched into their idea for a business. A platform for selling used dorm furniture. Designer carrying cases for Narcan. Sunscreen for men. Dissolving coffee tablets.

All were participating in the preliminary round of the annual C.R.E.A.T.E. Business Idea Competition Sept. 24 at the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center.

Before the event, Maria Perez ’27 was battling stage fright. The master’s in entrepreneurship student was there to pitch Barkington, her business making bandanas for dogs, especially larger breeds. “I’ve done some pitches in class, but this is my first time at a pitch competition,” she said. She also honed her presentation at Pitch Sykes, a program that gives any student the opportunity to get feedback on their ideas from mentors. Despite her nerves, she advanced to the next round.

This was the second year judging for Monica Boulmetis ’05, M.Ed. ’12, human resources director at CFO Associates, which sponsors the event. “I’m looking for students who have a unique idea and know what barriers they’re going to face and are ready to take them on,” she said.

“It’s fun to see how passionate everybody is and that it’s students from all different parts of campus,” she said. “It’s nice to see that you could be a communication major like I was and still be a part of the entrepreneurship center.”

Approximately 25% of the participants came from outside the Sykes College of Business, according to Branden Weber, manager of operations for the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center.

From a field of more than 50 students, judges chose 20 to advance to the next round of competition. Those students will receive mentoring and attend a bootcamp to hone their pitches in preparation for the semifinals on Oct. 23. Eight students will then advance to the finals on Nov. 12, and three will receive funding for their businesses.

“It takes a lot of courage to do this. I’m not sure I could have done it at their age,” said Rebecca White, director of the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center. “We’re building students’ confidence, entrepreneurial mindset and awareness that they can take an idea and create a business.”

For students who did not advance, White hosts a program to help them improve their ideas and continue to pursue them.

Students Advancing to the Semifinals

• All Dumps Matter (trash bin rental service), Nathan Bailey
• Aureal (moisturizer), Noah Cozzolino
• Barkington (bandanas for dogs), Maria Perez
• Beach Bums (beach volleyball clinics), Tess Schrenger
• Brewfy (dissolving coffee tablets), Chris Jensen
• Eterna (AI data safety), James Sabella
• Florida Man (sunscreen for men), Owen Wyatt
• Life Admin (time management app), Kaitlin Lappin
• Loretta Jane (personalized clothing), Brooke Mollenkopf
• OneTap (digital business card for students), Andrew Brown
• Onni (mobile phone alarm and app blocker), Mats de Haas
• PlexQ (AI advertising), Owen Richmond
• Protein Shot (exercise drink), Rachel Muller and Dakota Shanley
• Salvé (designer Narcan carrying case), Anthony Ferdella
• SwingClean (golf club cleaner), Constantinos Lembesis
• Tap Supply (medication container), Soultan Elajou and Matthew Hogan
• Travectio (financial platform for trucking), Richard Rivera
• Turn Left (stationery for left-handed people), Annalia Santiago
• Upcycle UTampa (reseller for dorm furniture), Kaylee Peralta and Huma Usyan
• Upwind (cigar smoke protection for clothing), Maxwell Cohen
• Veyo (travel agency), Nicole Helo and Weronika Ziemniak