The Entrepreneurship and Business Academy (EBA) Pitch Night highlighted the innovation, collaboration, and business acumen of student entrepreneurs. During the high-energy evening at Kempsville High School, student teams presented their original business concepts to a panel of judges composed of industry professionals, community partners, and educators.
Pitch Night serves as both a celebration and a competition. Run in the style of the popular “Shark Tank” television show, judges provide targeted feedback and select top-performing teams — awarding funding to help students continue developing their ventures.
Beyond the competition, the event fosters connections between students and the local business community, reinforcing the academy’s commitment to experiential learning and career readiness.
The teams competing on stage and their award amounts were:
- Turf Warrior – awarded $15,000 (the MOST EVER awarded to a single team!): Turf Warrior is a protective spray that reduces turf burn by limiting friction and shielding skin during games on turf. Student members: Joe Calandra, Sayla Kluch, Brayden Stroup, Owen Szykuc.
- Better Boost – awarded $7,000: Better Boost is a fast-acting caffeinated gum engineered for athletes, delivering quicker absorption than energy drinks and sustained performance, without the crash. Student members: Libby Banicky, Adelaide Duey, Matthew Miles.
- HydroGrip – awarded $7,000: HydroGrip provides a supportive base equipped with built-in suction technology to prevent reusable water bottles from frequently falling over. Our product offers a lightweight, stable, and BPA-free solution designed to ensure a spill-free workspace. Student members: Faith Goshert, Amir Samalya, Zariah Wells, Dysie Yancey.
- TeeMate – $5,000: TeeMate is a golf club attachment that prevents bending over while golfing. This single attachment facilitates essential course functions, including setting up a tee, picking up a ball, and lastly picking up a tee. Student members: Brady Langman, Harper Warren, Cayden Ward.
- Conetic Sports -$4,000: Conetic is a silicone, folding sports cone that is made to withstand outdoor practices and is weighted to prevent movement. Our cones make practices more efficient and effective. Student members: Roxy Bedell, Sofia Gonzalez, Grayson Lambert, Ian Tate.
- FloGo – Conditional funding based on judges’ feedback: FloGo is a self-contained paintbrush that stores paint directly within the body of the brush, delivering a consistent and controlled flow. It reduces waste, minimizes the mess, and eliminates the need to constantly return to your palette. Student members: Macy Carasella, Sophia Creswell, Kenley Garrett, Isabella Waldron.
- Slap & Grab – Conditional funding based on judges’ feedback: Engineered for performance, Slap & Grab uses magnetized silicone to improve your grip on gym equipment and metal bars. Its rubber-shielded design enhances comfort while promoting better hygiene, allowing you to focus entirely on your workout. Student members: Elijah Aransiola, Evan Cotten, Jackson Kerrigan.
Before the stage show, additional student teams set up table displays in the hallway outside the auditorium to explain their products.
Throughout the event, students deliver polished pitches that mirror real-world startup presentations — articulating their value proposition, target market, competitive advantage and financial outlook to a judging panel of local business experts.
Each team demonstrated not only the viability of their idea but also the depth of their research, creativity, and problem-solving skills developed through the INCubatoredu experience.
This year’s judging panel included:
- Gil Bland, president and chairman of the Urban League of Hampton Roads
- Drew Ungvarsky, co-founder and CEO of Assembly
- Delceno Miles, president and CEO of The Miles Agency
- Billy Foster, president and CEO of TowneBank
Event host Bruce Thompson, chief executive officer of Gold Key | PHR (Professional Hospitality Resources), was impressed that all seven stage teams received funding opportunities to continue developing their businesses.
Visit https://justinmorrisphoto.pixieset.com/pitchnight2026/ for more images from Pitch Night.
