Contact: Stephanie Zombek

805-668-3955; szombek@calpoly.edu

The competition brought together interdisciplinary teams to build and develop startup concepts from idea to pitch in just 54 hours with $2,400 in prizes awarded

SAN LUIS OBISPO — Surface22, a team building titanium cutting boards designed to reduce microplastics in home kitchens and the culinary industry, won Cal Poly Entrepreneurs’ (CPE) annual Startup Launch Weekend.

Held over 54 hours on Nov. 14-16 at the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s (CIE) HotHouse in downtown San Luis Obispo, the event brought together students from across the university for a fast-paced experience in idea development, customer discovery and startup formation. Participants formed teams Friday evening and worked through the weekend to prepare final pitches to panel of judges on Sunday night.

“I’ve never felt my passion for entrepreneurship come alive quite like it did this weekend,” said Riley Marino, a business administration junior from San Francisco, who pitched his startup, Navify, an indoor 3-D navigation app for complex, multilevel buildings. “I had the privilege to have my idea selected for development by Cal Poly Entrepreneurs.”

Seventy-two student participants worked beside mentors, engaged in market research and refined concepts under tight deadlines. The weekend allowed students to explore entrepreneurship in a fast-paced environment while networking with founders and industry experts.

Organizing members of Cal Poly Entrepreneurs, the student-run club that hosts Startup Launch Weekend, gather for a group photo

Cameryn Pina, CPE director of events who planned and executed the Startup Launch Weekend, described the event as deeply meaningful.

“Being able to provide others the opportunity to innovate in such a collaborative space and see everyone’s passion for entrepreneurship really come alive made me that much more appreciative of the space we've created for entrepreneurs at Cal Poly, and I was so proud to see all the teams succeed”, said Pina, founder of Twist & Toss pasta startup, who competed in the 2024 event.

The competition concluded with a “Shark Tank”-style pitch before a panel of three judges: Dan Weeks, a longtime CIE Entrepreneur in Residence who also teaches entrepreneurship in Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business; Shaun Tanaka, CEO and founder of Castlelock Corp., which develops innovative, biometric-enabled firearm safety devices, primarily for AR-15 rifles; and Barry Lieberman, an Orfalea College lecturer in industrial technology, packaging and entrepreneurship academic area.

Cash prizes were awarded to the top teams: $1,000 for first place; $750 for second; $500 for third; and $150 for the Audience Choice. Awards were based on team business viability, profitability, market potential, customer acquisition strategy and overall readiness for investment.

Prize Recipients

Awardees included:

• First place — Surface22, for its titanium cutting boards for home cooks and the wider culinary community, with the goal of reducing microplastics. It was created by materials engineering senior Ryan Krakauer of Redwood City, California; business administration senior Hyuma Morikizono of the La Jolla section of San Diego; Bodi Roy, an aerospace engineering freshman from University Place, Washington; business administration freshmen Nina Le Van of Mountain View, California, and Chiara DeGirolamo of Rancho Palos Verdes, California; business administration sophomore Elena Rimini of San Diego; and graphic communications sophomore Jackson Miller of San Diego.
• Second place — Serene, a startup creating Safe Buddy, a transferable charm that sends location coordinates to friends and family when wearers feel unsafe, such as walking alone at night. It was created by business administration sophomores Lindsey Williams of Denver and Mahek Aggarwal of Valencia, California; industrial technology and packaging junior Hailey Haberman of Sunnyvale, California; and finance freshman Nehal Singh of Bothell, Washington.
• Third place — Prodigy, a digital service marketplace to connect college athletes with clients seeking loo movement coaching at an affordable price. It was created by computer science senior Owen Rogers of Honeoye Falls, New York; business administration juniors Caleb King of Bellevue, Washington, Hunter Howell of Sacramento, and Mason Conrad of Highlands Ranch, Colorado; business administration junior Lily Bryan of San Diego; business administration sophomore Lily Tilden of Portland, Oregon; and industrial technology and packaging junior Peter Olsen of San Francisco.
• Audience Choice — The Tendon Project, a wearable redefining how athletes understand and protect their tendons by analyzing collagen makeup and offering real-time insight into health and recovery of this vital connective tissue. It was created by electrical engineering junior Samuel Weston of Rocklin, California; Austin Smith of Galt, California; biomedical engineering freshman Avari Brocker of Troutdale, Oregon; business administration sophomore Claire Johnson of Santa Ana, California; and business administration senior Joseph Teran of Pasadena, California.

Other highlights included Surface22 engraving personalized cutting boards to thank the judges and Twist & Toss, last year’s runner-up, catering the final pitch competition.

This year’s event was supported by the CIE, Efren’s Mexican Restaurant, SloDoCo Donuts, Woodstock’s Pizza, Sequel Tea, Yerba Madre and Vertosa.

About Cal Poly Entrepreneurs

CPE is a Cal Poly student entrepreneurial club bringing together creative thinkers and doers to develop world-changing ideas. A place where entrepreneurship and education coexist, CPE is a community where entrepreneurial thinking is more than a skill but a mindset that manifests itself across all majors and programs at Cal Poly. To learn more, visit calpolyentrepreneurs.com.

Top Photo: The Startup Launch Weekend winners celebrate with their checks after pitching their startup concepts in a 54-hour competition hosted by Cal Poly Entrepreneurs.