The 2020 CSUN Fast Pitch New Venture Competition (Virtual Edition) concluded on November 19th. Congrats to our teams!
1ST PLACE (2,000)
CORGI BUTT
Caroline Hartley & Christopher Meredith
Don’t let the name fool you - Corgi Butt is an intense tabletop strategy game perfect for new players and veterans alike. Play with family, friends, and friends-to-be!
2ND PLACE ($1,000)
POWERHEALTH
Vanessa Sanchez & Erika Giroux
PowerHealth is a bilingual nutrition app to help young families and individuals obtain nutrition education, recipes, cooking demonstrations, and personalized one-on-one counseling with a registered dietitian.
3RD PLACE ($500)
INCLUSIVE BEAUTY
Rutha Shah, Nicole Galdamez, Lily Tatevosian, & Kristina Serrano
Inclusive Beauty utilizes an intake quiz and algorithm to provide a clean and allergen-free custom cosmetic foundation to those with skin sensitivities and conditions.
AUDIENCE CHOICE ($500)
HOUSE OF COFFEE
Alondra Ortega, Loliepop Mena, Nicole Fregozo, & Christian Rodriguez
Our House of Coffee will provide personalized, hand-crafted beverages by utilizing an adaptive software that helps identify customer preferences and increase loyalty.
Danny is the Co-Owner and CFO of Cinema Secrets, an LA-based company manufacturing wholesale and retail cosmetics and Halloween lines. Cinema Secrets’ top customers include Sephora, Party City, and Spencer Gifts. In his spare time, Danny volunteers in the community through Project Hero and Tactical 180, organizations that help soldiers and vets through cycling.
As Co-Founder and President of Mediscan, Emily grew the business from a regional healthcare staffing company in 1995 to a nationwide company with over 2,000 employees. She is currently an angel investor with HealthTech Capital, a real estate investor, and active in philanthropy, supporting women’s causes and education initiatives through her foundation, Charis.
Rick Friedman is the CEO and Founder of NovusGC, a boutique law firm which provides business-oriented General Counsel services at an affordable price to startups, innovators and early-stage investors. Rick has extensive experience counseling emerging technology and life sciences companies in venture financing, licensing, commercial transactions and general corporate matters.
Smita is the founder and CEO of Aligned Strategies, which helps companies develop and implement product/tech roadmaps and provides investment advice. Devoted to the progress of under-served populations, she has served as president of the SoCal chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE), is a co-founder of the Women Initiative Network, and is a board member of the South Asian Network.
Application Instructions
Applications were due Sunday, November 1st, 2020 (submitted via Canvas). Required application materials:
1) A 10-15 page slide deck (PDF preferred) or 2-3 page executive summary, AND
2) A video not to exceed 1 minute (submitted via YouTube or equivalent).
Rules & Eligibility
1) The competition is open to ALL current CSUN students.
2) The competition is intended for student-created, -managed, and -owned ventures.
3) Solo entrants are eligible.
4) At least 50% of team members must be current CSUN students as of the 2020-2021 academic year (Spring 2020 graduates eligible). The "pitch" must be delivered by a CSUN student.
5) Businesses currently earning >$15K in annual revenue are not eligible.
6) Business that have already raised >$50K in funding from outside sources are not eligible.
7) Both for-profit and non-profit business concepts are eligible; however, sources of revenue must be addressed.
8) An individual may only be a member of one team.
9) 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from past Fast Pitch/Bull Ring Competitions are not eligible.
The Entrepreneurship Program at the Nazarian College complements our students’ inherent energy and creativity with the skills and knowledge necessary to evaluate the feasibility of an idea and ultimately pitch, launch, and grow a new venture. Whether planning to create a business or bringing the entrepreneurial mindset to a larger organization, the program prepares students to confidently present to an audience while developing a strong action-bias and a willingness to experiment.
