The Close School’s annual Startup Fest successfully brought together students, founders, and industry leaders for a day focused on high-stakes pitching, specialized learning, and strategic networking, fueling the University’s next generation of student-led ventures.
The day began with networking and a live taping of Startup Talks featuring Nick Bayer, CEO of Saxbys, setting an inspiring tone. The competitive momentum was immediate: the Fast Pitch Competition saw 28 competitors, with the win going to Greeva Yava for Green-Prompts, an AI sustainability tool.
The event featured a Masterclass series providing strategic skill development in crucial areas like Pitching, Customer Validation, Legal Foundations, and Problem Solving, led by experts including Don Milley (WhatsitAI) and Emily Foote (Saxbys).
The climax was the Drexel Startups Fund Competition, where eight finalists pitched for significant seed funding. Winners included Tavin Staber (HFA Grading) for professionally encapsulating LEGO Minifigures and Alexa Parker (Tech Tunes) for her innovative music education platform.
Startup Fest is a tangible demonstration of the Close School’s commitment to experiential learning, providing the necessary infrastructure, funding, and real-world connections for students to build viable companies before graduation.
Read more on the full recap HERE.
