Villanova University’s Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hosts 15th Annual Pitch Day
VILLANOVA, Pa. (May 28, 2026) – On April 25, 2026, Villanova University’s Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship hosted its 15th annual Pitch Day. Held annually, Pitch Day gives undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to showcase their entrepreneurial spirit by pitching an idea for a new business, from the ground up.
On Pitch Day, students took part in the final rounds of the Villanova Student Entrepreneurship Competition. The Meyer Innovation Award was also presented.
“VSEC gives students the opportunity to take an early-stage concept and begin turning it into a viable venture,” said Ann Goody, the Daniel J. Hogarty, Jr. ’61 Director of the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “The competition is about far more than selecting a winner. Every participant gains valuable feedback, mentorship and practical experience that helps move their ideas forward. It’s a meaningful first step in the entrepreneurial process.”
Information on this year’s events, as well as the day’s winners and awardees, can be found below:
McKenzie Ohene won VSEC's first place prize for her window soundproofing solution Muted.
Villanova Student Entrepreneurship Competition (VSEC)
VSEC is a semester-long, interdisciplinary entrepreneurship competition for Villanova student ventures, with cash awards granted to the top three winning teams. To enter the competition, teams created a business model canvas and a short elevator pitch video and were assigned two alumni coaches who helped to refine their pitch deck and practice their pitch. The top teams presented at Pitch Day to a room of experienced alumni entrepreneurs, who awarded more than $20,000 in prizes and in-kind services to the best pitches and venture ideas. In addition, judges selected teams to receive the Crowd Choice Award, the Klinger Unitas Prize and the Halloran Social Impact Prize.
First Place ($10,000 Prize) – MUTED, McKenzie Ohene, ’26 VSB
- Muted is a soundproofing solution focused on reducing noise in high-density living and working environments through custom-fit window inserts.
Second Place ($5,000 Prize) – STAVELO, Katie Oliver, ’27 CWSL
- Stavelo is an innovative luxury brand inspired by fashion in athletics that produces accessories that feel thoughtful, composed and grounded in sport.
Third Place ($3,000 Prize) – PHOENIX, Priscilla Zhang, ’26 CLAS
- Phoenix is a voice-powered math editor that enables students to solve math and physics equations at speed of thought.
Crowd Choice ($1,000 Prize) and Klinger Unitas Prize ($500 Prize) – NIAH, Linnea Clay, ’29 FCN; Avery Curry, ’29 FCN; Makayla Cunningham, ’29 FCN; Autumn Cirelli ’29 CLAS
- Niah—the Swahili word for "goal"—is a biotech uterine health company beginning its uterine health efforts in the realm of postpartum care.
Halloran Social Impact Prize ($500 Prize) – MYPAWS TREATS, Santino Casale, ’28 VSB
- MyPaws Treats is a social impact dog treat company that supports local pet rescues with a buy one-give one model.
Senior Emily Curran won the 2026 Meyer Innovation Award.
The Meyer Innovation Award
The Meyer Innovation Award was created and endowed in 2009 by Patrick Meyer ’74 VSB in honor of the Meyer family (Patrick ’74, Edward ’86, and C. Paul ’30) to recognize Villanova’s graduating seniors. Each year one graduating senior is awarded $5,000.
Winner – EMILY CURRAN ’26 COE
- Curran served on the facilities committee for the 2025 Special Olympics Fall Fest and launched an initiative in partnership with the Office of Sustainability to make the 2025 Fall Fest the most sustainable one yet. The initiative is committed to recycling and reusing materials from Fall Fest events instead of creating excess waste.
About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.