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Judges, from left to right, Ron Malone, Alice Tyszka \u201925, Parker Baxter and Jeanette Brewster listen to pitches during the Rinker Paladin Pitch Competition held in the Watkins Room of the Trone Student Center on Thursday, April 10. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.<\/p><\/div>\n
Price ran on stage Thursday afternoon \u2013 amid a shower of pyrotechnics and cheers from the crowd \u2013 to claim an oversized check for the $10,000 Johnny Flynn Award at the sixth-annual Furman University Hill Institute<\/a> for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Rinker Paladin Pitch Competition<\/a>. He wasn\u2019t the only award winner \u2013 two other students won prizes for their pitches, and a trio of new awards for this year\u2019s competition went to Greenville-based business leaders.<\/p>\n \u201cMy recovery and physical therapy let me put all my energy into developing GoldRush,\u201d said Price, a junior business administration major. \u201cOne of my teammates gave me a journal, and I wrote in it \u2018I want to develop this idea and take it to the Paladin Pitch Competition.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The cash prizes give students startup seed funding to go toward launching their ventures.<\/p>\n In second place, senior physics major Andrew Farrell \u201925 took home a $2,000 prize for LKRM \u2013 pronounced \u201cLocker Room\u201d \u2013 a high school sports team management platform. Pauline Bailey \u201927 took third place and won $500 for her educational toy idea Sprout Club, which equips children with entrepreneurial skills and hands-on business kits to turn their own ideas into reality. First-year student Nuzat Tabassum Tuba \u201928 won the Crowd Favorite award and $1,000 for her business Green Crunch, which makes crispy, tasty snacks from broccoli stems.<\/p>\n Though the competition lasted only a couple of hours, a lot of work goes into getting a coveted spot on the Paladin Pitch stage. Students go through weeks of interviews and video submissions before the applications are vetted down to four finalists. The finalists then refine their ideas and develop their pitches by researching their competition and market share and learning what their potential customers want out of the product or service they offer.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat you don\u2019t see behind the scenes is that this is more than just a pitch; you\u2019re launching a venture,\u201d said Bryan Davis<\/a>, executive director of the Hill Institute.<\/p>\n For Furman President Elizabeth Davis, that\u2019s what this competition is all about. \u201cStudents have brilliant ideas, and they\u2019re willing to step into the arena and share their ideas with a room full of people,\u201d she said. \u201cThat takes courage, and it takes months of hard work and preparation.\u201d<\/p>\n Four judges listened intently while the contestants pitched their ventures. The panel included Furman Trustee Emeritus Ron Malone; Jeanette Brewster, a facilitator with financial technology company Finsync; Parker Baxter, managing director of Michelin Innovation Lab venture GreenerFleets; and 2024 Paladin Pitch second-place winner Alice Tyszka<\/a> \u201925, whose company Alice\u2019s Authoring Agency provides editing, marketing and peer support for writers.<\/p>\n Nuzat Tabssum Tuba \u201928 pitches her business Green Crunch during the Rinker Paladin Pitch Competition held in the Watkins Room of the Trone Student Center on Thursday, April 10. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.<\/p><\/div>\n As the judges deliberated, Davis presented the 2025 Entrepreneurship, Free Enterprise and Innovation Award. These awards, new in the 2025 Paladin Pitch, recognize innovation and leadership driving significant social and economic impact.<\/p>\n Lindsey Calcutt, CEO and co-founder of medical tech firm Incora Health, received the Trailblazer Award for pioneering female-focused wearable technologies. The Vanguard Award went to Shane Grivich, CSO and co-founder of chronic care management provider Chartspan. Heather and Shannon Hudson, co-founders of the fitness franchise 9Round, were given the Global Impact Award for their worldwide acclaim, with nearly 700 locations in 18 countries.<\/p>\n These awards and other additions to the competition are possible in part thanks to a $1 million gift<\/a> by Trustee Emeritus Leighan Rinker and husband Dave Rinker to endow the Paladin Pitch. This year also added an award dinner for the student finalists and other honorees following the competition, so students have the chance to network and connect with these mentors. Bridging the gap between young entrepreneurs and experienced business leaders \u201cserves as an inspiration for the students,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\nMentorship and business experience<\/h3>\n
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Paladin Pitch endowment and new additions<\/h3>\n