On the Money

Ohio Wesleyan Students Win Business Start-Up Funds During Campus Pitch Competitions

One ³Ô¹ÏÍø student hopes to help clean the air of ammonia emissions from large animal farms. Another wants to cook up business success based on making and marketing healthy Greek-inspired foods.

Both budding Bishop entrepreneurs claimed $3,000 in start-up funds after winning separate "Shark Tank"-style pitch competitions held Feb. 27 by OWU's .

An Ammonia 'AirScrub'

Junior Inesh Tickoo of Delhi, India, claimed the grand prize in the Woltemade Big Problem Challenge, besting three competing concepts also seeking to make the world a better place. All of the Big Problem Challenge proposals considered how to improve the environment in response to the (SDGs) created by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

For his solution, Tickoo, a double major in Computer Science and Business Administration (Marketing), proposed AirScrub, a company that would license and commercialize EcoScrub technology to reduce ammonia emissions (and, subsequently, respiratory risks) from large livestock farms.

AirScrub's "wet-scrubbing technology" would capture up to 85% of ammonia emissions Tickoo explained, which would be converted into ammonium sulfate fertilizer to create a potential revenue stream to cover the cost of implementing the clean technology. Most current efforts to control ammonia emissions are focused on industry versus agriculture, he said, use more energy, and do not transform the ammonia into anything usable.

Feta Accompli

Senior Thomas Stathulis of Westerville, Ohio, earned the top prize in The Woltemade Center's Pitch OWU competition, also besting three other proposals to earn $3,000 in seed money to launch a new business.

A self-proclaimed foodie, Stathulis, a double major in Finance and Business Management (Management), proposed Cephalonian Creations, creating and selling healthy dips and spreads inspired by Greek recipes. (Cephalonia, or Kefalonia, is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece.)

"This is a passion project of my dad and mine," said Stathulis, who also shares on TikTok.

He plans to begin the business with feta spread and a Greek-infused version of guacamole that he and his father, Stacey, will sell to local specialty stores and at central Ohio farmers' markets.

As part of his Pitch OWU presentation, Stathulis served samples of both creations to the three-member panel of judges: Glenn Entis, OWU Class of 1976, senior director at Google DeepMind; Gary Campanelli, director of guidance for Hauppauge Public Schools in New York; and Marcus Hazelwood, principal and director of building optimization at EA Energy Solutions and an advisor for Global Network for Zero (GNFZ). The three evaluated the student presentations for both pitch competitions.

More Big Solutions

In addition to Tickoo's AirScrub, the other competitors selected to participate in the Woltemade Big Problem Challenge, their ideas, and their awards included:

• $1,500 recipients: Juniors Aninditha Nair, a Computer Science and Data Analytics double major from Dombivli, India, and Aryaka Tickoo, a Business Administration (Management) and Environmental Science double major from Mumbai, India, for Aethera AI: Mapping the Future of Urban Cooling. They propose to use artificial intelligence, satellite imagery, and climate data to predict future urban heat zones and recommend optimal locations for green spaces to help combat the rising temperatures to support climate-resilient city planning.
• $750 recipient: Sophomore Aarav Singh, a Data Analytics major from Lucknow, India, for IPM+. Singh's sustainability solution proposes to reduce AI data center energy consumption by 50%, cut carbon emissions, and decrease the reliance on fossil fuels. Using patented AI algorithms, IPM+ would optimize computer power use without disrupting AI workloads. Singh says IPM+ would extend hardware lifespan by 30% and reduce e-waste and resource depletion.
• Gift card recipient: Junior Aanuoluwapo Fadairo, a Pre-Medicine major from Grand Forks, North Dakota, for FreshCaps – Edible Coffee Capsules for Sustainable Energy. Fadairo proposed creating fully dissolvable coffee capsules made with oats, cocoa, and vanilla to support the growing trend of eco-conscious consumption and help address the global waste issue created by the 40 billion+ non-biodegradable coffee pods thrown away annually.

More Pitch OWU Proposals

In addition to Stathulis's Cephalonian Creations, the other competitors selected to participate in the Pitch OWU competition, their ideas, and their awards included:

• $1,500 recipient: Junior Kaye'Ann Muetzel-Smith, a Business Administration (Management) major from Grove City, Ohio, for GeoKey, "Find It First." She proposed a system using geolocating technology to help car dealerships keep track of all vehicle keys in their inventory, and the ready-to-sell status of each vehicle, with GeoKey.
• $750 recipient: Senior Tyler Duhl, a Psychology major from Arvada, Colorado, for Lotus – "Disconnect from Your Phone to Reconnect with Yourself." Lotus is a smart device that works in tandem with a smartphone app to interrupt reflexive patterns of app use. It redirects the user's attention away from the app that they are trying to access and provides them with an opportunity to make an intentional decision about how they want to use their time (and attention).
• Gift card recipients: Seniors Kathy Habian, a Business Administration (Management) major from Medina, Ohio; Cooper Meek, an Economics major from Van Nuys, California; Kevin Fratz, a Finance major from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; and Jenna Norman, a Politics & Government and Economics double major from Wilmington, Ohio, for Spotless Stays. Their venture would provide quick-turn, reliable cleaning services for rental vacation properties to help central Ohio property owners improve guest satisfaction and accept more back-to-back bookings.

An Important Kickstart

All participants in the Woltemade Big Problem Challenge and the Pitch OWU competition also earned free admission to the upcoming event featuring a keynote address from Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak. The state's largest entrepreneurship conference, will be held from March 24-26 in Columbus. It is organized by the – OWU's on-campus business accelerator operated with support from the City of Delaware and Delaware County.

Learn more about The Woltemade Center at , the Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at OWU at , and Kickstart Ohio, including ticket purchases, at .

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Founded in 1842, ³Ô¹ÏÍø is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 and competes in 24 NCAA Division III . Through its signature experience, the , Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at or learn more at .