Entrepreneurs pitch business ideas in the Gene T. Aman Pirate Challenge
On the day when the Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge was officially renamed the Gene T. Aman Pirate Challenge, the energy and excitement from the announcement spilled onto East Carolina University’s Mall on Oct. 22. More than 75 student-led teams representing 42 majors offered up their ideas with the hopes of making it to the second round of the Aman Pirate Challenge.
The Aman Pirate Challenge is ECU’s premier pitch competition and is the largest of its kind in the UNC System. It’s open to any ECU student to participate. This year, it will award $200,000 in cash and in-kind services when the challenge winner is announced in April.
However, to get to the finals, teams started the three-round process of pitching and judging in an open-air format. Contestants pitched their ideas to anyone who stopped by a team’s table, and if so inclined, visitors voted for a team via a QR code.
More than 1,600 votes were cast via QR code during the first round of the Gene T. Aman Pirate Challenge. Those votes led to 12 teams advancing to the second round.
After more than 1,600 votes were cast and expert judges submitted reviews, the following 12 teams advanced to the second round:
- Aero Revive is a business that focuses on restoring old aircraft to like-new condition.
- BirdDog takes discounted properties and turns them into premium investments.
- CarriOn is a roadkill pick up and repurposing service, working to make roads safer and cleaner while also putting the animal to use.
- Green Grade is a website for unbiased golf course ratings.
- Grid Housing is a website that combines all the processes for off-campus college housing.
- Kid Fit is a company that uses science-backed programming and a culture of encouragement to envision a future where every child can reach their full potential, one gym exercise at a time.
- Pane Pirates is a trusted and reliable exterior cleaning company in eastern North Carolina.
- Pirate 3D is a supplier of cheap, simple and accessible 3D anatomical models to support medical education.
- Reminova is a brand idea that produces modular dog harnesses, designed to combine style, functionality and adaptability for modern pet owners.
- Surf Stick Wax is a heat-resistant, sealable applicator for surf wax.
- Thrive IT is a nonprofit focused on financial literacy education.
- Valet is an app-based ride-hailing service that provides customers with a driver who will drive them to their destination in the customer’s own car.
The Aman Pirate Challenge has awarded more than $900,000 in cash prizes and in-kind services since its inception eight years ago. That total is set to reach more than $1 million during this year’s finals.
The Arthur School’s Jonathan Coleman pitches his business idea to ECU student voters during Gene T. Aman Pirate Challenge. (Photos by Steven Mantilla)
David Mayo, organizer of the Aman Pirate Challenge, helped launch the challenge in 2017. As it grew in popularity, so did the cash prizes and sponsors who saw the potential in the participants. Thanks to the gift from the Aman family, opportunities will expand for future entrepreneurs.
“We look forward to growing the challenge across campus and welcoming more students into the Aman Pirate Challenge family,” said Mayo. “The additional funding will allow for more programming, prize money and opportunities for participants to strengthen their ideas and pitches.”
With a seven-year track record, the Aman Pirate Challenge is the outlet for ECU students to express, grow and pitch their ideas, said Chip Galusha, interim director of the Miller School of Entrepreneurship, sponsor of the Aman Pirate Challenge.
“The Aman Pirate Challenge gives students a chance to become business owners and job creators,” said Galusha. “Plus, they’ll have the backing and support of an entrepreneurial ecosystem that’s designed to help them succeed.”
For the second round of the competition, scheduled for Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. in the Main Campus Student Center, the semifinalists will have five minutes to pitch their business ideas to a group of expert judges. After a question-and-answer session, six finalists will move to the final round, scheduled for April 15 at 6 p.m. in ECU’s Murphy Center.