HWS News
22 December 2025 • Entrepreneurship Meet the 2026 Pitch Semifinalists
Ten students have been selected in this year’s Shark-Tank style entrepreneurial leadership competition.
The semifinalists for the 2025-2026 Todd Feldman ’89 and Family Pitch competition are designing solutions that address everyday problems in health, communication, marketing and time management.
Hosted by the Bozzuto Center for Entrepreneurship, The Pitch is a Shark-Tank style entrepreneurial leadership competition where students develop their ideas through mentorship, workshops and coaching. One finalist will win $10,000 to launch their startup.
This year’s semifinalists are:
David “Duke” Charles II ’27, The Wave
Helping streetwear brands market their products affordably by showcasing them to thousands of potential customers each month.
Isabella Daniels ’27, Code Thread Needlepoint
Helping young adults scroll less and craft more by creating community through modern needlepoint.
Kahlil Fontana ’26, Balance
A digital planner for college student-athletes that pulls together classes, assignments, practices, lifts, games and personal to-dos in one place. Balance not only shows a daily plan, but helps build better routines, breaking big tasks into smaller steps and nudging student-athletes to protect time for sleep, meals, rehab and rest.
Zack Hanna ’28 and Dominic Schimizzi ’27, Licom AI
A performance-based AI automation service for small and medium size businesses that provides custom workflow automation with guaranteed ROI and mandatory worker upskilling.
Nicholas Jones ’26, Alchemy Coffee Company
Selling clean coffee beverages at community events, festivals, and private venues in Albany, N.Y. with a mission to spread awareness about the importance of food quality one cup of coffee at a time.
Virginia Ritchay ’28, Buddy Bracelet
A functional and fashionable medical ID bracelet that ensures safety and advocacy during emergencies using a QR code linked to personalized medical information.
Scarlett Sandoval ’28, LunaBin
A touchless, stall-mounted menstrual waste bin designed to deliver a quiet, hygienic, safe and aesthetically refined experience.
Try Styles ’27, Tru Bridge
An AI-powered professional networking platform that connects college students with alumni and industry professionals based on more than twenty data points and parameters.
Anh Thu “Alice” Vu ’28, Shape of Lingual
A communication platform enabling two-way, real-time interaction between Deaf and hearing individuals without requiring an interpreter.
Reese Wisherd ’29, The SmartCourt
An automated projection system using lasers for court sports, projecting only the active sports boundaries on a court to minimize confusion for athletes.
