Hobart and William Smith Colleges

7 March 2025 Odell '27 Wins Pitch Final By Colin Spencer '19

Chloe Odell receives $10,000 to expand heirloom upcycling business during the 2025 Todd Feldman ’89 and Family Pitch Competition.   

Providing a solution for reusing antique cutlery and offering access to affordable, high-quality jewelry, Chloe Odell ’27 won the 14th Annual Todd Feldman ’89 and Family Pitch Contest on Thursday for her startup, Mirabilia Jewelry.

In winning The Pitch, Odell received a check for $10,000 to fund and grow her business. 

Mirabilia Jewelry transforms heirloom cutlery into sustainable, customizable jewelry out of materials that already exist. Customers can send Mirabilia their silverware to have them engraved, sized and stylize to their liking. Mirabilia Jewelry also provides ready-made pieces, making high-quality, sustainable and affordable jewelry more accessible. 

“At Mirabilia, we believe in the magic of transforming the outdated into incredible pieces that not only last, but inspire,” Odell told the packed crowd that filled the Vandervort Room during last night’s annual competition. “Mirabilia means 'to inspire wonder' in Latin, and that’s exactly what we do with every creation.”

Odell began her pitch with an image of a family heirloom—a spoon. For her immigrant great-grandmother, it symbolized success, while for her father, it remained something neither used nor meant to be discarded. 

“If you asked me what I see, it’s three pieces of jewelry,” Odell said, referring to the spoon.

Odell said fine silverware held a significant part of a family’s identity only a few generations ago but has since become a relic of the past, leaving families without a use for them. In addition, the cost of fine jewelry is often out of reach for younger people, leading them to purchase products that are environmentally unsustainable and of a lesser quality. 

By winning, Odell plans to expand the business in cooperation with the state’s Board of Cooperative Educational Services, allowing high school students with metal-work skills to gain experience working for a jewelry company after graduating.

“[Chloe Odell] had the ability to share her story and her family’s history in such a way that convinced us her business had legs,” said Lowell Kronowitz ‘85, P’19, the president of Levy Jewelers and one of four judges in this year’s competition. “The true value of jewelry is sentimental value and she’s found a way to make it something people can continue to enjoy for many more years.”

Fellow judge Karla D’Alleva Valas P’27, the head of private wealth and executive services at Fidelity, said, “What made me choose [Chloe Odell] was how she was going to get more people involved through BOCES. It’s not just her. It’s her, plus students from BOCES and other resources. I think she had an excellent presentation and connected all the dots.” 

In addition to Valas and Kronowitz, this year’s judges included Michael Tesoro P'27, the founder and CEO of Ooma Tesoro's Premium Marinara Sauce and Robin Herrick Tesoro '96, P’27, the co-founder, creative director and business manager of Ooma Tesoro’s Premium Marinara Sauce. 

Other students and their enterprises in the competition included Diya Baldev ’25 of MotoGuardian, a female motorcycle gear business; Ahata Laska ’27 with AGLA Education.USA, a consultancy service for CIS countries and Maeghan Mahoney ’26 with Darling’s Dahlias, a flower business rooted in sustainability and community connection. 

All four finalists received $500 and have been entered into the New York Business Plan Competition, a statewide, intercollegiate business challenge that’s held later this month at St. John Fisher University. 

"Everyone in attendance at the Pitch was so impressed with the caliber of the ideas and the incredible work ethic of all of our finalists," said Dean of Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Director of the Centennial Center Lisa Kaenzig. "They were all phenomenal in the presentations of their viable business ideas, and our whole staff at the Centennial Center is very proud of their work. We all look forward to supporting them moving forward with their business ideas and future competitions at the state level."

Before the finalists’ presentations, Todd Feldman ’89, his wife Jennifer and his sons Ari and Sammy offered a welcome during a prerecorded video. 

“As I say every year, the true spirit of an entrepreneur is one that keeps going and keeps driving,” said Todd Feldman. “Good luck tonight. Keep going and keep changing the world.” 

Established in 2011 through the Centennial Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the competition begins with students submitting a business plan for a product or service. Then the finalists, who are chosen by the Pitch selection committee, present their plan to a panel of alumni and parent judges for the opportunity to win $10,000. Leading up to the final event, each student is partnered with an alumni mentor to refine their business proposals. Odell was mentored by Sabrina Budd ’89, the senior vice president of business development and investor relations at Helen of Troy. 

Todd Feldman and his family generously sponsor the competition. Founder of The Feldman Co., he has more than 30 years of experience developing and building businesses.

Top: President Mark D. Gearan and Dean of Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Director of the Centennial Center Lisa Kaenzig pose with the Pitch Contest winner Chloe Odell ’27.