Five student teams advanced from the preliminary round of the Innovation Challenge competition in UMass Amherst’s Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship and will move on to compete in the final round on May 3. They will now compete to win up to $65,000 in equity-free funding. 

The Innovation Challenge is a two-part competition designed to assist and reward UMass students and young alumni (Graduates of the Last Decade, also known as GOLD) pursuing novel ideas and developing them into scalable, impactful ventures. The preliminary round on April 5 featured 20 student innovators (with backgrounds spanning across most of the UMass Amherst colleges) competing for a spot in the final round. Three celebrity judges helped choose the winning ventures: Lenny Underwood, serial entrepreneur; April Deluca, human resources executive; and Emily Reichman, venture capital fund founder.  

Berthiaume Center Executive Director Gregory Thomas said, “The semifinal is one of the most exciting and power-packed days. We start at 9 a.m. and work until 6 p.m. with very few breaks, listening to pitches, encouraging the ventures, and assessing their potential and where we can help. It is where the rubber meets the road.”  

Of these competitors, the following five ventures will compete once more on May 3. (The other competitors and applicants will receive detailed feedback from the judges and continued support from the Berthiaume Center and the entrepreneurship ecosystem to further their journey). 

Elijah Mishkind ’21 and Kyle Collins ’19
Isenberg School of Management
Marketing Major
“IRON is a platform for gym goers to track their progress, share and discover workouts and compete in the gym.” 

Emily Shal ’23
Isenberg School of Management
Finance Major
“Food Near Me is a mobile application designed to simplify the restaurant search process for food lovers. The app allows users to filter search results based on distance, food type, and price range.” 

Juliano Wahab ’23 and Alex Rohrberg ’23
College of Information and Computer Sciences & Isenberg School of Management
Computer Science & Marketing Dual Major
“Monet is an online platform that connects artists with art lovers worldwide. Our mission is to support artists by providing them with a platform to collaborate, connect with potential buyers, and monetize their art.” 

Noah Martinez ’23 and Aaron Xu ’23
Isenberg School of Management
Sport Management Major
“Drafted is an all-inclusive app that aims to streamline the recruiting process by making it a more casual and social experience intended to boost athlete exposure.” 

Ritik Shah ’23 with partners Jatan Pandya ’23 and Shubham Shah ’23
College of Engineering
Computer Engineering Major
“CardVerse is revolutionizing the multi-billion collectible card authentication industry, dominated by manual labor, by introducing the world’s first automated solution.” 

The final round of the Innovation Challenge is Wednesday, May 3, in the Old Chapel. Students, faculty, and media are encouraged to attend.