Four Hobart and William Smith Colleges students will compete for a $10,000 prize in the final round of the Todd Feldman ’89 and Family Pitch Contest.
The annual Shark Tank-style competition spotlights student entrepreneurs and their startup ideas, with finalists pitching to a panel of alumni judges.
This year’s finalists are Nicholas Jones ’26, Virginia Ritchay ’28, Tru Styles ’27 and David Charles II, “Duke” ’27. The students were selected by the HWS Pitch Committee and alumni judge Penry Prince ’91 from a competitive pool of applicants.
Jones founded Alchemy Coffee Co., a mobile café based in Saratoga, New York. The venture serves natural beverages made with locally sourced ingredients and freshly roasted beans. Alchemy Coffee operates at community events and private venues, with a focus on quality ingredients and customer well-being.
Ritchay created Buddy ID, a wearable medical identification bracelet designed to support individuals during medical emergencies. The bracelet features a laser-etched QR code that links first responders to updated medical information.
Styles launched Motion Consulting Group, a student-powered consulting firm that connects HWS students with Finger Lakes businesses. The firm aims to help locally owned companies strengthen their digital presence and operations while creating paid professional opportunities for students.
Charles developed The Wave, an app that curates emerging streetwear brands focused on ethical production and sustainability. The platform seeks to provide affordable, authentic fashion while giving early-stage designers exposure and reinvesting in mental health initiatives.
The finalists will present their ideas to a panel of alumni judges with experience in entrepreneurship, investment, technology and information security.
Sabrina McKee Budd ’89, P’25, P’28 has worked in investment banking, startup advisory and corporate strategy, most recently advising growth-stage technology startups and leading acquisition strategy at Helen of Troy.
Alan Worden ’87, co-founder and CEO of Community Data Platforms and co-founder of The Westmoor Club, has served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at HWS and was the first speaker in this year’s Michael ’59 and Ellen ’60 Opell IdeaLab program.
Chris Zoladz ’81 is the founder of Navigate LLC, a firm specializing in privacy and information protection. He previously served as Vice President of Information Protection & Privacy at Marriott International and led IT audit and security consulting services at Ernst & Young.
Each finalist will make the case for their venture’s market potential and scalability as they compete for the top prize.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].