This past weekend students packed into the Forbes Idea Lab inside the Fernandez Center and covered almost every surface with notes, written either on the tables with dry erase markers or on pieces of paper that were taped onto the walls. The notes were actually the beginnings of business pitches that these students were creating as a part of The Greyhound Pitch Competition, hosted by Ycenter and the Simon Center for Innovation and Leadership.
The two-day experimental workshop and competition invites students to learn tools and techniques related to entrepreneurship and complex problem solving. Throughout the event, students apply these skills by working as individuals or in teams to create a business pitch for a new venture they create for the competition.
The event was facilitated primarily by Dhairya Pujara, CEO of global experiential learning and consulting group Ycenter. He said that he hosts these workshops because he wants the next generation of entrepreneurs to be better equipped than he was at their age.
“I started my first company when I was 19 and in undergrad. So when I come to Loyola’s campus and see these students, I love that they are filled with ideas and at the same time they have this resource. I didn’t have this when I was 19, so for me this is an amazing chance to be a part of the community, to make sure that 19-year-old who has an idea can walk away with confidence and critical thinking,” Pujara said.
This workshop is open to all Loyola students regardless of their major. Loyola Professor and Entrepreneur-in-Residence Jon Weinstein says that he worked with the Ycenter CEO to format the workshop so that any student, no matter if they have a business idea or not, can come and learn something from this experience.
“You don’t need an idea or even a team to come to this event. Do you want to have fun, free food, and meet other students who have a similar mindset? It’s a zero risk opportunity. There’s no such thing as a bad idea. We’ve had students come in with all sorts of ideas and all of them have been interesting,” Weinstein said.
Students worked for hours on their pitch presentations, brainstorming business models, putting together functional demos, and making revisions before finally presenting their pitches in front of a panel of judges. The students whose pitches would receive a cash prize, and all of the pitches were under consideration to be sent to the Hult Prize pitch competition and the Maryland Student Venture Showcase.
The chance to win real prizes is what inspired freshman Grace Gunther ‘29 to participate.
“I just felt like one of those things where how could you not do it. I think it’s so cool that we get to compete for the chance to win real money and real opportunities all on an ordinary Saturday,” said Gunther.
Senior Isabella Desintonio ‘26 also agreed that the prize is a great incentive, but said that for her it’s more about getting some real-world entrepreneur experience.
“Something that’s super appealing about joining the Greyhound Pitch Competition is being able to get that real-world experience that we’re all looking for. Especially for us seniors that are looking to enter the job market, this is something that differentiates us from other candidates,” Desintonio said.
In the end, the Social Impact Award was given to Kelum, a company that makes candles that remind people of their home country and cultures. The Technology and Innovation Award went to SafeConnect, an app that would help match young graduates with a city and places to rent after college. Lastly, the People’s Choice Award went to Beau, an app that will create a community to combat the effects of unrealistic beauty standards.
The next Greyhound Pitch Competition is set to take place in Fall 2026. To learn more about this event and other resources offered on campus by the Simon Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, visit their website or Instagram page.