Students Compete in FDUPitch 2026

Six male students and one female student pose for a photo.

From left, Easan Ali, Ourania Rahman, David Tavartkiladze, Derek Wenskoski, Jamey Massung, Gabriel Le Guen and Harrison Hew at the FDU Pitch event in March 2026.

By Rebecca Maxon

March 17, 2026 — Students competed again this year in FDUPitch, a contest in which they pitch business ideas to professionals.

Ultimately, six students presented their proposals. The winners were Easan Ali, a Florham Campus junior studying business administration; David Tavartkildze, a Metropolitan Campus senior studying computer science; and Ourania Rahman, a Metropolitan Campus junior majoring in computer science with a concentration in cybersecurity and information assurance.

Students submitted their ideas through an online form. Then the top six ideas, as judged by a committee, were chosen to present their ideas at the FDUPitch event this March.

Ali took first place with his idea — Umbrella Rental Services on college campuses — something he first developed for his Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship and Innovation class. Mentored by Lauren Silverstein, founder and CEO of Rising Kitchens, he developed his proposal through a research-driven process, with interviews of students on the Florham Campus. From that research, “I refined the concept and built a business plan centered around solving the problem in a meaningful way,” he said.

Tavartkildze, who placed second, already had a startup idea in mind when he decided to submit his project. His product, TeamBuilder, is an AI-driven, gamified teambuilding experience. The platform offers high-quality teambuilding without the cost and logistics of in-person events making it suitable for companies of all sizes. Paired with mentor Irlana Ho, founder and creative director of Irlôh, LLC, he was able to develop a clearer presentation using resources and data to make the idea understandable.

Rahman, who came in third with her idea to develop an AI tool to monitor identity risk for small financial advisory firms, was mentored by Maciej Autuch, BS’21 (Metro), a senior consultant at Ernst & Young. “I’ve always been interested in entrepreneurship and the intersection of technology and real-world problems,” Rahman says. “Since cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important for organizations of all sizes, I wanted to explore a solution that could make security more accessible and practical for smaller firms.”

“I could not be prouder of what our students accomplished,” said Eun-Jeong “EJ” Ko, associate professor of entrepreneurship. “The preparation, dedication and courage it takes to stand in front of experienced judges and pitch a business idea is no small feat.”

She also thanked the judges and other contributors: Matt Wells, executive director, New Jersey Small Business Development Center at FDU (Metro); Thomas Gold, founder, Assessment Solutions, LLC, and adjunct faculty applied statistics, social science and humanities, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University; and Jessica Maarek, founder, Red Root Marketing.

“Thank you to our mentors, Irlana Ho; Maciej Autuch; Lauren Silverstein; Jon Daverso, product strategy manager, Holman; Christopher Molina, BS’23, MBA’24 (Flor), marketing specialist, Atlantic Health System; and Michelle Sohn, president, Acutens, for their time, warmth and commitment throughout the process.”

Ko also thanked committee members, Paige Soltano, director of placement and outreach, Silberman College; Domenick Celentano, senior lecturer of entrepreneurship; Marcia Martirano, administrative assistant in the Silberman College dean’s office; and Livia Da Silva, business administration and management student, for running the event.

She acknowledged the event sponsors, “VentureWell, The Lemelson Foundation, and the Silberman College of Business, for making this possible.”

Ko also thanked Omer Topaloglu, professor of marketing and marketing, management and entrepreneurship department chair; and Jim Almeida, dean of Silberman College, for their support. “Without their commitment to fostering FDU students’ entrepreneurial mindsets and student-centered approach, the event could not continue to grow.”

The winner will compete in the UPitchNJ statewide competition in May.